Efficiency
Three
Square Meals
It was
rumored recently that a Washington bureaucrat was considering a new
rule that farmers could no longer bail their hay in round bundles.
He had determined that cows needed to eat three square meals per
day.
Well lots
of people are unthinkingly attached to the idea that we all need
three square meals per day. But the fact is, most of us can get by
just as well with two meals per day. If your schedule allows, the
best way to accomplish this is combining breakfast and lunch into a
midmorning brunch, and eating an earlier supper. Try it for a week
and you’ll wonder why you ever thought you had to have 3 hot meals.
Cutting
out an extra meal saves lots of time normally spent buying food,
preparing food, eating food, and cleaning up food. We can spend
that time with other pursuits bigger than our appetites, such as
worshiping and witnessing. And many of us could benefit by losing a
few pounds and developing some self discipline in the process. All
those things help us to redeeming the time.
One
Hundred Penguins
A truck
driver was delivering 100 penguins to the zoo when his truck broke
down. He quickly flagged down a passing truck and said, “Here’s
five hundred dollars. Take these penguins to the zoo.” The next
day, the first driver spotted the penguins walking down the street
behind the second driver. Furious, he said, “I gave you five
hundred dollars to take them to the zoo!” “I did,” he replied, “But
I had money left over so I’m taking them out to eat too.”
That
story illustrates how important clear communication is and how much
time can be wasted when we don’t communicate clearly.
One thing
we can do to communicate better is always having a notepad beside
the phone. We often end up scrounging for an envelope or some other
floating slip of paper to jot down important information. These
randomly scrawled notes get misplaced or thrown away. Instead,
invest a dollar into a telephone message pad and train your family
to use it. Decide where you will put notes so the person will be
sure to get them.
A good
message system helps us redeem the time.
Leave it on the
Answering Machine
In today's world of
so-called advanced communications, many people identify "telephone
tag" as their biggest time waster.
When you leave a phone
message on someone's voice mail or answering machine, remember to
cover the four Ws: who called, why you called, what you'd like the
receiver to do, and when you're available to receive a return call.
A specific request with detailed information increases your chances
of a reply. Also, the message on your own answering machine, should
direct your callers to leave you answers to the four W’s.
Another idea for using
answering machines is to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ when you
record greetings for those who call your answering machine.
Proverbs says, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct
your paths.
Leaving clear directions
and acknowledging the Lord are both ways to redeem the time.
Clutter
Clutter.
Its one of the leading causes of depression. It’s also a terrible
waste of time.
Here's
how author Emily Barnes suggests dealing with clutter:
Walk
though your house with three large trash bags. Label them “
Put Away,” ‘Throw Away,” and “Give Away.” Beginning with your
closets, put loose items into one of the three bags. The put
away bag is for things you legitimately need to keep. Put them
where they're supposed to go. The throw away bag includes
scrap materials, old magazines, and broken things you know you'll
never repair. The give away bag is for things you haven't used
in the past year, but could still be used by someone else. As
soon as you're done give it to a Christian thrift store.
Conquering clutter creates a healthier and more productive living
environment, and that helps us redeem the time.
Ask Questions
A police officer stopped
a lady and asked to see her license. She responded “I wish you guys
would get your act together. Just yesterday you take away my
license, and today you expect me to show it to you!"
Perhaps
that situation could have been avoided if she had asked a few
questions the first time around. Lots of time is wasted by people
who don’t ask the right questions.
When your
boss gives you an assignment you aren’t completely clear about, is
it your tendency to act like you understand when you really don’t
because you don’t want to look dumb? The truth is most any boss
would rather you ask a clarifying question than to have you do the
job wrong and waste time doing it over. Not wanting to ask
questions, so we appear to know it all already, comes from pride.
And the Bible says “Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty
spirit before a fall.”
Humbling
yourself enough to ask questions might help you redeem the time.
Use
Your Cell Phone
A husband
got his wife a new cell phone for their anniversary. The next day
she was shopping when her phone rang. "So
how do you like your new phone dear," he asked? "I like it," she
said, "But there's something I
don't understand." "What's
that dear," he asked? She replied, "Well, how did you know I was in
the grocery store?"
Fortunately we don't have to understand everything about cell phones
to be able to use them. That's good, because the cell phone can be
a tremendous tool for making the most of our time. Long gone are
the days when owning a cell phone was a status symbol. With prices
dropping and technology improving, there's no reason you should not
be using one. Using a cell phone while driving, walking, or waiting
makes sense. We can check on the children, see if the dry cleaning
is ready and see if another store has the gizmo that this store is
out of.
