As a Christian: Time management is more than a planner or a set schedule. It is about having an eternal focus with daily resolution.
Here are 7 quick tips to help you manage each day with less effort.
Keep life simple. Fight against the evil spirits of overwhelm, distraction and complication. As you progress each day, mastering just a fraction of what you set out to do will dramatically improve your productivity. As a Christian, time management is really about direction.
Be a “doer”. A very small percentage of the world take action and when they do it is very incrementally, taking them a small step forward. If something in your life strikes a chord with you, RUN, don’t walk! You have good intentions. It is almost impossible to fail if you are always doing things with the right intention!
Less can be more. The world knows how to push our buttons and keep us in their groove. The reality is that almost anything can wait. Understand that important decisions in life stand out and that you don’t need to pay attention to all the senses of urgency around you. So find those manufactured sources of urgency and start recognizing them now. Think of perpetual 1-day sales, cat calls at the mall, unexpected tips from professionals you haven’t been in contact with for services you’re unclear on.
Get rid of the garbage. Whether it’s your office, computer, refrigerator, closet, or car, get organized and get rid of the fat in your life. Get rid of the useless things that have accumulated. If you can’t quickly tell yourself that you are providing value to yourself or someone else in your life in a good way, you have to go! Time management is also about managing the environment.
Take one step at a time. Most people today don’t finish the books they buy because they focus on the ending, not the page in front of them. That is the difference between you and them. You will be successful at what you do if you take it one step at a time and understand that the “next big thing” that may catch the attention of others will not be better for you. It will only stop you from moving on. Most people get caught in cycles of taking on too many projects and never finishing one.
Make sense of everything! If you have pads, put them next to the pencils, if you spend too much time preparing dinner, find something else to cook! Start rethinking time right now! Your goal is clarity, freedom and getting away from the abuse of your precious time. As Christians we know that there is no second chance in life… let’s manage time now.
Believe! Belief is the most powerful and influential weapon that God has given us to overcome any battle that we are going to win. As you go on this journey, do so with the expectation that it is done. Jesus told us to pray as if our prayers have been answered and our belief in fair business should be the same way. Set the inevitable conditions for success!
That’s it…these tips will help keep our approach to Christian time management right where it belongs.