This morning I attended a time management workshop sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce in Salisbury. The facilitator did a great job and a lot of people took away some good tips and habits.

I’ve been a time management nerd for pretty much my whole life, so I didn’t expect to learn too many new ideas. By the way, I was voted “Most Organized” as a high school senior! Yep, I carried a day planner in high school!

Here are some time management tips I live by:

1. Know your purpose in life and for your vocation! Plan your personal time by making priorities - family, parenting, learning, playing, whatever you decide they may be. As a pastor I can tell you about 50 billion different responsibilities that I have! Many jobs are this way so it’s important to stay focused on your primary purpose and keep the main thing the main thing!

2. Avoid time wasters! Life is full of distractions and things that keep us from doing what we need to do each day, and more importantly, from becoming who God wants us to become. Identify the things in your life, at home (TV!) or at work (co-workers, internet) that waste your time and then discipline yourself to avoid them.

3. Plan your week using units and goals. A unit is a 4 hour block of time. I build my days based on three units (4 hours each). Then I plan my week based on how many units I need to spend at work and how many I need to spend at home. I try not to commit more than 10-12 units to work on a regular basis - this keeps my focused on my goals and keeps me from burning out. I also plan units that I can commit to my family and other personal responsibilities.

4. Use ONE calendar. Whether you use a traditional calendar, Microsoft Outlook or a PDA, keep ALL OFF YOUR APPOINTMENTS ON THE SAME CALENDAR! And keep it with you all of the time!

5. Go ahead and build time into your daily and weekly calendar for interruptions. Most time management books and workshops tell you that you should just avoid interruptions altogether. In reality, we know that’s just impossible.

For me, managing my time is a matter of “life stewardship”. God has me (and you) here for a reason and a purpose so my life really belongs to Him! Hey, I’m not perfect! (As if you didn’t already know that!) But being conscious of how we spend our time is not just about being more productive. It’s about being who God wants us to be and being thankful for the life God has given to us.

Would you like to have a conversation about how to get your life better organized so you can make better use of your time. . . and your life? Send me an email and let’s chat!

neilwestbrook@gmail.com

Your response: