Manage your Time/Manage Your Life Part I

Manage Your Time/Manage Your Life

PART I

Years ago I received a phone call. The person calling me did not identity themselves. They just yelled at me. Let me share with you the words the person on the the phone yelled at me. “I can't do it all. “ They then repeated the same words to me a second time. “I can't do it all.”

A few minutes later I was able to determine the identity of the caller. The caller was a university student named Fran. She had a crazy schedule. Now she was at the end of her rope. I then promised to help her with her time management problems.

You may feel exactly like Fran. You may feel as if you have too much to do. You can't keep up with the demands of life. You feel frustrated. Like Fran you want to scream at someone with a loud voice. “I can't do it all.”

Before we look at the principles of time management we need to make sure you understand three important truths about time. First, God created time and space. In Genesis 1&2 we see that God created the concept of seven days a week. The idea of time was not created by man. It was created by God.

Second, God has placed you on earth at this time and place. According to Acts 17:26 God is the one who determined your time and place in this world. You may wish you lived in another time period. But this is the time God placed you on this earth to glorify Him and make a difference in people's lives.

Third, God has made you a steward of your time. Time is a precious gift from God. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15&16 that we are to walk wisely by redeeming the time. We walk wisely in this world by the proper use of our time, money, and energy.

When I met with Fran a week later my first order of business was to convince her that she was absolutely right. She could not do it all. If you are honest with yourself then you have to admit that it is impossible for you to do it all. You have to decide in life what is important and what is less important.

But whether you are a pastor, homemaker, salesperson, or CEO all good leaders have this in common with one another. They keep improving their time management skills. The more you improve your time management skills the more you can determine when to say “yes” and when to say “no.” Remember like Fran you can't do it all.

Having looked at the three truths about time in our next article we will look at the first principle of time management.