Thursday, August 30, 2012

What Shall I Do Today?

I don't know about you, but sometimes my weeks get away from me.
There is the lesson Cindy gave us a while back about time management. It was really value management. The Lord graciously gives us a day and he also, benevolently, gives us tasks and responsibilities to be accomplished in these days. Cindy showed us that with our many tasks to fill our day,  a day is like a jar, it can only hold so much. With what will we fill our jar?

Cindy's illustration showed us that if we aren't careful our jar will get filled with endless activities that don't accomplish what, through the Lord, we have determined to be of most value.
My mom used to say "she piddled away her day" it meant she didn't accomplish the important things, instead, with out direction, she would go from one activity to the next. Cindy was helping us to see that we need to have a plan for our day.
Her advice is to fill the jar with what matters most - first

She used the illustration of  tasks being represented  by different sizes rocks. The most valuable tasks are represented by the larger rocks and the endless tasks that fill our days were the smaller rocks.  Cindy showed us to put the big rocks - those tasks with the greatest value in the jar first.
Then by pouring in all those smaller rocks, piddley things that seem to dominate our time, into the jar the empty spaces were filled.

The jar was full, meaning, the day was full of valuable tasks.

That makes us feel good. Ahhh, a day well filled.

I found this on the internet ...


Another unsatisfying day is turning into an unproductive week. Aren’t you tired of being in this rut?
Sure you are. But finding a fix can prove difficult in the middle of a busy week. Let me show you a few ways to dig yourself out of the rut.
Here are three symptoms of a bad week, and three tips for turning it around:

1) You had a poor plan or no plan – You choose to go through your day without a plan, instead jumping from one pop-up task to another “Whack-a-Mole” style.
 *The Fix: Spend 15 minutes each Sunday and spend 5 minutes each morning with your day planner, preparing a task list and schedule that cover your important activities.
2) You had unrealistic expectations – The to-do list in your planner is too darn big, an “everything but the kitchen sink” list and you fell short because a) there wasn’t enough time, or b) the timing was wrong.
*The Fix: Estimate the time of each task you want to accomplish and compare it to the time slots you see available in your day planner. What doesn’t fit must be delegated or pushed to another day. A successful to-do list gets completely checked off. Strive for this victory each day.
3) You got distracted: Whether it’s a sudden help request from a co-worker or Facebook, all distractions lead you away from what truly needs to get done.
*The Fix: Say “no” to requests, delegate tasks you don’t have time to complete, and stay disciplined to follow your daily priorities. Your plan is a personal commitment, so don’t let yourself down.
 A final word of advice – You expect slow traffic on snowy days, right? So make sure you plan your day for the delays, tangents, and detours life throws at you. Leave time each day for the unexpected and a little extra time for yourself. Give yourself a little breathing room each day.
It's from http://daytimer.wordpress.com/2011/09/07/3-fixes-for-an-unproductive-week/

Ephesians 5:15-17

English Standard Version (ESV)
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

I hope those ideas might be a helpful reminder to you to take the time to plan, it makes a difference in our lives. 



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