Issue #21, December 16, 2009
In the last issue we examined ways that servant leaders view time differently. With that foundation, let’s look at some practical steps every leader can take to better manage time. Paul writes that we are to ‘redeem the time’ (Col. 4:5). To redeem is to buy back or reclaim that which is gone or to rescue from loss. Both are appropriate pictures of what leaders are called to do with time. How can servant leaders redeem the time?
Develop a “to do” list.
Before you can get things done you must know what needs to be done. You can do this very easily by keeping a notebook or diary in which you list the things you need to do. Make different categories on your list or use different pages to separate the items into areas that are relevant for you. Your categories might include: Home, Work, Town, Church, etc. Under each category list the things that you need to do. This might include calls to make to different people, items to purchase from the supermarket, or chores to do at home. Servant leaders develop this list prayerfully, seeking to know God’s purposes for their time.
Take time to plan.
A few minutes of planning will enable you to be much more organized and effective in what needs to be done for the day. Start this process with a daily plan. Take five minutes each morning to think through the day. Look at your “to do” list to help you remember the things that are important. Then decide when you are going to do the ones for that day and how long each should take. Don’t just look at ‘tasks,’ remember to plan time for rest, for worship, for family, and for exercise.
Deal with “time wasters.”
Time wasters are those things that keep us from using our time in the way that most honors God. Before we know it, some time has been ‘spent’ and God’s purposes for that time have not been accomplished. Common ‘time wasters’ are electronics (TV, cell phones, computers, internet, video games, etc.), sports, travel, waiting, people!, etc. These things are certainly not always wrong, but without care, they can quickly steal precious minutes or hours from our life. Identify one or two that are most critical for your life.
Seize the minutes.
Learn how to make every minute count. A minute looks insignificant but if you can only learn to recover 30 minutes from your daily schedule you will add 182 hours to your year (that’s more than one week!); in 40 years you will add 300+ days! Start using those small amounts of time when you are waiting for a vehicle, waiting in line, expecting a visitor who is late, time between appointments, tea break, and hundreds of others. Use those minutes to read a few pages of a book, write a note to a friend, make a call, memorize a verse of scripture, or plan your schedule. The point is not so much what you do as that you start doing something with those moments.
Track your time usage.
If you are serious about using your time effectively as a servant leader, take the step of recording how you use your time for one week. This simple exercise can open your eyes to what is actually happening with your time.
Go ahead, grab back some of those moments that so quickly slip away. As you “redeem the time” you more fully reflect the leadership of Jesus.
For further reflection and discussion:
- What is the impact in the lives of others when I do not use my time well?
- What are the biggest “time wasters” in my life? What do I need to do to change?
- How consistently do I plan? What can I do to strengthen my time of planning?
- Have I evaluated my use of time for at least one week? What did I learn from this exercise and how will it help me grow as a leader?
- How can I help those around me more effectively manage their time?