Weekly Thought – March 28, 2017

Fred approached every element of his life from a philosophical and theological position. He constructed a system of thought which served as the underpinning. His study of time is a good example.

Taking Time

As Donald Bloesch puts it, “Busyness is the new holiness.” Lack of time is a status symbol, and to me, that is backwards. If you really are somebody, you are in control of your time.

Personally, I think optimizing opportunities and talents is in a sense bringing redemption to everything around me – that is the valid reason to use time well.

These are my philosophical cornerstones:

1) I am a created being and therefore responsible to the Creator for my life.

2) Time is simply life’s clock. Time is a tool – a means in life – never an end. Time is not something to be pursued for its own sake, but for what can be done with it.

3) Since my life is measured by time, I have a responsibility to control it. Most of us don’t let other people spend our money; likewise, we should limit their power to spend our money.

4) I have been given the same amount of time each day as everybody else. The great achievers of the world don’t have any more hours than I do. It is simply untrue to say, “I don’t have enough time.” What is not the same for everybody is energy. Unless I recognize my level of energy and realize that it comes in ebbs and surges, I won’t use my time well. I won’t accomplish all that I could.

5) I also believe that anything I cannot accomplish in the time I have is apparently not my God-given responsibility to achieve. God is not going to hold me accountable for what I cannot do because of genuine lack of time.

6) When I know the ultimate purpose of my life, I can know whether I’m using my time properly. If I do not know that ultimate purpose, I have no way of judging my efficiency. Only God and I can know for sure whether I’m wasting or using.

I decided a long time ago that my ultimate goal in life was to stretch other people. I wanted them to live better, fuller, bigger, more noble than if they hadn’t met me. This is my redeeming call.

This week think about: 1) What is my purpose? 2) How do I assess the use of my time? 3) Where is God using me to stretch others?

Words of Wisdom: “Personally, I think optimizing opportunities and talents is in a sense bringing redemption to everything around me – that is the valid reason to use time well.”

Wisdom from the Word: “God gave Solomon wisdom and very great discernment; the breadth of his understanding was as infinite as the sand on the seashore.” (1 Kings 4:29 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – March 14, 2017

Fred understood protecting his time. He said, “Just as I don’t let other people spend my money, I don’t let others spend my time.” He was extremely generous with his time, even when his physical condition deteriorated to the point of incapacitation. But he also knew how to avoid time wasters and people with no clear purpose for meeting with him.

Time Protection

Most people spend time like they do money. They spend until suddenly they run short; then they try to find ways to compensate.

The best approach, of course, is a disciplined lifestyle that prevents time (or any other resource like energy, money, opportunities) from slipping away in the first place. Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Most time management books teach: Adopt a philosophy, implement it, and then maintain it as a way of life.

But in my experience, most people are not that disciplined. What they need is an emergency checklist to gain a few hours in the week – something to ease the frantic pace and get through the crunch. A number of alternatives exist: specific down periods during the week for catching up on administrative work; organized, scheduled retreats to plan future activities; an active, up-to-date calendar. One of the areas of focus most needed and most disregarded is the “eye on the goal.” Saying “is this expenditure of time advancing my mission, my plan?”

Occasionally an exhausted executive or ministry leader comes to me and I say, “You are under the gun, aren’t you? How much time would it take for you to catch up?”
More often than not the answer is, “If I just had five more hours a week!” If he or she is already working 50 hours a week that means a 10% increase to loosen up the load.

Here is a way to pick up five hours from any week you choose. It provides immediate and effective relief for those who are swamped. BUT IT IS FOR EMERGENCY USE ONLY. As in dieting or spending money, the long-range answer is a better lifestyle that doesn’t require temporary bail-outs. So, mine is a battle plan, not a war strategy. You shouldn’t continue this emergency plan for longer than four to six weeks.

For example, if the leader is a pastor he can walk into the pulpit and say, “Folks, you’re not going to see as much of me for the next month. I’ve gotten behind in some very important things I need to do. What I have been doing is important and needful, but a catching up is required. I want your understanding the next four weeks while I get some of our pressing needs in good working order.”

Everyone in leadership can do this – and must as an emergency plan. People (from board members to staff) will understand a brief on-the-job refocus. But they will feel dismayed and annoyed if they find you excusing goof-off time and declaring it an emergency – it has to be legitimate.

This week think carefully about: 1) How am I handling the time/task pressures right now? 2) Do I have social media fasts to reduce the distractions? 3) What is my emergency plan for capturing some extra time?

Words of Wisdom: “Most people spend time like they do money. They spend until suddenly they run short; then they try to find ways to compensate.”

Wisdom from the Word: “And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – November 19, 2013

Fred learned “waste not, want not” from his Mother. She raised five boys in a preacher’s home (on a preacher’s salary) during the Great Depression. She almost miraculously managed to make resources stretch. Fred became thrifty about money and time.

These weekly emails began nearly ten years ago when Fred literally did “out loud thinking.” They continue using the richness of his writings, notes, and memos. Thank you for expressing your appreciation. Fred would thoroughly enjoy knowing he is being helpful.

Time Counts

I am not a believer in the “time pressure” phenomenon. I believe there is a faddishness to the race against time I see in so many. As a modest accomplisher, I find it arrogant to think that I couldn’t get my work done in the same amount of time afforded to Einstein, Michelangelo, Salk, and Schweitzer.

Time, like money, varies in value. High energy hours, like after tax dollars, are more productive and more valuable. In thinking about the organization of time to maximize the value, here are a few points I feel are important:

1) Make a specific decision about what you are trying to do. I first make a list of the things that only I can do. Then, I hand off (first by assignment and then by delegation) everything else. It takes ego control to accept that other people can do most of what we think we have to do.

2) Keep a reasonably busy schedule of meaningful things. Work pace is important. When we move too fast we make haphazard decisions and confuse our priorities. If the pace is too slow, we procrastinate and let our time be filled up with even small tasks.      (more…)