Time management is a good thing. Managing your time so you are spending time doing the things that are important to you is a very good idea. But, time management can be a rather short-sighted perspective. Living life well is so much more than about managing our time. It’s about living out what really matters to us.
Am I doing something just to get things done? Or, am I doing something because it’s part of a bigger vision? I tend to love lists. I love checking another item off the to-do list. But, checking another item off the to-do list can be very short-sighted. I’m challenging myself to look beyond the list.
When I check off another item on my to-do list, as much as I like doing that, that’s not the point. The point is how did that affect the bigger picture? Is another mouth being fed in Somalia because I can check that off my list? Is another person coming closer to understanding their unique contribution to the world because I made a check on my to-do list? Is my client understanding more of their potential because I checked off their website?
Feeding the hungry, discovering others’ giftedness, unleashing potential – those are the things that stir my heart. If I lose sight of what stirs me, I lose sight of what really matters. If I lose sight of what really matters, my days become mundane, my work work, my time managed.
If I keep the connection between what I do and what stirs me forefront and center my days are energized, my work matters, my time is focused. Taking a check to the bank is more than just depositing money in my account; answering a client’s email is more than communicating with a client; backing up a hard drive is more than saving data – all those seemingly mundane tasks are a part of feeding the hungry, discovering others’ giftedness, and unleashing potential.
No Comments on "From Time Management to Purpose"