I hope you are one of the 600 people who have accepted my Purpose Challenge to improve your Assessment score on my website 15 points by December 31. In reviewing the assessment scores, many people give statement 11 a low score, which says, "I am in control of my time." Some who gave themselves a high score on statment 11 then indicated a low score on number 17, "I approach every work day with a written, prioritized plan." Both 11 and 17 speak to your ability to plan your work and work your plan, a key component of purposeful people.
Time management is one of the toughest disciplines in life, but critical to achieving purpose and goals, so I thought I would devote the next few weeks to that topic. If you don't need any input on time management, then you can take a few weeks off, but should 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 the wrong definition of what you need. You don't need help managing time, for time cannot be managed. It goes by at the same 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 think of it as event management.
Let me give you an example. 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 there on time. 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 to get to work from the time you get out of bed; it will pass as every 90 minute segment of time has always passed. There are a lot of things you can do, however, to manage the events that occur in those 90 minutes. What you do in them will determine whether or not you are successful, 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 ahead of you. My mother passed away at 92 years of age; a young child of five who attended my church was killed in a house fire last year. Your times are truly in His hands, and you have the duty and joy of making the most of every day that you have on earth. You will do that by managing the events therein as best you can.
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 you have. It's not so complicated to do and you can read two articles I have about it on my website. You can get started this week by learning where you are investing or spending your time. After that, you can see what you need to stop doing so you can embrace new activities and goals that will bring you more joy and fulfillment and more in line with your governing values. As you work on your inventory in the days ahead, I know you will have a great week!
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KENYA UPDATE: I am pleased to announce that I brought over to Kenya $3,200 for The Sophia Fund and Operation Chicken Coop. Thank you for your faithful support and response to my call. There is still time to give, for my wife is coming over later this week and can bring funds with her. We can always use more money to feed the orphans through The Sophia Fund, and Christmastime here is not different than anywhere. There are always special needs to meet. You can give through my website or send a check to PurposeQuest, PO Box 8882, Pittsburgh, PA 15221-0882, and we will make sure it gets distributed in time for Christmas.
MPESA: Many Kenyans have asked how they can contribute to my work here. i registered for the mobile phone money transfer called MPESA. Write me at [email protected] and I will forward you the number to use to send your Christmas contribution.
PX2: If you are in Kenya and would like to attend the youth training I am doing this Wednesday through Friday, write and let me know. The training is called PX2 and is used the world over to train youth in the cognitive learning techniques made famous through The Pacific Institute. This training will not only help you, but allow you to facilitate PX2 to Kenyan youth. There is a cost, but invest in yourself and it will pay dividends many times over.
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