★time management

The more I soak up all the knowledge and concepts that is shared on this site the more I recognize areas that I need to not only change but take action in immediately.

My biggest struggle is with time management.

I am going to make use of a calendar book in which I will write in daily how I used my time. Affirmations on using my time wisely and any other great ideas I might get :)

I hope to achieve being able to make the time for a regular exercise time , setting aside time to write , and also me time ~ doing those things I love to do such as garden and scrapbook.

I have already decided that I will make Sunday , my Scrapbooking Sunday.

If I set aside a day/time for it then I believe I will make a great accomplishment in getting things done rather than just thinking about them.

It’s rather simple to live by the clock. My work day begins at 4:30 am the time I finally get out of bed after hitting snooze first. I do my morning ritual of coffee , breakfast , pack lunch , bathroom time and shower , dress. This takes me about 45 min to an hr. My drive to work is only about 20 min. I’m very glad I do not , like some have an hour drive to work. Also I don’t wear make up or style my hair but just put it back in a pony tail. I imagine if I had to add those routine it would take me another hour to hour and half just to get ready for work.

I feel that I manage my time in the morning quite well.

The work day is segregated into sections having to do with break and lunch times. Each job that we work on has an efficiency ratio that should be met. If it is not met then we need to take a look at how to improve it and sometimes the answer to that is just to allow more time to get the job done.

My work day ends at 4:30 pm. This gives me only a few hours for family , dinner , dishes , unexpected errands , phone calls , pay bills , keeping up with social networks , etc.

Friends ? who has time for them.

I rarely have time to fit in any exercise , or hobby. With spring finally here and Summer coming my weekends will be filled with yard work which can become as overwhelming as housework. Another thing that takes time and often gets neglected until I take the time to do it when I would rather be doing something else.

So , since I cannot control how my work day sucks up all my time I see that I do need to control how my time is spent during the after work hours.

I am grateful I was able to have had this spring break week off with my daughter. Spending quality time with her is always wonderful and I did accomplish the painting I wanted to get done. But as the week winds down I see that I could have done more and used my time more wisely.

Now the weekend is here and today I am taking a few hours out of my day to visit family. Something I have been putting off so must make the time for it.

Because I spend so much of my time at work and at work I am efficient and organized and seem to have endless energy , I am pretty sure I should be able to take that and adapt it to the rest of the days of my life.

I just wonder why I have never thought of it before now.

We’ll see how this goes. Running my household like I do my business. Should be interesting if not anything else.

To be continued…

Read your original post, and have to say, I am also one to think more on what I have to do rather than doing it. I have notes upon notes of “what I’m going to do” and boy are those lists! Thank you for opening this thread. It is a great idea and I am going to do it myself and not just think about it. =)

Still struggling with this. However I have made some progress with ‘real big’ issues that I have been procrastinating about. It’s nice having a list especially when things are being checked off. It gives me visual to affirm that I am accomplishing important stuff :)

Thank you for sharing that link. After reading through your post I see the areas I am disciplined in and others where I need to become. I see the areas that are routine and am now questioning whether they may be the best or if they can be switched up and made better. This is a good thing for me.

I had a plan but people and circumstances threw me a curve. The past few days have been very disorganized and chaotic. A great reminder that perhaps it isn’t so much how I manage my time but how I manage my composure when receiving stress surprises.

Which brought to mind something I have had for a few years now and would like to share.

Although this was originally from new year 2009, the message is timeless.

( notes from this mornings sermon Jan. 4th, 2009)

Time is fleeting. Once a moment has passed it becomes just that, the past, a memory. Once that moment has been wasted it can never be gotten back, it cannot be done over, no matter how often we dwell on it. The following are some notes from this mornings sermon.

Redeeming our Time ~ How to make 2009 a Great Year.

1. LIVE IN THE PRESENT
~Remove the bondage of the past
~Let go of the past, press forward
~Learn from our lessons and move on
~Put your hand to the plow and don’t look back

To often, to many people live in the past. When you have a conversation with them they will eventually begin speaking of the past. Usually murmuring and complaining about regrets, guilt, broken relationships, things they have not accomplished. Or they will talk happily about good times gone by with an air of longing for such as they don’t feel their present is quite as fulfilling for them.

