Leftover Time
There is no such thing as “leftover time” in our day. There will rarely be a moment that is unaccounted for; rarely be an hour where we’re twiddling our thumbs and looking for something to do. On the contrary: most of the time what we do not have is time.
That’s why every day should be marked by our main tasks…our big rocks…our non negotiables that will occur that day, regardless of what else happens.
Many years ago I read Ken Blanchard’s On Time, On Target Manager. In it, he tackles the topic of procrastination, and says that people procrastinate because they don’t know what is important. They put off main tasks because they don’t know they’re supposed to be main tasks. That’s why Blanchard suggests that every single day, we should triage every single activity. We should ask three questions:
- “Is this vital?”
- “Is this necessary?”
- “Is this important?”
While I don’t triage my activities every day, the days I do, I find that I tend to be most productive. If I know that I’ve got to write some material or review a budget or make a phone call, it makes it much easier to knock those things out early and leave the rest of the day for more menial tasks.
That doesn’t just apply to work life, but to family and spiritual life as well. What are the non-negotiables in your time with your spouse? Your kids? With Jesus?
Today’s question: how do you triage?
