SLP010 - The 7 Steps to Mastering Time

On this episode, we will be continuing to talk about 7 Steps To Mastering Time. Time is something we all deal with, yet never really think about. Time is not simply a mechanism of measurement, time is a subservient entity that is to be used to our benefit. The dictionary defines time as follows:

• The system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.
•  The duration regarded as belonging to the present life as distinct from the life to come or from ‘eternity’: finite duration
•  A system or method of measuring or reckoning the passage of time
• A limited period or interval, as between two successive events: a long time.
• A particular period considered as distinct from other periods: Youth is the best time of life.

 Seven Principles/Facts About Time 

1. Time is created

 Genesis 1:5 –  God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

 Genesis 1:14 – Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

 2. Time is a currency

• We SPEND time,
• We SAVE time
• We INVEST time
• We WASTE time

3. Time Continues; You cannot stop it

• Only once in history has there been a moment when ‘time stood still’. It was when Joshua commanded it under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
• The sun did not stand still, the earth did.
• God gave man an exceptional authority to command the earth (man’s domain).

4. Time is measurable

• 24 hours in a day
• 1440 minutes in a day
• 10,080 minutes in a week
• 7 days a week
• 365 days per year
• 70 years of productive life equals:
  • 25,550 days
  • 613,200 hours
  • 36,792,000 minutes

5. My Time Has a End

 Psalm 39:4-5

 4 “Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days; Let me know how transient I am. 5 “Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; Surely every man at his best is a mere breath. Selah.

6. Time Must Be Stewarded and Managed

Ephesians 5:15-17

15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16  making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. –Carl Sandburg

I must govern the clock, not be governed by it. – Golda Meir

 7. There is a Time for EVERYTHING

With this backdrop, I want to instruct you on some key ways to more effectively manage and utilize time. To begin with, I want to submit a few pre-suppositions that I believe must be understood if we are to handle time with respect and use it wisely:

REMEMBER, Time is a currency

• We trade IT for something we deem of value (money, relationship, entertainment, education, etc.)
• In order to determine if what we are trading our time for is of equal or greater value, one must honestly assess the ‘VALUE’ he/she is gaining from the trade off
• In other words, is my RETURN ON INVESTMENT worth the time I am trading
• Time only produces what I invest in
• My life is a product of how I spend my TIME

7 Steps To More Effective Time Management

Know Thyself

• Who am I – What am I here to accomplish
• What is important to ME – What Matters Most

 Have A Clear Vision

• Are you just biding time?
• Are you just hoping something happens?
• Have you formed a clear vision of what the end result looks like?
• What am I actually trying to achieve?

Be Goal Oriented

• Set Goals
• Set Deadlines (timelines) for your goals
• Don’t just DO things … do things that have meaning
• Start with the END in mind

Identify Time Wasters                  (Use Time Inventory)

DOWNLOAD TIME INVENTORY HERE

• People
• Tasks
• Habits
• Phone calls
• Texting
• Social media
• Internet/Meaningless web surfing
• Perpetual Planning
• Television (It’s fiction, y’all!)
• Busy-work
• Etc.

 Weekly and Daily Planning

• Plan your life based on VALUES ORIENTED CATEGORIES (Family, Spiritual, Career, Financial, Personal Development)
• Begin each week identifying the BIG ROCKS you should tackle; the most important goals and tasks
• Use the FUNNEL method
• Block Time for important tasks (Set appointments for tasks)
• Strategic tasks vs. Laundry lists
• Most people keep a running laundry lists of TO-DO items; most of which have no real meaning or significance to any vision or goal in life
• It is the VITAL FEW vs. the TRIVIAL MANY
• Schedule appointments for yourself
• PLAN your time, or your time will PLAN YOU
• Prioritize

Eliminate Distractions

• Stay focused
• Don’t take EVERY phone call. That’s why you have voicemail!
• Check E-Mails once or twice per day. Every time you hear, “You’ve got mail”, you feel as though you have to reply
• Don’t let someone else’s incompetence or issue become your immediate concern
• Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part…
• Train people to respect your time
• Communicate to your subordinates and co-workers what you expect from them
• There is no such thing as multi-tasking!

 Learn To Say No

• Every time you say YES to something, you are saying NO to something else
• Every time you say NO, you are saying YES to something else
• Every time you say no to spending your time one way, you’re saying yes to spending it a different way.
• This could mean working on that side project you have going, spending more time with your kids, getting away from your computer, or launching that startup you’ve been dreaming about.
• The trick to figuring out what to say no to is understanding your priorities.
• Your action is an expression of your priorities
• If you take a look how you spend your time during the average day, you’ll likely see a disconnect between your deeply held priorities and your actions.
• It’s important to write down what you truly want to achieve and then arrange your actions to achieve those goals over your lifetime.
• Once you’ve written down your goals, the next step is saying no to everything that distracts from those goals.

It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about? – Henry David Thoreau

QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER:

1. Where are you WASTING time?
2. Where are you SPENDING your time?
3. Where can you better invest time?
4. Have you examined your priorities lately, and are you LIVING them?

 Be sure to leave us a question at www.BrianHolmes.com and we will do our best to answer it in the show