by Kevin Wimbish, MS, Co-Owner of Summit Wellness Centers, PLLC
“So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12, New American Standard Bible
It can be difficult to navigate how to spend our time. And I do mean spend. Time is a finite resource. So many other things in life are renewable or we can get more: money, energy, commodities, but time is not. Each year, month, day, hour, minute, once it’s gone, it’s gone. As such, I think it’s important to be intentional about how we spend it. It really is an investment, more than any other.
When presented with an opportunity, evaluate, is this the best use of my time? You can’t do it all. If you say “yes” to everyone and everything, more will continue to be asked of you. However, if you always say “no,” you may be invited to less opportunities over time. I know, it’s tough to navigate.
Here are some tips:
- Pause and Pray… Take a few moments, maybe even a day or two, and ask God to give you direction pertaining to the decision.
- Gifting and Energy: When presented with an opportunity, ask yourself, “Has God gifted me in this arena? Does thinking about this excite my passion or does it deplete me?”
- Saying “yes” and “no.” If I say yes to this, what do I need to say no to? Is saying yes to this the Best thing and are the other things just good or better?
- How to know the Best. Ultimately, it takes prayer, wisdom and understanding to know this (thankfully, Proverbs says that if we ask for wisdom and understanding, we will get it!:) Also, consider your long term goals. Is this in sync with achieving them, or will it detract from them? Remember, time is a finite resource. How about your values? Is pursuing this in sync with your deepest values?
- Whose agenda is this? I understand one’s choice with this can vary pertaining to one’s position in the company or ministry. Ask yourself if this is God’s agenda for you, for this season in your life, for what is going on for your own well-being, the well-being of your family, what the organization, department, or ministry area needs. Or, is someone trying to unload something they don’t want to do, or want to put it on your plate because they know you won’t say no?
- The power of peers. Ask a close friend or two, what they think. I would encourage asking someone who loves God and cares about you, your goals and values. Ask someone who will tell you “no,” if that is what they think. Don’t just ask someone who will automatically affirm what you think. If you are a leader, this may be a challenge. Leaders often consciously or subconsciously surround themselves with people who tell them “yes.” This can feel good, but is not very helpful.
Many opportunities for decisions will come in your life. Good things are fine, but can get in the way of better. Better is obviously better than good, but there is still one more. Best surpasses them all because it helps us to move in a way that honors God, is in sync with our long-term goals, and our values for how we want to live. It takes wisdom, understanding, and often good mentors, friends, spouses, etc… to give us feedback to help us move along the path.
Kevin Wimbish, MS, is Co-Owner of Summit Wellness Centers, PLLC. He provides Life, Leadership, and Management Coaching as well as Organizational and Team Consulting. He has received his training from The College of Executive Coaching as well as a certificate in Executive & Organizational Coaching from Light University, a division of The American Association of Christian Counselors Foundation.
