It’s Time

“Time is money.”

“Time waits for no one.”

“Lost time is never to be found again.”

“Time is the most valuable thing a person spends.”

What is a resource that everyone receives and has to spend, but some waste? It’s TIME! We all are fairly given the same amount of time in each day that offers infinite possibilities for us to gainfully receive dividends from our investments. For me, different seasons of life have swept me away with hurried “to do’s” and demands that were honestly impossible to fulfill making my choice of time investment frivolous. One particular season, I found myself up early and working late, neglecting my family, my health and my emotional stability. I had to take a step back and ask myself, “Why am I doing all of this?”

I quickly discovered that I was trying to get my worth through works and this type of approval by production left me emptier and more exhausted than ever! It’s not an easy fix. The chaos of my life was wreaking havoc on all the things/people I truly loved all while my time was wasted on things that did not give me what I was longing for.

In order for things to change, I first had to be willing to make changes. That change began with the acknowledgement that before I ever did anything of value Jesus placed value on me by His willing sacrifice on the cross. Truly understanding my value and worth in Christ allowed me to not pursue the affirmations from people who could never give me what Jesus already had. I simply had to receive and see things differently!

Then there were the other internal challenges. There are just things about my personality and yours that can be gifts if stewarded properly, but time thieves if they are left unchecked. For example, being a perfectionist can create excellence in your service, but it can also demoralize your efforts and exasperate those around you. Some hills are just not worth dying on.

Another internal driver of wasted time for many is fear. Fear based living will keep you from making decisions and moving forward.

Do you:

·     Have a hard time committing?

·     Struggle to stick to a decision?

·     Try to defer decision so you will not be responsible?

·     Find yourself missing opportunities or deadlines because you just couldn’t stop exploring the “right” possibility?

If any of these describes you, you are likely allowing fear to steal your most valued asset: time. I love this quote from Billie Jean King “Be bold. If you're going to make an error, make a doozy, and don't be afraid to hit the ball.”

Can I just encourage you today to fearlessly swing in 2023? You can spend your time well. Practically speaking, and you know how I love to get practical, let me share a few ways to make every day matter.  One of my favorite resources for time management is in the book Time Management Magic by Lee Cockerell. My biggest takeaway from this book, that I implemented so many years ago, was learning about “discretionary time”. We all have the same time in a day, but if we use our “discretionary time” well we will be more productive than ever.

This is how it works: Today, make a running list of things you need to accomplish. They can be big like “Write a Book”, small like “schedule an appointment” or personal like plan a date night. Any time something comes to  your mind that needs to be done whether work or personal just add it to your running list.

Now, the discretionary time comes in to play. Say you have a meeting that ends early, you’re waiting in the carpool line or had a last minute cancellation, instead of jumping on your social media, jump on your running list and see how many things you can check off.

You’ll be surprised how much you can get done without one more minute of time than anyone else. You will feel accomplished and you will do things you set as important to you.

I could go on and on about different principles  that I use to run my life, but instead, I just want to strengthen you to ask yourself this hard question, “Why have I been wasting my time?” Whether fear, laziness, people pleasing or just a lack of clarity, this question can help you identify the mindset change you need to make the most out of every moment. I hope this and the few tips given will maximize your most valued asset. It’s TIME to get to work!