As a believer who has a family and owns a business, it can get quite busy. Sometimes it seems like there is never enough time to do everything on my to-do list. But when I actually looked at how I spent my time, I realized that I wasted most of my time doing non-priority activities (watching too many posts on DIY projects) or spending too much time on something that shouldn’t take so long (lunch because I also read during that time).
The Believers Instruction Book: Living Edition says to make the best use of the time we have. I still need to work on this skill but here are steps I’ve taken to get better at managing my time so that time doesn’t manage me.
Set priorities. Rank what is important and spend more time doing those things. Knowing what my top three priorities are makes it easier to say “yes” or “no” to activities. We only have a limited time each day so a “yes” to one thing means a “no” to another.
Create a schedule. First schedule all the tasks that have to be done. Then set time for the other tasks. Don’t forget to schedule breaks if you normally don’t take them. You may not know how much time an activity takes so it’s good to arrange your activities to avoid being stressed if tasks take longer than expected. The schedule is a visual of how to use time well and prevents multitasking (checking email won’t interfere or interrupt another task because it has its own time scheduled). Google calendar is good for scheduling. Scott uses a pen and a planner.
Share your schedule. Let other people know your schedule so that you won’t get interrupted. Post it on your office door. This is very helpful if you work from home and if you have little ones, make sure to schedule time for them, too. This should make them feel very important.
Have a daily routine. Part of the schedule will become a habit because it is done daily. When this happens, a daily routine is set and creates more time for other activities or the activities are more productive.
Make a to-do list. Having a daily to-do list with only the most important or urgent tasks on it helps to concentrate your time. I use Google Keep’s checkboxes and enjoy checking tasks off the list.
Delegate some tasks. A business owner’s to-do list can get very long so it’s best to find someone to do tasks that don’t need to be done by you. Scott delegates tasks that are tedious for him but I don’t mind doing. He trains me on certain routine tasks so that I can jump in and do them when he gets too busy.
Don’t worry. How often do we think about work when we’re not working? There’s a lot of time that could be saved if we stopped worrying or being anxious and just trust that God, as our CEO, is leading us. Instead of worrying, let’s pray for wisdom for our business and for the Holy Spirit to turn our anxious energy into productive action.
Review how it went. At the end of the day, evaluate how your time was spent. Continue doing what worked, stop doing what didn’t work and make changes to see if it will work tomorrow. At the end of the week, see if there were periods of time that you were in the zone or had too many distractions. There could be work patterns or trends to experiment with like doing work at nigh instead of the morning.
Time management is a skill that can be learned and we can get better at it, especially if we put in the effort.
Prayer
Dear God in heaven,
Thank you for the time we have. Help us to use every second wisely for Your glory. May we spend our time on things that matter to You.
In Your Son’s name, Amen
Verses
Ephesians 5:15-16 Make the best use of time
Psalms 90:12 Use all the time we have wisely
Matthew 6:33-34 Seek first the kingdom of God, don’t worry about tomorrow, today has enough of its own
Exodus 18:18, 21 This job is too much for you to handle by yourself, select capable and honest men to help
Song
“Live Forever“ by Matthew West is a song to remind us to make every second count.
Call to Action
If you have already prayed, looked up the verses in your Bible, and listened to the suggested song, then check out Scott’s podcast “You Are A Time Keeper” and let us know what you think.