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Today’s an exciting day because it’s the OFFICIAL RELEASE of my new book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. The book addresses a host of insanely practical skills, and it provides you and your team with the tools to apply the insights to your life and leadership. In preparation for the release, I’ve been giving you a taste of each chapter on the Leader Fluent Podcast. Today, you’ll get a taste of chapter 5, “How to Manage Your Time.” It’s a great way to start the new year. Again, be sure to order Insanely Practical Leadership today and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE.

SHOW NOTES:

Let me start this session by asking you a question: how valuable is your time? 

In his book, Becoming a Coaching Leader, Daniel Harkavy offers a great perspective on determining the value of your time. He suggests that you start by identifying your desired annual income five years from now. In fact, go ahead and pick a number. How much do you hope to make five years from today?

Once you’ve picked a number, open the calculator on your phone and divide your desired annual income by 2,080. 2,080 is how many hours there are in a 40-hour workweek during an entire year. Once you divide your desired income by 2,080, you’ll come up with an hourly rate. 

For example, if you want to earn $100,000 per year and you divide it by 2,080, you’ll make about $48 per hour. If you want to earn $250,000 per year, you’ll make about $120 per hour. Now, look at that hourly dollar amount on your calculator and ask yourself this question: “Is how I currently use each hour of my day worth that much money?” 

You might push back and say, “Stephen, I don’t make that much money per hour.” I get it, but that’s not my question. The question is, “Is how I CURRENTLY use each hour of my day worth that much money?” Let’s make it personal.

Is scrolling through social media worth $48 an hour to you? Is watching TV for three or four hours each night worth $120 an hour to you? Is spending excessive hours on your favorite hobby worth the number on your calculator right now? 

If your answer is “No,” I have news for you: If you don’t change how you use your time today, you won’t earn your desired income tomorrow. This example obviously doesn’t encompass the full value of time. After all, time isn’t just a matter of money. But this example does help us see time in a new light. 

Psalm 90:12 also provides incredible perspective on the value of time. It says, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” When you realize the brevity of life, you begin to see time as a precious resource entrusted to you by God. We can spend time frivolously or invest it wisely; either way, how we use our time reveals what we value most.

So, how do you effectively manage time? Well, I believe it begins by identifying three circles. The first circle is “Why.” The second circle is “Where.” And the third circle is “How.” Let me unpack each one. 

CIRCLE #1: WHY: Purpose & Values

Without a well-defined purpose and clearly stated values, you’ll efficiently manage your time to accomplish the wrong things. That’s not a picture of success. After all, who cares if you get the wrong things done quicker. Purpose and values are the north star for time management. So, let’s start with purpose. 

If you want to discover your purpose, begin by identifying how God wired you. God designed you with your purpose in mind be depositing in you abilities, passions, and spiritual gifts. so if you identify how God designed you, you’ll begin getting clues to your purpose in life. Each of these traits are like puzzle pieces, and when you turn each puzzle piece face up, you quickly begin to see patterns emerge that give you clues to your life purpose. 

What about values? Values are the people, principles, and priorities that guide our lives. They’re the internal rules of the game that influence our behavior, what we do, and how we spend our time and money. Circle #1 clarifies your purpose and values. They are the “Why” of time management. 

CIRCLE #2: WHERE: Roles & Priorities

The “Where” circle focuses on the Roles & Priorities that will help you fulfill your purpose and values. In other words, this is “Where” you invest your time.  

Let’s start with Roles. You likely serve in a variety of roles at home, in your community, on a campus, in your career, or in the church. The question is, “Do these roles help you live out your purpose and values?” The more your roles are aligned with your purpose and values, the more time you’ll be able to allocate to them.

Within each of your roles, you also have Priorities. So, what should those priorities be? John Maxwell recommends answering three helpful questions to identify your highest priorities. Question one: What is required of me? Question two: What activities give me the greatest return? And question three: what activities give me the greatest reward? When you answer the three “R’s”—required, return, and reward—for each of your roles, you will discover your highest priorities in those roles. 

CIRCLE #3: HOW: Planning & Boundaries

Planning creates a system to maximize the minutes in your day. To plan your time wisely, select a good time management tool, and then conduct a weekly meeting with yourself to plan out your week. As you plan out your week, identify the three most important things you need to do that week, as well as the three most important things you need to do each day. Finally, eliminate time-wasters, automate things that happen repeatedly, and delegate tasks that must be done, but not necessarily by you. Those are the basic of how to plan your time. 

In addition to planning, the “How” circle also focuses on boundaries. Boundaries are the guardrails that protect the use of your time. To establish clear boundaries, conduct a time audit so you know exactly where your time is going. Then, identify the kind of tasks, projects, and appointments you’ll say yes to and the ones you’ll say no to. Finally, set technology boundaries. When you consider that the average person spends 143 minutes per day on social media, it wouldn’t hurt to establish some technology boundaries.

The sweet spot of time management is where the three circles overlap. In other words, when the WHY, WHERE, and HOW of time management intersect, you’ll be able to allocate the precious minutes of your life to what matters most. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT INSANELY PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP:

The teaching in this podcast series comes from my book, Insanely Practical Leadership: 12 No-Nonsense Keys to Master the Art of Leading Yourself and Others. Get your copy of the book, masterclass, and study guide to maximize your leadership and to invest in the growth of your team. You can learn more about Insanely Practical Leadership and the bonus content that goes with the book HERE. 

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