Have you ever said, “I don’t have enough time to do everything that needs to be done”?
I said those very words this morning. How do we handle the overwhelming demands on our time when we only have 24 hours in a day? Here are ten tips to help us manage our time wisely. I had to remind myself of these tips today.
1. Begin by going to God in prayer, asking Him to show you how He wants you to spend your time.
2. Make a calendar for the week. It helps me to visualize the week at a glance.
3. Put your non-negotiables in the calendar first. These are mandatory things over which you have no control. Examples would be work, class, sleep (yes, we need to sleep), driving kids to school, mandatory meetings. Put these in your schedule first because they’re not optional. Make your time with the Lord a non-negotiable.
4. List all the things you must do that week. Examples would be time-sensitive phone calls, projects that have deadlines, people you need to meet with, doctor appointments.
5. Prioritize. What is most important? What is top priority? Put your priorities in your calendar according to the way you’ve ordered them.
6. When your schedule is full, STOP! Don’t keep adding things. (That’s easier said than done.)
7. Learn to say no. Think through your purpose. Say yes to those things that help you accomplish God’s purpose for you, and say no to those things that would draw you away or hinder you from His purpose.
8. Delegate when you can. What can someone else do that is not necessary for you to do?
9. Beware of time killers. Some examples are emails, internet, Facebook, Pinterest, TV, computer games. Those things in and of themselves are not wrong, but they can get out of control time-wise very quickly if we’re not careful.
10. Trust God’s sovereignty with interruptions and surprises. Things happen that we have no control over, but God does. See them as divine appointments from Him.
You can download worksheets from my Free Resources page to help you plan out your time and priorities.
Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear some tips from you that have been helpful in managing your time.
Great tips! Number one is critical, but I think number ten is my favorite. Many times we view interruptions as—well, interruptions. A thing that is preventing us from what we really want to be doing. But I have learned we I get interrupted to say, “I’m listening, Lord.”
I agree, Becky, about #10, and I love what you said about, “I’m listening, Lord” when we do get interrupted. Thanks for sharing!
I love your tips, Crickett! Number 7 stands out to me. Keeping your purpose in the forefront of your mind, will certainly make saying “No” easier. Thank you.
Thanks, Connie, for stopping by! I agree, remembering God’s purpose for me helps me more than anything when I have to decide on saying yes to something or no. When I say no now, I don’t need to feel guilty. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! Number 9 is one I have to watch. It’s so easy for a few minutes to turn into an hour if I’m not careful.
I’m with you, Leigh! Number 9 is one I have to watch very carefully. Thanks for sharing!
Your list is helpful, Crickett. I have a calendar full of to-do’s, and they are in my head too. I can get overwhelmed, but then I mentally push everything aside except for the next project. That helps me not to stress or to get distracted because I think I can’t do it all.
That’s good advice, Katy. Just do the next thing. Thanks for sharing. I need to follow that advice!