Thursday, May 04, 2006

Preparing for your Week

Like so many of you, I have a busy schedule to keep. Provided are a few disciplines I have developed to keep me on point with my mission.
1. Begin each day alone with God.
It does not matter whether you spend five minutes or 30 minutes or 60 minutes alone with God, each minute spent with the Almighty will be the best investment of your day. Spend the first part of every day alone with Him so He can guide you throughout the remainder of the day.
2. Before your week attacks you, attack your week.
I usually attack my week late Sunday night or early (very early) Monday morning. By attacking my week I mean plan your week in advance. That way you can map out your schedule according to what you need to do rather than what everyone else wants you to do.
3. Learn to say no.
This is a hard lesson for people pleasers. Some people will create an emergency in your life due to the lack of planning in their own life. Learn to graciously thank people while you politely decline their invitation or request. That way you can say yes to things that really matter.
4. Speaking of things that matter, organize according to value.
There was a time in my life when I thought everything mattered equally. Thank goodness I broke that destructive pattern of thinking. Not everything is equal in weight or importance. Develop a sliding scale of appraisal so you can focus more intensively on the things that matter. Here is another little secret about organizing according to value: only a few things really matter. Discover what really matters.
5. Develop the discipline to study.
Successful people are constantly learning. Their success is a result of the discipline to study. John Stott, a preacher from a previous era developed this pattern for study:
One hour a day
One 3 hour period a week
One day every month
One week every year

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