I've been thinking a great deal about my productivity lately and how I am getting things accomplished. As I have often written about here, I believe in planning and being organized with tasks and goals. The tasks that you put your energy into should directly feed your goals which help move you toward your preferred future. The dilemma that I have noticed lately is that I often feel as if I don't control my schedule, but my schedule controls me. There has to be space for random (and not so random) interactions, crisis intervention, planning, thinking, writing, and spiritual disciplines. Gaining control over my schedule is a matter of recognizing how the things I do feed into the larger vision for my life and ministry and then learning to say "no" to what distracts from that fulfillment.
There are important people who have influence on my schedule, but the final authority still rests with me. I need to do a better job of aligning my day to the vision for my future. It will help get me towards my preferred future more quickly and leave me with a greater sense of accomplishment at the end of the day.
craig, you have made me feel guilty about the time i take away from you with my petty stuff. I don't think that time is wasted. you don't know the impact you have on others. I know the impact you have on me. I can't imagine what you are doing for others. Plans are made to be broken. Sometimes for good. Don't be to hard on yourself.
ReplyDeletePlease don't feel guilty at all, my friend. Those times of conversation are exactly what I want to make time for. I don't want to let "tasks" get in the way of being part of ministry and what God is doing. Hopefully I can do a better job of managing the tempo of the other parts of my schedule to free me up for great God-moments!
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