With the New Year just around the bend, it's time to reevaluate your productivity and see how you can retool to refine and improve. Excellent church time management is possible, even for the busiest pastors, staff, or church communicators. How can you successfully manage your time?
The infographic below has these 25 wise tips:
1-Create your own daily schedule.
TIP: Design it. Create it. And insert time blocks for the things that are truly essential to your life: key meetings, lunches, exercise, sleep, family time—anything that can't possibly be missed.
2-Take 30 minutes each morning to perfect your plan.
TIP: Use this time to write out a time plan for the day instead of browsing your smartphone while eating breakfast. Maybe add prayers for your day here too.
3-Track your work.
TIP: Track your time spent and optimize it with online countdown timers. Eliminate time wasters by replacing your browser bookmarks.
4-Prepare for the unplanned.
TIP: To have the best chance of conquering procrastination or roadblocks you need to learn to spot them right away. Then, you need to identify why you’re halted and take appropriate steps to overcome the block. Deep breathes are a good place to start.
5-Expect results from every action.
TIP: All of your actions help you reach a single result, then small and large targets, and then finally the main goal. Look from the top and learn to see the big picture.
6-Build a wall (resist interruptions).
TIP: Turn off your phone, close the door, and put a “do not disturb” sign outside your workplace. Limit inputs. Concentrate on your inner world and protect your precious time valiantly.
7-Learn to make smart to-do lists.
TIP: If you still adore handwritten lists, try the Bullet Journal, a method of journaling and note-taking that uses bullet points as the core structure.
8-Use time-tracking and task management apps.
TIP: Create your own ecosystem for success. Use your phone, desktop, laptop, and tablet to control all of your activities using only one app. The program will sync across your devices and remind you if you’ve missed something. (Examples: Todoist, Evernote, etc.)
9-Prioritize and delegate.
TIP: Take a load off. Order your to-do list by importance. Delegate things that could be done better by others or are less important. Check off what can be delegated.
10-Learn to say “no.”
TIP: Saying no doesn't have to be a bridge-burner. Be honest, state your case, and offer helpful solutions. You might be surprised, but it can actually earn you a little respect. Say “yes” to the things that can be successfully accomplished without duress and that you’re truly called to do.
11-Batch similar tasks.
TIP: Create core groups of tasks connected to your activities: education, sports, work, start-up, etc. This simplifies the process of completing similar tasks together and quickly.
12-Submit work before the deadline.
TIP: Break down your project into smaller tasks. It’s the safest way to meet the deadline or to get ahead of it.
13-Timebox your tasks.
TIP: Timeboxes are blocks of time during which tasks must be accomplished. The most obvious use for a timebox is to make progress on big tasks.
14-Find your motivation triggers.
TIP: Stay motivated while moving through a list of tasks by crossing off smaller items from your essential to-do list and feel the satisfaction of being one step closer to the final outcome. Also, consider filling your diet with dopamine-boosting foods and for an extra kick make sure you’re eating food with plenty of natural probiotics, like yogurt and sauerkraut.
15-Use the 80/20 rule.
TIP: Remember that 20% of your activities produce 80% of your results. Stay fresh and relaxed.
Use your knowledge of the 80/20 rule to downplay or minimize the inefficient 80% of inputs.
See the infographic below for more ways to be a good steward of your valuable time:
This infographic is LOADED with helpful tips! I need to look it over carefully as the new year approaches. Thanks for sharing!