Time is a gift of God given to men on a non-repeatable basis. It is the measurable period of time in which things happen. Everything you are today and everything you become tomorrow will be determine by the way you think and the way you use your time.Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? …John 11:9Time is short, but time is sufficient too. To say there is no time is to admit your failure as time manager. There is time but it must be managed efficiently for maximum production.
Here are some twenty time killers you must avoid if you want to live a fruitful life
1) INDECISION
When decisions are delayed, time is wasted, efficiency reduced and achievement frustrated. Delaying of action or putting off of action steals time and ruins life. According to 2Cor. 6:2, God works in the divine today. In other words we may say there is urgency with God.
If you read Songs Of Solomon.5:2-6 You will find out that because of indecision the man wasted time and his beloved, his heart desire could not be found any longer !
2) INDISCIPLINE
If we do not control ourselves, we may not wake up to perform our task. You may need to force yourself to do something even when you don’t feel like. If we are not disciplined our time could be:
a) Controlled by domineering people
b) Swallowed by things that appeal to the flesh
c) Governed by the tyranny of the immediate urgent
d) Used in unimportant conversations
e) Wasted in day dreaming
f) Used in doing things we should delegate
3) PRAYERLESSNESS
The devil is around to steal, to kill and to destroy. If your time must be preserved, you need to take the battle to the gate of the enemy in warfare. Apart, God is the giver of time, he could prompt you through his spirit so you do not squander it !
4) LACK OF PERSONAL ORGANIZATION
· Can you ever find what you want, when you want it?
· Is your desk in a mess?
· Is your whole office upside down that you cannot concentrate on what you are doing per time?
· Do you have a good filing system?
Answer to all these questions will tell you how organized you are, and where some of your time is going.
5) MEETINGS
Meetings, fraternal gatherings, special round table meetings could affect the time allocated to other tasks. Not all meetings should be attended; you can send representatives, all depending on your priorities.
6) FREQUENT INTERRUPTIONS
Interruptions are part of daily living but when they become too frequent they can become unwanted time waste.
a) Visitors: when you give all attention to all visitors and pretend as if they are welcomed at all times, they will stay long and waste your time. Visitors should be screened and given appointment times.
b) Telephone calls: just one telephone call can break your momentum. The solution is (i) use of voice mails (ii) take phone off the hook (iii) switch off the mobile phone (iv) give your mobile phone to another person to answer.
7) AFTERNOON LETHARGY
Tired feeling after heavy lunch, high environmental temperature can cause drowsiness, sluggishness and an inability to concentrate. All this will delay action and waste precious hours.
8) LENGHTY COUNSEL
Problems are not removed through one lengthy counsel. Counsels longer than 30 minutes may no longer be effective. Leaders must understand the power of following up counsels and the efficacy of special assignments for the counselor.
9) GOSSIP
Gossip consumes time. You may know when it started but you may never not be able to control when it will end. It drains the brain, destroys your day, reduces your worth and wastes your hours.
10) INABILITY TO SAY NO
A leader who wants to be successful must not be a yes man. He needs to know how to say No. When you are always saying yes, you will accept to do what you cannot do and you may go to places where you shouldn't go and waste your precious time.
11) INSUFFICIENT DELEGATION
Time is wasted when they are expended on tasks that can easily be performed by others. It is better to put ten men to work than to do the work of ten men. Leaders who don't delegate will suffocate and be paralyzed before they enter into the red.
12)MALORGANIZATION IN THE SYSTEM
When there are no distinct line of organizational structure, time may be wasted as there will be frequent meetings during which “who" to do "what" will be appointed.
13)LAZINESS
Lazy people must necessarily waste time on bed, in the house doing routine cleaning etc. If you are too lazy to do what you ought to do on time, you will find yourself doing what you ought to have done yesterday, today.
14) LACK OF PLANNING
When you don't even know what you should be doing per time, you are not only wasting your hours, you are wasting your life. Every minute spent in planning saves ten minutes in execution. It is therefore helpful to write a list of the things that have to be done and to rank them in the order of importance.
15) CRISIS
Interpersonal crisis occurring frequently will unavoidably be wasting the time of the leader. He may need to sit down for hours talking and settling differences. Time that could have been invested doing other things is therefore wasted.
16) SICKNESS
Time spent on the sick bed are wasted times. Frequent sickness is a terrible time devourer. Adequate precautions should therefore be taken to avoid sickness as much as possible. Such precautions include
⦁ Effective prayers
⦁ Adequate rest
⦁ Regular exercises
⦁ Use of prophylactics
⦁ Right use of the tongue
⦁ Good nutrition
⦁ Personal hygiene
17) LACK OF PRIORITIES
When you attempt to perform too many tasks at the same time, time is consumed and the work remain undone. There is therefore the need for a realistic priority scale, so that first thing can be done first. Things which matter most never be at the mercy of things which matter least.
18)TELEVISON SETS
Television and movies can be useful when it comes to relaxation and specific edification. But a lot of people are grounded in life, wasting precious hours because of programs and plays that have nothing to add to their destinies. Hours that could be used in active meditation, planning and programming are consumed and wasted before the television set. Meanwhile most people that appear on T.V because of distinction are too busy to watch T.V
19) READING
Readers are leaders. People who will not read today may not amount to much tomorrow. However, some readings are nothing but sheer waste of time. Reading of newspaper at prime periods or reading fictional writings can become stubborn time wasters. Romantic novels, entertainment magazines may not really add anything to you, but destroy your time.
20) WORRY, FEAR AND PANIC
Whenever there is much difficulties and overwhelming problems a lot of time may be wasted in unnecessary thinking, anticipation and panic. Meanwhile, most things people worry about never happen, as such time used in worrying is wasted.
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