The Key to Getting the Right Stuff Done
Time…we all have the same 24 hours in a day or 168 hours in a week. However, some people seem to get more done than others.
While we all have different personalities, work styles, and situations in our lives, we can be better managers of our time. I think one of the hindrances we face when trying to be productive is being too busy doing things that may not matter in the long run.
In my life that may look like saying “yes” to obligations outside of the passions God has given me during this current season of my life. Or it may be things I let distract me from more important work such as spending too much time on social media.
I believe God calls us to certain tasks during the different seasons of our lives. When we choose not to do those things, we can find ourselves feeling overwhelmed and like we are spinning our wheels.
I saw this great quote by Bob Goff and thought it spoke to how we need to view time management:
The battle for our hearts is fought on the pages of our calendars.
It all boils down to this…what we let into our lives and take up our time is where our hearts are focused. I truly believe that most of our time management frustrations occur because we are chasing after the wrong things.
So what are the right things?
The right things are activities that align with your current priorities in life. And the key to getting the right stuff done is to identify your priorities.
My priorities in this season of my life are:
- My relationship with God
- My relationship with my husband
- My relationship with my kids
- Taking care of my home
- Taking care of my body
- Working to make my writing/coaching business a success
I have heard it said that you should have no more than 5-7 priorities at a time because it is too easy to become overwhelmed trying to keep up with more than that. I can attest to that because keeping up with these six priorities is all I can truly handle right now.
Does that mean I don’t spend time with friends or do other things that are not on this list? NO! However, it does mean I have to be careful to schedule my time to work on my priorities first so I will get the important things done.
It’s a fine line in balancing our time. I know that often there are commitments thrust upon us that we just can’t get out of. When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I go back to this list of priorities and do the things I know will help me make the most of my time.
What are your priorities during your current season of life?