One of the most valuable things we are gifted with is time. Our time on this earth is limited and extremely valuable yet our tendency is to go to extremes. We’re either are so disorganized or rather lazy one one extreme or we max ourselves out on the other end by saying yes to every opportunity presented to us as if we could literally do everything.
I have a tendency to both extremes myself. I will get easily distracted by rabbit trails either online or by other things or people around me. If you’ve ever visited Wikipedia you know what I mean! I also have a tendency to be a “yes man” by agreeing to do too many things like serving on committees, helping people with computer problems they could fix themselves if they looked at a help file from time to time, etc.
I’d like to encourage you to grow as a person by discipling yourself to commit to a schedule when it comes to not only your work but also your personal development from getting regular exercise, daily prayer and learning new skills. It’s so easy to sleep in “just 15 more minutes” but when you do you are stealing from yourself.
When you allow others to take advantage of your giving nature you are doing nothing but allowing them to steal from you. I’m not talking about giving up giving of yourself to things you believe in but rather saying yes to doing jobs no one else will do. if no one else will do the job something is wrong with the process and the organization. Don’t enable a bad process. Remind yourself to say no. If groups or peoplw “need” you to keep them going they are past the point of you saving them but if you take the time you need to do what really needs to be done in regards to your real work and core relationships then those things will survive.
Recover the time you and others are stealing from the precious time you have been given. You can’t get it back.
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I agree with you Patrick. I always tell some colleagues of mine that they’ve got to take control of their personal journey and choose to make it their very own masterpiece. Jim Rohn is famous for his depth of thought and philosophy. He once said, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they might have planned for you? Not much”. It sounds pretty simple but that’s a powerful idea. If you are going to make a mark, you’ve got to design your own personal life plan. You can’t leave your future in the hands of other people.