Marc Estes

I am often asked, “With all that is on your plate, how do you manage your time?” That my friend is the million dollar question for all leaders. Time is critical part of our success. You can buy it, you don’t earn it, you get back what you have lost. We all have the same amount of it. Time is something we all will be held accountable for.  What we do with what we have been given will determine our success.

 Forbes magazine researched the subject of success and failure and found that the number one factor for success or failure was time management. What is true in the business community can also be true among Christians and their spiritual maturity. Christian stewardship requires the effective management of one’s time. It is only when we truly understand that we have a limited time on earth that we’ll live each day to the fullest. 

Life is complex. Ministry can be more complex. There are consistent demands on our lives that come from every angle. We must learn to be strategic, proactive and efficient with our time management.  Ever feel like Joshua? Ask God to stop the sun to get a little extra done?  If that is you, here are some practical thoughts that will either  encourage you or challenge you. These are some tips I have learned along the way:

        A.    Establish an Annual plan

                1.    Choose an annual time for goal setting and reflection

                2.    Review previous year’s goals.

                3.    Establish new goals for personal areas and ministry areas

                4.    Transfer all items into your prayer list and project list

        B.    Prioritize Annual Priorities

                1.    Set important family dates, events and vacation

                 2.  Set all Church even dates and meetings

                3.    Set meetings with departments and leaders

                4.    Set preparation time for all meetings

                5.    Enter all meetings and events into calendar for the entire year.

                6.    Contact all leaders with dates.

        C.    Develop a Weekly Plan

                1.    Set time every week for planning out week

                2.    Review existing meetings and insure enough time for planning

                3.    Review task list and move any priorities into time slots.

                4.    Review project list and move any projects into schedule.

        D.    Develop Daily Habits

                1.    Start every day with reviewing and planning your day.

                2.    Consolidate emails and phone calls into am and pm slot.

                3.    Avoid time robbers.

                4.    Use task list and leader list to catalogue thoughts.

                5.    Transfer any projects not done into future time slots.

                6.    Don’t revert back to old habits.