Where Did the Time Go?

As we start the new year, many will ask, where did the time go? What happened to this past year? How can I make the most of my time this coming year? The answer to this final question lies in another question. Who’s the owner of your time?

The secret of good time management is being a good steward. Stewardship is the ability to manage something entrusted to you by its owner properly. As a follower of Jesus, everything we possess belongs to Him, including our time. This is why the Apostle Paul would write in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Paul understood he didn’t own time but was required to be a good steward of time and make the most of it.

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” Ephesians 5:15-16

Here are three ways to make the most of your time.

1. Make Jesus the Lord of your time.

Jesus’ Great Commandment is to love the Lord God first and then our neighbor. Based on this decree from the Lord, our first priority is God, and our second priority is family, friends, and others.

2. Make it your daily goal to maximize your time.

When money is limited, we budget money. When time is limited, we should budget time. Start by discovering where time goes. Keep an account of the 168 hours the Lord gives you each week. Then, create a weekly “killer calendar” showing how you would ideally like to spend those 168 hours. Don’t fail to include the following items: God time, private time, family time, ministry time, work time, fun time, and rest time.

When creating your “killer calendar,” start big and then shrink it down. Begin with a 20,000-foot view, buy a 1-year wall calendar, and plan your year. Next, turn your 20,000-foot view into a 10,000-foot view using a monthly calendar. Then, bring it in for a landing by designing your weekly “killer calendar” with the bigger picture in mind. Finally, work off a daily planner.

3. Make yourself aware of what happens to unseized time.

What happens to our time if we fail to make the most of it? According to Gordon MacDonald, four things happen, and he refers to them as the four laws of unseized time. Those being:

• Unseized time flows toward my weakness.
• Unseized time tends to be controlled by dominant people in my life.
• Unseized time surrenders to the urgent rather than the important.
• Unseized time gets invested in things that gain public acclamations.

Mastering these laws will best position you to make the most of your time. If you need help with making the most of your time, reach out to me at brian.eno@oregonag.org

Leadership Truth: Great Leaders understand that greatness doesn’t happen in a day; it happens daily.