There are so many things. Things to make me thin. Things to make happy. Things to make me more efficient. More efficient? Really? Now that’s the one I can use. I’d have to say I’m one of those people who get distracted easily. It doesn’t take much to send me down a rabbit trail, and it takes an awful lot more to bring me back! I love stuff! I’m very curious and have a wild imagination! The problem is that so much of it, even if it’s good, really just gets me to waste more time. And I only have a limited amount of that.
24 hours. It’s what we all get. No more. No less. I joke around with my customers often that I’ve been asking God to give us a few more hours in the day. The sad thing is I cram too much into it and would really like to have more time. So, short of God answering that prayer (and I won’t hold it against Him if He doesn’t), I need to find out where I’m wasting what I have. Is it at work? At home? In my personal life? What are my distractions and what should I do about them?
Not all distractions are bad… the problem is what I do with those distractions. For example; at work it’s very good for me to visit with my customers. I need to see what their needs are and how I can best meet those needs. Even a little friendly chatting is important. They need to know I actually care. But what if my caring takes longer than it should? Who or what is going to miss out later? Remember… only 24 hours. Sadly, since work comes at the beginning of most of our days, wasting time in this area is pushing our families down the track! I want to be better at limiting my work distractions so that I have more time with those who matter most to me!
So, what am I going to do? I need to be willing to take a hard look at how I am spending time with my family. Yep that’s what I said, spending time with my family. You see, when we waste time at the office, or on the road, we are really dipping into their time. 15 minutes wasted on the phone is 15 minutes less with my wife and kids… or less sleep… which is still taking away from your loved ones. I would suggest that you start critically looking at your work habits. I’m going too! Watch for the little red flags that say you’re pushing it. Be willing to hang up the phone or walk out the customer’s door just a little earlier. Don’t tell yourself that the extra work is for the family. If it’s wasted time, it’s not extra work, so it’s not for the family.
There is so much more that could be said about this… but I just don’t have the time! Instead I’ll leave you with one final thought; what is your most precious possession… and do they know it? Your time management will send a signal whether you like what they hear or not. It’s time to stop wasting time at work and start investing it into our families. Let’s do what we need too and stop doing what we don’t.
