Have you ever thought, "How does that person get all that done? They must have more time in a day." Well, the truth is people that are high capacity people just use their time better. Every person gets 24 hours per day. You can't create more time, but you can take command of your calendar.
Every second.
Every minute.
Every moment.
One of the prayers that I pray in the morning is "Lord, help me be wise in how I use my time." That prayer helps set the course of my day. That allows me to walk in a deeper calling and fulfill my higher purpose. You see, you use the moments to create movements. You use your day to make a difference. Yes, time is ticking, but you get to choose how you use your time. As a leader, you have to manage your time, because if you aren't someone or something else will.
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” Zig Ziglar
DON'T MISMANAGE THE GIFT OF TIME
This is one of the greatest challenges of leaders. Its not that they don't have the same potential as someone else, they just aren't as disciplined as that other leader. I have a friend, Anthony, he is a pastor and a bodybuilder. He is a great friend. He is 54 years old and has a better physique than the average 25 year old. To be honest, he looks better than me, by far. What's the difference? Discipline. He eats lean, gets to the gym, and so much more. He manages his time because he has a mission.
Whatever your mission or purpose is should be where we spend the most time.
CELEBRATE THE SECONDS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT
Last night, I watched a movie with my daughter Abigayl. Now, the movie was ok, but just laying on the couch watching a movie was significant to me. I don't watch too many movies with Abigayl, but I can honestly say this was significant for me. People will never remember all the things you didn't do, but they will remember what you did do.
I learned this principle years ago: What gets rewarded gets repeated. So, the more I celebrate the little things, all of those little things add up to make a big difference.
WORK HARD. PLAY HARD.
This is something I think I have learned over the years. I have not always got this right, but I can tell you when I work I work, but when I play I play. Recently, my wife, Mary, and I invited our staff over the house last minute. They came into our backyard, sat down, and opened their computers. I said, "This just shows me we don't know how to just have fun together." I grilled kabobs, skewers, burgers, and hotdogs. We laughed. We need those moments. Our team works very hard, but I don't want them to burn out, so I have to create moments to play hard together too.
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” Michael Altshuler
ENJOY THE SMALL MOMENTS AS MUCH AS THE BIG ONES
Too many leaders fail to celebrate the small steps. They literally only think of this had to be better or we could have gone bigger. Enjoy the small wins too. Those small wins add up to make a big difference. To be honest, I have not always been good at this and I sometimes relapse. However, I know how this impacts team members. When they see that you "notice" the seemingly small insignificant tasks it changes their output. Now, let me be honest, there is nothing in your business, church, or organization that is insignificant. Every detail matters, so celebrate them like they do.
FOCUS ON THE FUTURE, ALWAYS, WHILE ENJOYING THE PRESENT
The greatest of leaders have the capacity to be in the present while preparing for the future. They see years ahead of where they are, but live in reality too. Yes, time is ticking, but that doesn't mean we succeed and move on, succeed and move on. No, we have to stop and smell the roses. Enjoy the blessings that God has given to you. But, as you do, keep thinking about what is next.
“If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.” Abraham Lincoln
Today, choose to take command of your calendar. Leave enough "white space" to make sure that you get to enjoy the moments you are in. Hear this loud and clear: It is okay to say no to people. You cannot do everything and be everywhere. You may need to write that down, post it on social media, or put it up somewhere to remind you to "redeem the time" God has blessed you with. In other words, use it wisely, because time is ticking.