You
should also invest a moment to learn your particular phone's
features. Sometimes you'll find they can save time, which means
they help you redeem the time.
Unimportant People
Is there
any such thing as an unimportant person? If you're a Christian the
obvious answer is no. Everyone is important to God and should be
important to us as well. But there are some important people who
will waste your time on some very unimportant activities. If we're
to redeem the time, we need to find tactful ways of encouraging
important people to end unimportant visits. One way to gently nudge
an overtime visitor toward the door is by using the phrase, "why
don't
we have a word of prayer before you go?"
This allows you to show the importance of the individual and to
acknowledge the Lord, while tactfully bringing the visit to an
overdue close. Have prayer with your visitor and once the amen is
said, quickly stand to your feet and thank him for his visit as you
walk him toward the door.
Using the
phrase, "Why don't
we have a word of prayer before you go",
is an excellent way to redeem the time.
Efficiency vs. Effectiveness
An efficiency expert concluded his
lecture to a group of businessmen with a note of caution: "You don't
want to try these techniques at home."
"Why not?" asked somebody from the
audience.
"I watched my wife's routine at
breakfast for years," the expert explained. "She made lots of trips
between the refrigerator, stove, table and cabinets, often carrying
a single item at a time. One day I told her, 'Hon, why don't you try
carrying several things at once?'"
"Did it save time?" the guy in the
audience asked.
"Actually, yes," replied the expert.
"It used to take her 20 minutes to make breakfast. Now I do it in
seven."
Well, just doing things more
efficiently doesn't
necessarily make for good time management. A much better approach
to time management is to concentrate on effectiveness. Efficiency
focuses on doing things right. Effectiveness focuses on doing the
right things, the things God wants us to do. And that's
a much better way to redeem the time.
Blocks of Time
The ability to concentrate on a
project for extended blocks of time is a common characteristic of
successful people. An example of this is the greatest inventor of
all time, Thomas Edison. Edison was known to work for days at a
time with only minimal sleep in order to bring one of his inventions
to completion. As a result, his name is on over 1,000 patents at
the US patent office. He also became one of the wealthiest men of
his day.
Jesus exposed the flimsiness of his
disciples and their ineffectual prayer life when in the Garden of
Gethsemane He asked Peter,
AWhat,
could ye not watch with me one hour?@
Jesus knew the power of extended time in prayer.
What is the most important project in
your life right now? Schedule a time when you can spend an
extended block of time bringing it to completion. That's
the only way you'll
ever get it done. Working in extended blocks of time is a great
tactic for redeeming the time.
Excuse Yourself
From time to time we all find
ourselves in situations we wish we could escape because they are a
waste of our time. Perhaps it’s a social function or a committee
meeting you volunteered to participate in but now you really wish
you hadn't.
What can you do in those cases?
Sometimes it may be impossible for you
to tactfully escape. And certainly if you have given your word you
should keep it and do what you've
promised. But in other cases, the most God-honoring thing to do is
to politely excuse yourself and move on to something else. God
holds us accountable for our time and He expects us to use it well.
So, next time you get caught in an
over-long meeting or trapped into the second hour of your neighbor's
home videos, just remember, learning to gracefully excuse yourself
from time-wasting activities is not being rude, its redeeming the
time.
The Early Bird
You've heard it said the
early bird catches the worm. But people who arrive early can catch
a lot of other good things as well. That's why whenever possible
you should consider scheduling your appointments early in the day.
The reason is that the
first meeting is the least likely to be delayed. As the day
progresses, the chances of the person you are meeting with having
some crisis or interruption in their day increases. That means the
chance of their running late to see you increases as well.
Other benefits of being
first include the accountability of getting up earlier and the
ability to reschedule your meeting later in the day if you can't
make it.
In matters of showing
meekness and humility, Jesus said the last shall be first and the
first shall be last. But, when it comes to setting appointments,
the first shall be the ones who redeem the time.
The Value of Delegation
A Christian landlord
owned several rental properties which he always managed himself. He
mowed the yards, picked up trash and did all the maintenance he
could himself to save money.
