How Do You Manage Time?

If you are anything like me, the words “time management” makes you cringe.  You are busy.  There is not enough hours in the day or week or month or maybe even the year.  I read a blog post on Girlfriends in God that really made me stop and think about the way I prioritize my time.

Time is wasted unless it is invested in goals and priorities that are rooted in God’s plan.

SMACK! I will admit that I waste time – I think we all do.  Now, don’t get me wrong, you could be very busy,busy doing good things but you feel exhausted and burned out.

Lately, I have begun to look at time differently as a result of some health issues.  I used to plan every moment, prioritized what I thought was important and was always busy.  It was painfully obvious that I needed an adjustment.   I needed to understand that time is a precious resource given to us by God who trusts that we will use our time wisely following his plan for our lives.

Here are some great ideas on time investment NO time management from Mary Southerland.

• Tithe your time. Just as we tithe our money, we should tithe our time. God blesses and multiplies the time we spend in Bible study, prayer and service.
• Get organized.  Being organized is a spiritual discipline, freeing us from the tyranny of the urgent while making room for things that matter.
• Keep a calendar. A calendar keeps you from wasting time and “bunching up” activities. It forces us to prioritize, doing the important things first.
• Establish a planning day. Pick a time to plan the week ahead. Review the tasks you need to complete and appointments. Pray over your week, asking from your Higher Power for guidance.
• Eat the FROG. Tackle the job you dread the most and then you will be energized  for the remaining tasks. Use the time of the day when your energy is highest, for the most important and the most difficult tasks.
• Delegate. When we delegate work to our children, we teach them discipline as well as basic life skills.  Look for people waiting help and then delegate.
• Leave margins in your schedule. Sometimes this is easier said then done, right? We tend to fill every minute of the day, then the “unexpected” happens and we become overwhelmed.

If we don’t set priorities – others will. Time thieves will steal our time as we allow them to impose their plans and standards on us.

So, how will you prioritize your time this weekend and in the week to come?  What is your best tip for time management?

Hope you have a ThirtyOne-derful day!