“In primitive societies, no one has a watch, but everyone has time. In advanced societies, everyone has a watch, but no one has any time.” Gerhard Geschwandtner
It makes you wonder if advancement can be defined as improvement. The Psalmist said in 90:12 “Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” You can find a large collection of time management books in my office. I discovered that buying a book on time management does not make me a good time manager anymore than buying a set of wrenches made me a good mechanic.
Most of us feel like we don’t have enough time each day to do all the things on our plate. Yet one time management expert pointed out how the average person will waste many hours in the span of a normal life: Sitting at stop-lights: 6 months. Opening junk mail: 8 months.
Searching for misplaced objects: 1 year. Trying to return phone calls to people who never seem to be in: 2 years. Standing in line: 5 years. Surfing Facebook: 7 years (I added this.)
With the "stay at home" guidelines, we have more opportunity to practice good time management. Here are questions to ask about an activity that will offer some assistance in practicing good time management:
1. Is it necessary?
2. Is it appropriate?
3. Is it efficient?
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “One of the illusions of life is that the present hour is not the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day of the year.” Taking a cue from Emerson, we would probably get more accomplished by realizing that every minute represents an eternal investment of our lives and the lives of others.
Do “time thieves” pop up throughout your day? Ask God to show you during what times of the day you are most likely to succumb to these thieves. Value each moment as a gift from the Lord.