After a few years he
moved to another state and was forced to hire a property manager
until the properties could be sold. But once he moved, he realized
he was still earning 80 percent of what he had earned before, but in
only 5 percent of the time he had previously spent on his real
estate. The landlord kept the first properties and bought more
property in the new state, but this time he hired a property manager
to take care of them. The landlord learned the value of
delegation.
There will be seasons in
your life when economic necessity means you must mow your own yard,
and fix your own vehicles. But learning to delegate these whenever
possible might free more time to spend with your family or with the
Lord. And that would redeem the time.
Fasting
Have you ever wished for a way to make
time slow down? “That’s impossible,” you say.
Yes, it may be impossible to truly
make time go slower, but there is a way to make our perception of
time slow down. It is through the Biblical discipline of fasting.
Those who fast, especially for longer
periods of time, often report their perception of the passing of
time changes. The clock seems to slow down for them.
Another benefit of fasting is the
increased amount of time we can spend in any given day with the
Lord. Isaiah 58 gives us a description of the type of fast that
pleases God. It involves replacing time we would normally spend on
cooking, eating, and cleaning up our food with focusing on the
things of God and searching our hearts before Him.
The combination of slowing our
perception of time along with freeing more of our time each day,
makes fasting an excellent method of redeeming the time.
Time Saving Software
One of the most time saving
investments you can make is personal financial software.
If you use it for nothing else, you
should at least be using software for your checkbook register.
Balancing a paper checkbook can be a big task for some people. If
something goes wrong, you can be frustrated for hours trying to find
the problem. With electronic checkbook software, a few clicks
perfectly reconciles, with no math errors. Your bank can likely
download your statement making reconciliation even easier. At tax
time, your tax software can automatically recognize and import
transactions you need for tax purposes. You can also search for
past transactions instantly, instead of hunting through drawers of
old statements.
The best part is, basic programs,
which are all most of us need, are available for under $30 and can
be learned in about an hour. God calls us to be good stewards of
time and money. Good financial software allows us to do both. And
that helps us redeem the time.
First Things First
Nearly every night many of us go to
bed with a gnawing feeling that we have somehow left undone the
things we should have done that day. While at the same time we did
other things we should have avoided altogether.
Maybe you began your day with a list
of 10 "to
do"
items, two of which were most important-- the things you really felt
God was telling you to do that day. In the morning you had every
intention of doing those items. But, as the day unfolded, you got
sidetracked and indulged in trivialities that gave you a sense of
immediate accomplishment but did not contribute anything of lasting
value. Now you are at the end of your day, and the most important
things are still not done.
The way to prevent this is by
remembering to focus on the things that matter most, such as reading
God's Word, before giving time to trivialities. Remember, there is
always time for the thing you do first. When we learn to do first
things first we learn to redeem the time.
A Functional Kitchen
Did you hear about the dad who was
left in charge of the family while his wife was in the hospital? He
told the children they couldn't
have any Kool-aid because he couldn't
figure out how to get a quart of water into that tiny little
package.
The dad lacked some basic kitchen
skills. Here's
two ideas for improving your kitchen:
1. Look at how your kitchen is
arranged. Are the things you use often in the most accessible
locations? For example, There should be at least two sets of salt
and pepper shakers, one for the stove to use while cooking and
another in the dining area for use while eating. Remember, larger
shakers don't
have to be filled as often.
2. If you have young children, put at
least some glasses and silverware low enough that they can get it
themselves. Not only does it relieve you from getting their spoons
and drinks, but children as young as 3 and 4 years old can sort
silverware from the dishwasher and put cups away if they can reach
them.
Keeping your kitchen functional is a
way to redeem the time.
Keep a Journal
Do you keep a personal journal? If
you don't you should start one.
Malachi 3:16 tells how the children of
Israel created a book of remembrance. Journaling is preserving the
story of your life. It allows you to review things God has shown
you in the past and provides guidance for the future.
Whether you keep it on computer, or
paper, keep your journal personal with illustrations and records of
God's leading and working. Keep it short, like a hobby you look
forward to. And finally keep it going. A journal becomes more
valuable with age. You can provide an encouraging Gospel witness to
your great-grandchildren by simply keeping records of your spiritual
journey. It gives permanence to events that otherwise would have
been fleeting.
The best thing about journaling is it
can be done with short segments of time that would otherwise have
gone to waste. Keeping a record of God's working in your life is a
good way to redeem the time.
Delete Useless Email
Email can be a tremendous time saving
method of communication. Or it can be an awful waste of time.
