There was a time when I fantasized about applying to Heaven for an extension of the 24 hours of the day. With so much to do, I dreamed of a day with 25, 27 or even 30 hours. And I imagined how much more I could do with those extra hours.
But this fantasy did not last long because it always ended in the same way. The application always returned to me with the word “REFUSED” stamped on it in big red letters. And below, an explanation written by God Himself, saying, “Manage your time better.”
Manage my time better. How?
Time is a really curious thing. [One of these days, when you have, uh ... time, 43 minutes to be precise, watch this profound meditationon what time is. You will never think about it in the same way.] Time doesn’t go backwards. Everyone has the same amount of it. One day it will end for us—and we do not know when. But one thing we are sure of: we should not waste it.
How can we utilize it to the fullest? How can we manage it efficiently? Here are ten tips:
- Learn to say “no” more often to things that you’d like to do but don’t really have time for.
- Use social networks for silly purposes less frequently.
- Watch out for the thieves of time: TV, the Internet, boring friends, cell phones, games, etc.
- Have a set time to sleep and wake up—and sleep for at least seven hours. A good night’s sleep is the secret of high productivity during the day.
- Plan what you will do in advance. Planning saves time.
- Don’t bite off more than you can chew, finding more and more things to do while other more important ones are being delayed. Write down your ideas in a file entitled “maybe in the future”. Don’t start a new project until you finish the one you’re working on.
- If you’ve reached your time limit, let the important people in your life know that you can no longer accept new projects and responsibilities unless you complete or stop doing something else.
- Take time off to regain energy and recover mentally. Once a week, even if it’s just for a few hours.
- Make time for the most important person in your life. Once a week, even if it’s just for a few hours.
- Start your day with a conversation with God.It’s not a bad idea to ask for advice from Someone to whom one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8).
Your days will never have 30 hours, but if you follow these tips, it will seem as if they did.
