It’s Time: 7 Time Management Strategies to Take Back Your Calendar, Reduce Overwhelm, and Flourish on Purpose a 7-Day Plan by Najah DrakesSample

Day 7: Sound the Alarm

We set times and alarms for important matters.

It is important to arrive at work on time, so we set an alarm.

When we have an important event to attend, we set a time to leave.

When our boss says they need to meet with us, we set a time to meet.

We do not make time for these commitments. We set a time for them.

We may be tired.

We may have a million things to do, yet these items rise to the top and end up in the "completed" category.

We knew what was important to Jesus by the life He lived, not simply by what He told us.

Many of us say we prioritize God, but our calendars say differently. We do not realize our spoken priorities do not reflect our lived priorities.

When this happens, we experience a priority misalignment.

I did not realize I was experiencing a priority misalignment until the daily grind subtly eroded my physical, spiritual, and mental well-being, and inner frustration settled in. I attempted to address the symptoms of my lifestyle without understanding the root cause.

Many share these struggles. We fail to assess our missing fundamentals and weak boundaries, count the costs of our lifestyle choices, or seek God for His vision.

As a result, our lived-out priorities look nothing like God's priorities for our life.

When I finally got serious about exercising, I set a specific time and a 6:00 am alarm on Tuesday and Thursday to walk to my stop sign and back.

It was simple, actionable, and specific.

I did not make time for it. I set a specific day, time, and duration to get it done.

God set aside time for everything under the sun. If we desire to graduate beyond managing time and instead flourish within it, we must stop settling for making time and instead set a time to do the things that truly matter.

Prayer:

Lord, open my heart, mind, and calendar to receive the strategies you designed for us to flourish within time. Amen.

Journal Prompt:

What days, times, and duration of time will you set aside this week for your priorities?

If you are ready to graduate beyond simply managing time and start taking action to flourish within it, download my time management tool at https://sparkherblaze.com/pages/take-the-overwhelm-challenge.