One of the ways we waste time is by
reading unsolicited or unwanted email. Some people who would never
open junk mail from the mailman, habitually open all email, even
ones they know are irrelevant. Instead, get in the habit of going
through your list of unopened email and deleting them before ever
opening them.
Avoid repeated junk email from the
same source, by clicking the “unsubscribe” link or type
“unsubscribe” on the subject line and return it to the sender. Take
time today to evaluate which of your email subscriptions you really
need and use. And, as a last resort, if you're
getting overwhelmed with "spam"
and only want to hear from friends, consider getting a new email
address from your internet provider. This can often be done at no
cost.
Uncluttering your email box can be a
great way to redeem the time.
Memory
Redial
Do you want to save time? Well, to
save time you must invest time.
One way to do that is to program your
phone to automatically dial the numbers you call most frequently.
Most every phone sold in recent years has several memory buttons
which dial frequently used numbers with one touch. That means no
wrong numbers, or time spent looking up numbers. It means pushing
one button instead of ten.
Most of us are aware of this feature.
Yet many of us have never programmed our phones because it would
take a few minutes to enter the number the first time. That's
a little example of how we waste time by not investing time. Taking
initiative now to prepare for the future is a Biblical way of
thinking. God's
way is to focus on investing now in order to reap greater rewards
later, especially in Heaven. That's
backwards of our human nature but a good principle to help us redeem
the time.
Multitasking
Most computers today have the ability
to multitask. That means they are able to run more than one program
at a time. You could, for example, have your internet service
downloading information in the background while you write a letter
on your word processor at the same time.
Multitasking makes a computer more
powerful and more useful. It help us to accomplish more in a given
time frame than older computers which could only run one program at
a time.
But multitasking isn't
just for computers. We as Christians can become more effective by
leaning to multitask, especially as we include the spiritual realm.
An example might be talking to the Lord in prayer while driving to
work. It doesn't
take any longer to pray and drive than it does to simply drive, but
it does allow us to do two things at once. And accomplishing two
things instead of one means we're
redeeming the time.
Take a Nap
Could it ever be redeeming the time to
take a nap? The answer is yes!
Many people find that by taking a
quick nap in the afternoon they can get by with less sleep at
night. If, for example, you normally sleep eight hours each night,
try experimenting with seven hours at night and a fifteen minute nap
in the afternoon. You might find your body responds well to this
sleep pattern and you'll
create another 45 minutes each day to invest in time with God, your
family, or others who need your time.
Napping can also make you fresher and
more alert in the afternoon. That allows you to think creatively
and be more productive. John Wesley, founder of the Methodist
church, learned to nap while his horse carried him to his next
meeting. I wouldn't
suggest you try that while driving to your next meeting, but a quick
nap at your home or office might be a good way to redeem the time.
No Left Turns
Here's
an idea for beating the traffic trap.
Consider arranging errands so that you
make the least number of left turns. Let’s say you have three
stops. Two of them on the right side of Main St., and a third in
between them on the left. The natural tendency is to go to them in
the order which they appear. But with a little forethought you'll
realize that requires two extra left turns, both going in and coming
out of the business on the left. The better method is to go to all
the businesses on the right first, then catch the ones on the left
as you return.
Consistently using this method can
save several minutes in travel time and that means more time for
what really matters. Redeem the time.
The Right Tools
You know its time for a new car when:
the traffic reporters begin referring to you by name when discussing
morning tie-ups, when the gas station attendant asks, “Can I
re-duct-tape that windshield for you?” and when you stop at a light
and people rush up asking, was anyone hurt?”
Well, outdated equipment may not only
be an inconvenience, but also a waste of time. We certainly don’t
want to follow fads and chase after the whistles and bells, but on
those key pieces of equipment which we need to produce, like office
equipment, tools and work vehicles, getting an update can mean
getting more done. If you are wasting too much time with old tools,
remember God puts a premium on your time as well as your money. And
getting the right tools can save you both time and money in the long
run.
Investing in the right tools is a good
way to redeem the time.
Paper Plates
Phone rings
Clerk: “Employment office. May I
help you?”
Lady: “I need a job.”
Clerk: “All I have is a dishwasher
for $1.20 per hour.”
Lady: “That's
absurd! No one works for $1.20 per hour these days! Why I'd
never...”
