1 of 3

In the business of ministry, minutes carry multiple demands; you can easily think of 20 tasks to fill each hour.

Because time is a limited resource, it requires astute delegation. Managing your day is thus as crucial as budgeting money. If you use time successfully, you'll be able to oversee your congregation, help others in your community, and expand your ministry to reach the goals you've set for yourself and the church.

The following suggestions will help you take command of the time you have to spend today:

1. Organize your space. Since 1981, Bob Frare has managed his sales training company, Partner Selling Group, from a 10-by-10-foot office in his Albany, New York, home. "My office is the smallest, most highly organized space possible," Frare says. "I believe strongly in touching papers only once. I focus on one paper on my desk at a time. When I'm finished, it goes into a file or a large wastebasket beside me."

Frare's favorite organizational tool is a cubbyhole system with separate slots for stationery, envelopes, client letters, invoices, and receipts. "I used to spin around to look for my stationery and jump up three times for the envelope and stamps when I wrote a letter," Frare says. "Now everything is right in front of me. When invoices come in, I don't mess with them individually. They go in the slot for bills until my part-time bookkeeper comes in."

Likewise, keeping your office clutter-free can help you save time with each task that you do, freeing up space for more important things.

2. Make a list of things to do. Many people leave Post-it notes and piles of papers on their desks to remind them of what they must do during the day, says Jeffrey J. Mayer, a time-management expert and author of seven books on business and time management. He suggests keeping a list instead. "You can keep adding new items to the list. When you finish something, you can scratch it off," Mayer says.

He also suggests prioritizing the list. After deciding what is most important, you "just do it," he says.

3. Do the most important tasks in prime time.In his book Time Management For Dummies (I.G. Books Worldwide, $17), Mayer defines prime time as the period during the day when your energy and concentration are highest. "During this time, it's possible for you to get twice as much done in half the time with half the effort," Mayer says.

He suggests that you make the most of your prime time. "Give yourself two uninterrupted hours daily," he says. "Leave your answering machine on, turn off your beeper, and don't read your e-mail. Do something really important." If a project requires an hour to complete, make an appointment with yourself during your prime time and block that time out on your calendar.

4. Maximize efforts by multitasking. Azriela Jaffe, author of Honey, I Want to Start My Own Business: A Planning Guide for Couples (Harper Business, $13), is an expert at making every minute count. A business coach and speaker in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Jaffe believes that a cordless phone is a must for those who want to make the most of their time. "Whenever I'm doing something that doesn't require my total attention, I find something to do alongside it," Jaffe says. "I'm always on my portable phone."

next page... |  1 of 3

share this page