~Plan carefully for the future
~Stop worrying about what the future holds
~Don’t waste your days daydreaming
~Don’t be fearful
~Consider the Lilies of the Field (Read Matthew 6:25 – 34)

Just as some cannot let go of the past, others can become obsessed with and fearful of the future. Thinking that if they are always looking ahead and working towards a goal then in the future they will receive their reward.

To make this day a good day we must learn to live in the present. Right now, up to this point is all that God has given us. We do not know what tomorrow holds. We should live for the rewards of today. We should live for our heavenly rewards.

2. SEEK THE LORDS AGENDA
~Begin each day with pray
~Live everyday as unto the Lord, not unto men (Colossians 3:17 , 23)
~Do all to the Glory of God (I Corinthians 10:31)

No matter where we are in life or how difficult or dull a job might seem, whether a person is a student, a stay at home parent, a full time employee or any other task that might bestow a person, we often find ourselves trying to please men. This can make each day, all our hard work seem like a failure, a let down, another disappointment. Because man can never really be pleased. Perhaps for a moment, but then the next day starts and we begin again trying to please the same person over and over again. Who are we really working for? We should be fulfilling our duties as though we are working for the Lord. We should seek to please God first.

3. PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE CAREFULLY (and Prayerfully)
~Don’t become a slave to your schedule
~Have a sense of direction
~Use wisdom to get through the day
~Trust the Lord for the fulfillment of the plan (according to his agenda)
~Don’t boast about tomorrow (James 3:14-17)

As we plan our daily agenda, make space for the Lord. Use his guidance and wisdom in accomplishing tasks that can be done today. Don’t waste time or energy concerning your plans for tomorrow. For you will only disappoint yourself when you have not accomplished anything today and then put it off again tomorrow.

4. ACCEPT INTERRUPTIONS

~Accept them wisely and graciously
~They might be Gods divine appointments

Jesus was constantly being interrupted and he used these moments as opportunities for teaching. God may bring something or someone into your life that you did not for see. Something that you didn’t plan and something that you do not necessarily want to do. But something that he wants you to handle, and knows you can or he wouldn’t put it before you. Whether or not you carry out his plan for that day is between you and Him.

5. ACCEPT DISAPPOINTMENTS
~Accept them wisely and graciously
~Allow God the freedom to work in your life
~Realize the things that really matter
~Disappointments can become blessings

As God works in your life and you find things are not working out the way you wanted, then it’s time to change your thinking to the way God wants for us.

6. LOOK FOR OPEN DOORS
~While waiting, use time wisely (Acts 17:16,17)
~Cease opportunities for ministry or service
~Look for where God is working and join him.

God will bring people into our lives that we were not expecting and in some cases did not hope for. But God hopes for them and for some people their only hope may be in God. Don’t turn them away. Extend the hand of Christian friendship. Listen to their needs. Remember them in your prayers but also take that moment to pray with them.

7. PERFORM SMALL TASKS GLADLY
~Do little things faithfully
~God uses little things to accomplish greater good
~Jesus fed the multitudes with a little lunch a mother packed for her son
~Samson used a jawbone of a donkey found on the side of road to conquer his enemies

It is often said in the world of business that the difference between success and failure is that a successful person does the little things dutifully and faithfully. Whereas the failure attempts to perform a large task that is far beyond his means, and so is often left undone.

8. LEAVE THE UNDONE IN GODS HANDS
~You had a plan
~Your schedule got interrupted
~You did not accomplish all that you had planned
~You’re disappointed in yourself

We do not want to become lazy or indifferent toward our responsibilities but do the best we can. Ending the day with a feeling of fulfillment and victory that we did not waste our time which has been given to us. Give that which is left undone to the Lord for another day and according to his will it shall be done.

IN PEACE, REST AT THE END OF THE DAY

I began a 3.am. routine. Since that is the time I seem to wake up naturally. Rather than close my eyes and wait for the alarm to go off later I have been rising earlier. Giving me a less rushed feeling in the morning and also time to do a chore or two that I would rather not face when getting home after work.

Since my day didn’t go as planned I decided rather than sit around doing nothing I would use the time just as I do at work. I took my normal break and lunch times and kept busy doing housework and laundry. This was not as physically demanding as my job but at least I used my time well and wisely.

I let myself off work a half hour early today :)