Time is your most precious resource. Without it, nothing matters. You might be the wealthiest person on the planet, but your money is worthless once your time runs out. You might be the most skilled athlete or intelligent human being, but you cannot accomplish anything once your time is gone. You might be wholly devoted to God, but when your time is finished, you will not be able to serve your Lord a second longer in this life. Our time represents our life, and it is ticking down steadily, hour by hour, day by day, year by year.
Some people make enormous contributions to science, art, literature, or medicine. We can only imagine what masterpieces Mozart might have composed if he had not died at age 35. Who knows how history would have changed had Alexander the Great not died at age 32? What brilliant insights might Blaise Pascal have left to posterity had he not died at age 39? Such people made enormous contributions to humanity in a relatively short time period.
It seems almost wasteful for God to grant no more time to Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein than to the worst criminals or laziest people. Everyone has the same amount of time each day.
Busy leaders value their time. Napoleon reportedly told his generals, “You can ask of me anything you wish except my time.” The clocks on Harry Truman’s desk grew in number each year he occupied the presidential office. He knew his time of influence was brief.
Even though time is fleeting, people squander it in numerous ways. First, time-wasters fail to prioritize their work. They spend time on secondary matters and ignore essential tasks. But if you give all your attention to the “squeaky wheel,” the issues that matter most will be sadly and ruinously neglected.
Second, people who squander their time live distracted lives. They believe they can effectively multitask. Certainly, it is possible to jog on a treadmill and watch the news at the same time. But thinking deeply about a problem while simultaneously considering two less important issues is a different matter. Deep problem solving results from steady focus, not occasional consideration. Great leaders might not accomplish as many small tasks as others, but they get the big jobs done.
Third, time-wasters fritter away time they could use for good. For example, many people complain that they simply don’t have time to read. I maintain that if you never read, you are squandering time. Always have a book on hand. When you pick your child up from school, keep a book in your car to read while you wait. If you take business trips, read a book on the plane. When you go to the doctor, always take a book to read in the waiting room. My dentist is always curious about what book I am reading at my appointments! We all have unclaimed time that we automatically waste if we do not consciously reclaim it for good.
Fourth, people who mismanage their time often let others waste it. Every time their phone rings, even if the number is unfamiliar, they feel compelled to answer. They may have been thinking deeply about a nagging problem at work, but they abandon their train of thought and spend ten agonizing minutes telling a rude telemarketer that they do not wish to purchase a timeshare in Iowa. Some people cannot end wasteful conversations, so they fall victim to every colleague with time to kill. Wise leaders are not rude, but they clearly communicate that they will not allow anyone to waste their precious time.
Fifth, some people mistake busyness with productivity. They constantly scurry from meeting to meeting. They give off the impression that they are busy and important. When people ask how they are doing, they sigh and say, “Swamped!” Ironically, though they are constantly in a tither, they never accomplish anything noteworthy. No breakthrough solutions to their organization’s problems. No fresh insights. No major sales. And the more obvious it becomes that they are contributing nothing to the company’s bottom line, the busier they appear. Every bureaucracy contains such people. They are constantly making a case for their importance, but they fail to produce the most compelling evidence: results.
Sixth, some people suffer a chronic, devastating ailment: the inability to say “no.” Such people may have contributed a great deal early in their careers. But their success resulted in increasingly greater responsibilities and invitations until they became hopelessly overcommitted. In response, they rise earlier and work harder, but they accomplish little. Such leaders must understand that the key to their success is not the number of tasks they undertake but the importance of the jobs they complete. Great leaders do fewer tasks than other leaders, but they achieve greater results. People who use their time wisely regularly and purposefully say no.
Seventh, a major time-waster is social media. What began as a quick glance to see if anyone “liked” a recent post can soon evolve into an hour of unproductive time. Many people are taking fasts from social media or turning it off while they are at work or in the middle of an important project. Even answering emails can waste time. If you check your inbox every time you receive a new message, you will live in a state of constant disruption and distraction. Better to schedule specific times to answer emails so your attention isn’t hijacked every time you receive a message.
Peter Drucker said that effective executives don’t start with their tasks; they start with their time.[1]Take a hard look at your time. Are you using it wisely?
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[1]Peter F. Drucker, The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done (New York: Collins Business, 1967; reprint ed. 2006), 25. (aff)
