Monday Memo 369: Timed Out

I took some time to review the results from the 500 or so people who have taken the Purpose Assessment on my new website.  The scores vary widely as you would expect, but there is one trend that seems to be common in many of the assessments.  Many people give statement 11 a low score. What is statement 11?  It says, "I am in control of my time."

Time management is one of the toughest disciplines in life, so I thought I would devote a few weeks to that topic if you don't mind.  If you don't need any input on time management, then you can take a few weeks off, but should rather spend your time reading about how to tell the truth!  Truth is, we all need help where time management is concerned.

A MISNOMER   

Time management is really the wrong term for what we need.  We don't need help to manage time, for time cannot be managed.  It goes by at the pace it always has.  You cannot save it, slow it down, speed it up or recover it once it's gone.  You cannot manage time; you can only manage the events that occur within the time that you have.  Rather than call it time management, we should really call it event management.

Does that make sense to you?

Think of it like this.  There is nothing special about 6 AM, until you set your alarm for 6 AM.  The wake up call is the event that takes place at 6 AM.  Then you have to be at work at 7:30, so you must manage a series of events to insure you are punctual.  Those events include showering, breakfast, devotions, getting the children off, and the commute to work.  There is nothing you can do about the 90 minutes you have to get to work from the time you get out of bed.  There are a lot of things you can do to manage the events that occur in those 90 minutes and what you do will determine whether you are successful or not, defined by being on time or late for work.

The rest of your life is like that as well.  You have 24 hours every day; you just don't know how many 24 hour units you have in total ahead of you.  My mother is 92 years old; a young child of 5 who attended my church was killed in a house fire last week.  Our times are truly in His hands, and we have the duty and joy of making the most of every day that we have on earth.

EVENT MANAGEMENT   

In past Memos, I have told you that you have all the time in the world, and it's true. You have 24 hours for every day you are alive, the same as everyone else.  Then why can some produce so much and others seem to struggle just to get through the day?  It's because the productive person understands the difference between time and event control.

So perhaps you should start by doing a simple time inventory to determine exactly what events are filling the time that you have.  It's not so complicated to do and you can read an article I have about it on my website by the title Know Your Time.  Next week, I will have a compilation of all my past Memos on time for you to review.  In the meantime, you can get started this week by learning where you are investing your time.  After that, we can see what you need to stop doing so you can embrace new activities and goals that will bring you more joy and fulfillment.  As you do your inventory, I know you will have a great week!

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MEMO INDEX: Did you know that my website has an index of every Monday Memo, complete with the title, topic and all the Bible verses quoted therein?  If you are looking for something specific, you can easily check the index and find out what I have written about purpose, faith, productivity and many other topics. 

HALLOWEEN: I wrote an article years ago concerning Halloween that has been published in magazines and newspapers around the world.  I have updated that article and can send it to you for any contribution to my ministry between now and October 30.  This article is perfect for newsletters, church bulletins and other publications.  You can contribute on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  I will send you a Word and PDF file of the article for you to use in whatever way you choose. 

ASSESSMENT: Have you taken the purpose assessment on my updated website?   Five hundred people have done so since my new site went up and I hope you are among that group.   If you haven't done so yet, why not do so now and then follow up with some of the online resources that can improve your score? 

SEVEN STEPS: I am offering another special on my Seven Steps coaching program.  If you want to progress in the area of purpose, then I strongly suggest you invest in yourself.  The cost of the program is $699, but I will discount it to $499 through October 20.  You can make payment on my website using PayPal or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 91099, Pittsburgh, PA  15221.  Credit cards are also accepted. You can read about the Seven Steps program here. 

Comments

[John B. Kendrick]

Excellent point about our ability, or lack thereof, to manage time. I prefer to call it task management.

And your suggestion to track how we use our time is just what I've recommended, in fact, I recently wrote a detailed post on how I done that every work day for the past 8 years at http://johnkendrick.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/journaling-your-way-to-gtd/.

I also diverted to some of your Gospel links. It is great to read another blog that presents the gospel to business people. Keep up the great work for our Lord! John

[Kell]

Great article. Time management is really an oxymoron. As you say, time is not the thing that can be managed. What it comes down to is how we manage ourselves in relation to time. Lets face it, we are all really busy, and if you are not careful you can end up being controlled by the tyranny of the urgent, constantly putting out fires. I find that prioritizing and planning your work (usually the at a weekly level), and then working your plan, is a great step towards getting the most important things done.
http://www.effective-time-management-strategies.com/time-management-matrix.html