Do you find yourself constantly running from one issue to the next without any margin in your life?
Do you feel like you are over-committed to such a degree that the truly important things have been slipping a little?
Do you wish for a reset button and dream of starting over someplace new, just like you did last time? (How did that work out for you?)
Many times we neglect the lasting work of ministry for the instant gratification of solving a problem or being the hero. The thing is, nobody wins when church activity replaces people development. Pastors, more than anyone, must learn to be disciplined to focus, and do only what only they can do.
THE QUICK SUMMARY – Kevin Kruse, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
What if a few new habits could dramatically increase your productivity, and even 5x or 10x in key areas? What if you could get an hour a day to read, exercise, or to spend with your family?
New York Times bestselling author, Kevin Kruse, presents the remarkable findings of his study of ultra-productive people. Based on survey research and interviews with billionaires, Olympic athletes, straight-A students, and over 200 entrepreneurs—-including Mark Cuban, Kevin Harrington, James Altucher, John Lee Dumas, Pat Flynn, Grant Cardone, and Lewis Howes – Kruse answers the question: “What are the secrets to extreme productivity?”
A SIMPLE SOLUTION
Faced with a mountain of tasks to do and things to accomplish, most of us feel immediately better when we’ve put all of these things on a “to-do list.” And, there is some value in putting things to be done on paper (or digitally stored).
But that value is practically nothing unless you find a way to act upon that thing.
Highly successful people don’t have a to-do list, but they do have a very well-kept calendar.
One of the most consistent actions you can take to get things done is to schedule time for them.
The simple act of scheduling tasks on your calendar – instead of writing them on a to-do list – will free your mind, reduce stress, and increase cognitive performance. There are several key concepts to managing your life using your calendar instead of a to-do list.
First, schedule a chunk of time for everything that is important to you; this is called “time blocking” or “time boxing.” Focus on those things that bring you closer to your goals each and every day.
Second, important items should be scheduled as early in the day as possible. As the day progresses, all kinds of things will come up, and you will find it hard to keep focused on the important things.
Third, don’t cancel goals; reschedule them if necessary. When circumstances prevent keeping an important time-block, reschedule it, keeping it as a priority.
Fourth, treat your time-blocked calendar entries as if they were appointments with your doctor; they are that important. Don’t cave in on your self-scheduled appointments; they really are important!
When you master the practice of time-blocking – using your calendar instead of your to-do list – you can literally see your life’s priorities by looking at your weekly calendar.
Kevin Kruse, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
A NEXT STEP
Utilizing a calendar is probably second nature to you, whether a digital calendar or a print calendar, or a combination of both. Even so, review the four concepts listed above and choose to implement them as a part of a two-week experiment.
Putting these concepts into use can transform your calendar into a powerful life-guiding tool.
Using the concepts above, make an effort over the next two weeks to put them into practice in your daily calendaring. By utilizing these concepts, you are in effect designing your ideal week with your priorities.
At the end of the two-week experiment, what changes have you noticed? What changes have those closest to you noticed?
Now challenge your team toward this same effort. Begin to celebrate calendaring success and measure the increased output and impact of your efforts.
Excerpt taken from SUMS Remix 68-2, issued June 2017.
Part of a weekly series on 27gen, entitled Wednesday Weekly Reader
Regular daily reading of books is an important part of my life. It even extends to my vocation, where as Vision Room Curator for Auxano I am responsible for publishing SUMS Remix, a biweekly book “summary” for church leaders. Each Wednesday I will be taking a look back at previous issues of SUMS Remix and publishing an excerpt here.
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