You say you'd
never work for $1.20 per hour? When you’re at home do you eat from
paper plates or regular plates? If you use regular plates you will
likely spend 30 seconds on each plate scraping it clean, washing it,
and putting it away. It maybe a bit less with a dishwasher or a
bit more by hand, but we'll
say half a minute on average. That means that you could do two
plates per minute or 120 plates per hour.
Paper plates can be purchased in bulk
for about a penny a piece. You throw them away instantly when
done. Do that 120 times and you have saved yourself one hour of
work. What did it cost you? $1.20. So unless you are willing to
work for $1.20 per hour consider using paper plates as a way to
redeem the time.
The PDA
One of the best time saving devices of
recent years is the handheld computer or PDA. They’re the little
electronic organizers you see in the shirt pockets of productive
people.
Handhelds have come a long way from
the little address books a few years ago that lost all your data
when the battery went dead. Handhelds today can be loaded with
programs to do just about anything you do on your main computer,
including word processing, financial software, and email. They can
double as digital cameras and navigation devices.
But one of their best uses is as a pocket Bible. Most
handhelds can easily hold the entire Bible which is searchable and
can be read in a dark room with the backlight. Best of all you
can download free handheld Bible software from the link on our
website resource page.
With Bible software on your handheld you can read Scripture in bed
while you fall asleep. And meditating on Scripture is the best way
to redeem the time.
The Three T’s
A highway patrol pulled alongside a
speeding car on the freeway. Glancing over, he was astounded to
see a grandmother behind the wheel knitting as she drove! Realizing
that she was oblivious to his flashing light sand siren, the trooper
opened his window, and yelled on his bullhorn, "Pull over!"
"No," the grandmother yelled back,
"It's a scarf!"
Well, grandma had good intentions.
She just wanted to make the best use of her travel time. But she
would have been better off to remember the 3 T's of redeeming time
in the car.
They are: telephone - using your cell
phone productively as you travel. Tapes: listening to informative
or inspiring Christian speakers on tape or radio. The third T is
talk. Take someone with you to converse with and minister to.
The 3 T's: telephone, talk and tapes
help us redeem the time.
High Maintenance Items
Can you name something in your life
that requires more time and energy than it's
worth? Perhaps you belong to a club, group, or organization that at
some point in the past was very meaningful to you. But it no longer
fits with where God is leading at this stage in your life.
Maybe it's
a hobby, a pet or even a relationship that gives some satisfaction,
but not enough to merit the time it takes to maintain. Could it be
that white carpet that has to be constantly cleaned or a car that
needs constant servicing?
Eliminating these high maintenance
items can free up significant blocks of time that can be used in
more meaningful ways. God has given us a limited amount of time in
this life and He expects us to use that time in the most profitable
way possible. Getting rid of high maintenance items is a good start
on redeeming the time.
The Boeing
Numbers
Alarm
clock sounds
Girl: “wha...
what time is it? (Groan) 7:27 I'll
just hit the snooze and catch 10 more minutes.”
Clock
Girl:
“what? 7:37 I can just skip the shower this morning. I'll
hit the snooze again.”
clock
Gail:
What, oh no! It’s 7:47. I'm
going to be late for work again!
How often
have you started your day by counting off the Boeing numbers? Just
like the Boeing airplanes you start at 727 snooze till 737, or
maybe 747? Then you rush out the door late for work not spending
time with the Lord.
Did you
know Scripture has a specific caution against snooze buttons?
Proverbs 26:14 says, “As the door turneth upon its hinges so does
the slothful man upon his bed.” What an accurate picture of wasting
time rolling back and forth in a wrestling match with our sheets.
Tomorrow morning break the snooze habit. When the clock goes off,
go ahead and get up, because UP is where you've
already determined you need to be if you want to redeem the time.
Write It Down
George Beasely is in the grocery store
when suddenly sister Bottlestopper from church appears.
“Why, George Beasely! I'm
so glad I ran into you today. Something's
just come up I wish you'd
help me pray about.”
“Why sure, sister Bottlestopper. I'll
help you pray,” George promised.
That night George failed to pray for
sister Bottlestopper’s need because he forgot to write it down. Now
let’s go back to the store, but this time George has pen and paper
ready. He sees sister Bottlestopper again and she makes a similar
request.
George replies, “Thank you for sharing
that with me sister Bottlestopper. I'll
write it down right now so I don't
forget.” And that night, George remembered to pray for his friend
A key to good time management is
always having pen and paper with you. Remember, the weakest ink is
still more reliable than the strongest memory.