Four Practices for Regaining Your Time
A Different Time Management Philosophy – Part 5
While I can’t really say I favor one time management lesson more than another, as we write this content, I realize how important this current lesson is to me and how valuable it’s going to be to you. In fact, after you grab a hold of this information it will propel you to the next level. What I’m about to share are four lessons that I’ve developed inspired by Michael Hyatt. These four lessons are designed to help you regain control of the time you have allotted.
- Learn to say “no”.
“Every “yes” means “no” to everything else.” – Michael Hyatt
This has to be one of the most important lessons I’ve learned regarding “time management.” I recently shared this philosophy with a teenager who realized he’s over extended himself by saying “yes.” He felt bad about saying “no”’ until I gave him this concept. You must know that when you say “yes,” you are saying no to everything else there is. Your “yes” could be robbing you of your best or better. Because you use “yes” as your default you no longer have the ability to decide what’s best and/or better.
Here’s what I do, my default answer is “no.” In other words, one must get comfortable with saying “no.” There are more activities available to derail your plans than there are opportunities that will take you to the next level. When you allow a premature or unplanned “yes” to something less than important, you have now closed the door to any thing of importance. In other words, one should give him or herself time to weigh their options before making a hasty commitment. “Every yes is no to everything else.”
Let’s look at it another way. When you say “yes” to working over at the office, you’re saying “no” to spending time with your spouse or your children.” When you say “yes” to that sporting event on Sunday, you’re saying “no” to being in a service that can change your life. When you “say” yes to that friend who wants your time, you’re saying “no” to you having the time you need for yourself. When you feel you should say “yes” to be kind, you might be saying “no” to something God actually needs you to say “yes” to. - Know when it’s too much.
“There will always be more tasks than time.” – Michael Hyatt
It’s recorded that the great deliverer, Moses, found himself trying to accomplish tasks that he could not in the time he had allotted. His father-in-law advised him on how what he was attempting wasn’t a good idea. There’s no way for you to do such a heavy set of tasks. [1] In other words, there’s not enough time in a day to get it all done. Have you ever felt this way? If you have, let me repeat these words spoken to Moses, to you. “What you’re doing is not good.”
As Michael Hyatt states, “there will always be more tasks than time.” If this is the case and it is, we need a plan for this. We can no longer continue down the path as if we have enough time to complete all the tasks we have to get done. In fact, a key idea is to remember that we only have 24 hours that mark a day and that’s all we have. Since we all get the same period of time for one day, why is it others get more done than we do? They must have a secret, being that our days are all created equal. They know when it’s too much. - Get it on your calendar.
“What gets scheduled gets done.” – Michael Hyatt
I often wonder how an individual gets by without living by a schedule, then it dawns on me that they’re living out someone else’s scheduled plans for his or her life. You see, our life is mapped out by the schedule we keep. The actions we get done are dictated by the schedules we follow. If we don’t get something down it means we had no place on our schedule for that action to occur. I mentioned earlier Jim Rohn says start with the end or better yet have it completed before you begin. This is what it means to schedule it. Your schedule is based on what you’ve already put together to get done. It’s called being intentional about your life.
We are advised in scripture to be very careful with how we live. We must give thought to every action and understand what it is God wants us to do. [2] If I were you I’d be asking, how does God want this today to look? If you want some next level thinking about your schedule ask yourself, is God pleased with what you have on your calendar? How can you make better plans for the life He has given you? What do you need to schedule so that that action gets done? - Set some margins.
“Margin is not something that just happens. You have to fight for it.” – Michael Hyatt
To understand “margin”, you have to think of times like this. When you’re on your way to an event and a train stops and slows you down, do you feel rushed? Are you going to be late? Or does it bother you at all? If you’re not bothered at all and don’t feel rushed, it means you had margin built in. You’d be surprised to know that the average person lives everyday and moment with zero margin. Lack of margin is one of the biggest stress producers there is. It’s a result of overload or overcommitting.
I recall the year Pamela and I said no more. We are determined to live a life with margin. To add to this idea from Michael Hyatt, Craig Groeschel taught a verse from scripture that reads, “Better one handful with tranquility than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.” [3] Could it be that both your hands are full and you have no room for anything more. Going to the next level means you always have room for more, but as I learned from Michael, you have to fight for margin. Everyone and everything wants more out of you, but you have to learn to say “no” to the things that don’t produce the results you desire in life. You have to fight for your margin. It’s in this space (margin) where you find peace and tranquility. It’s a lack of margin that produces agitation, turbulence, anxiety, and a chasing after something that you will never gain.
Margins are the boundaries you have set. Without any boundaries others have your permission to abuse you. Abuse your schedule. Abuse your time. And abuse your life.
The opposite of margin is what one normally sees. It’s rare to find that person who’s going through life without stress and worry. That’s what makes this idea a next level step. It takes an uncommon desire and hunger to live better and fill one’s life with margin. We start by learning to say “no” to the things that will take our margin from us. We then find ways to not fall prey to the trap of taking on too much in a space of time that’s too small. Next we move on to scheduling the things we want to get done as opposed to what others have us to do as a result of our lack of living by a calendar. Lastly, put some margins in your life. Taking these four actions is one way you can achieve the results you desire for what you do to “manage your time.”
Question: what will you do to gain control of the time you have allotted?
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Find out more about the Family plan here.[1] Exodus 18:17-21 CSB, Bible.com, accessed July 6, 2022, https://www.bible.com/bible/1713/EXO.18.17-21.CSB
[2] Ephesians 5:15-17 NLT, accessed July 6, 2022, https://www.bible.com/bible/116/EPH.5.15-17.NLT
[3] Ecclesiastes 4:6 NIV, accessed July 6, 2022, https://www.bible.com/bible/111/ECC.4.6.NIV
All Scripture references used by permission, see our Scripture copyrights.
