I come in contact with many people who struggle with how to prioritize their life.  I aslo have challenges with prioritizing my life at times.  I have been juggling kid time, wife time, ministry planning from children’s ministry, youth, worship, series planning, events, graphics, website upkeep, meetings, Sync Groups, editing videos, speaking, scheduling volunteers, Grand Central Station planning, finish editing my book, writing new book, writing new worship songs, art, house upkeep, reading, prayer, exercising, community leadership development, hobbies, rest, Certified John Maxwell Coach Training University,  you get the picture.  So many things pile up on us with our time that we start to get overwhelmed.  We then get so strapped that we don’t take time to make time, and we certainly don’t have the time to prioritize our time.  I find that if I don’t take the time to know how much time to take then my time takes me.  So here is a tip on prioritizing.

Take time to plan your time

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  If you don’t take time to plan your time you will always LOSE your time.  So make sure you carve out some time each week or each day to plan out your time.  I usually take Sunday night to map out my week.  During this time I take the time to set my goals for the week.  My goals include 3 areas.

1. What do I HAVE to get done this week?

This is all about the tasks that are required of me for the week.  If all else fails, these are the things that I have no excuse or option to NOT do.  So I map out my HAVE TO’S for the week as non-negotiable.  This helps me know how much time outside of these that I will have to do the other goals.

2. What do I NEED to get done this week?

These are the goals that will move me forward in my projects and dreams.  They consists of deadlines I have put on myself in advance that I need to get done.  They are not immediate as HAVE TO’S but they are things that I need to get done and can’t wait or keep putting off.  I make sure I have time for NEED TO’S for the week.

3. What do I WANT to get done this week?

These are the things that are priority 3.  They are not immediate, they are not deadlined, they are extra things that I want to do.  These goals are things that are part of my over-all well being and growth.  They guide me if I have some extra time or have some down time in between a HAVE TO or NEED TO.  Want to’s keep me from wasting time or killing time.  I always make sure I have something to move me forward or I start to move backwards.  Wasting time is moving backwards.  I make sure I list these out for the week or I will NEVER get to them if I dont’ remind myself to do them.

Make sure you map out your time.  Make sure you are in control of your time or it will control you.  Prioritize.

You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage – pleasantly, smilingly, non-apologetically – to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside. The enemy of the “best” is often the “good.”
~ Stephen Covey