“Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.”
Where Is Your Time Going?
Time – it’s one of the most precious things we have and yet we often use it so frivolously. Take a moment to consider how you spend your time – are you using it wisely or are you spending time on busy work that isn’t truly productive?
Time management is an important skill necessary to succeed. As adults, we assume that we know how to manage our time and often become indignant at the suggestion that we could improve. However, as with many things in our lives, we can always go from good to great. Think about how your life would change if you had 2 additional hours in every day to spend as you pleased. What would you do with that time? What if I told you that you could get that time?
Oftentimes, we are misusing and misappropriating time without realizing it. I’ve always considered myself a “productive” person, but I recently came to the realization that e-mail is a huge time sap for me. In light of this discovery, I’ve decided to begin limiting my e-mail usage to three times per day: first thing in the morning, mid-afternoon, and just before bed. There are few e-mails that I’ll receive that will be so urgent that they cannot wait. What is your time sap? Is it the phone? Do you look up after a phone call and wonder where the time went? Maybe your time sap is social networking, long lunches, or poor meeting planning. Whatever it is, consider taking control of your time and you’ll observe that you have more time than you did before!
Here are some tips for effective time management:
Map out the day on paper before you begin. Planning the day’s activities is a great way to improve efficiency. Time is often wasted wandering aimlessly from one activity to the next. Setting an intention for the day is a powerful way to get clear on your purpose and be sure that your activities are productive, not just busy. Plan 60% of your day then leave 20% for unanticipated developments and 20% for a buffer.
Make lists. Lists are a productive person’s friend. Think about the amount of energy you spend trying to remember a grocery list or trying to remember the things you needed to take care of before you leave the house. A list frees up your mental energy to be used on something more profound. Use lists as miniature assistants that keep you on track and remind you of the details.
Budget time with people. Networking is important. We need to create and maintain relationships with people. However, as you begin to assess how you’re spending your time, consider the return on the investment of spending time with certain people. In his book, The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson noted that there are people you should spend 2 minutes with and others you should spend 2 hours with. The key is to know who is who. Be honest with yourself about whether you are growing, flourishing, and expanding in the presence of those you spend your time with and make adjustments accordingly.
Get organized. Are you spending hours and hours trying to find things? Organization is essential to moving quickly from task to task. Clear the clutter from your home, car, and office, and not only will be thinking more clearly, you’ll observe that it’s easier to find things. Form the habit of putting things in their proper place once you’re doing using them.
Do it, delegate it, or dump it. Instead of putting things off, sit down and consider the task and what should really be done about it. Either do it right away, pass it off to a helper or partner, or get rid of it altogether. Using this method will free up much of your time and energy. Do what needs to be done to relieve yourself of any obligations that are no longer important to you or are not moving you in the direction of your goals.
Freeing up time in your schedule means more time to serve others, do the things you love, and spend time in God’s presence. Remember that your time, like your body, is a gift. Unlike money, once we spend our time, we can’t get it back so always spend wisely.
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