Comments on: Resources for “Taking Control of Your Time” http://albanroundtable.org/archives/945 a virtual gathering place for congregational leaders Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:12:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Hazel http://albanroundtable.org/archives/945/comment-page-1#comment-2788 Hazel Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:09:44 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=945#comment-2788 Thanks for recommending Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time by Dorothy C. Bass. I needed the reminder today after working endlessly on a newsletter. At least it felt endless. An interruption from a church member was divinely sent as we each reminded the other that only God is perfect and we could move on. Thanks for recommending Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time by Dorothy C. Bass. I needed the reminder today after working endlessly on a newsletter. At least it felt endless. An interruption from a church member was divinely sent as we each reminded the other that only God is perfect and we could move on.

]]> By: Gary Goldacker http://albanroundtable.org/archives/945/comment-page-1#comment-2783 Gary Goldacker Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:49:34 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=945#comment-2783 I find most of these articles to be very useful as vestry learning pieces. We use one to begin each monthly meeting with comments and discussion for 15-20 minutes. Each time I hear comments about how helpful the material has been to inform/inspire the person or vestry as a whole. I find most of these articles to be very useful as vestry learning pieces. We use one to begin each monthly meeting with comments and discussion for 15-20 minutes. Each time I hear comments about how helpful the material has been to inform/inspire the person or vestry as a whole.

]]> By: John Arnold http://albanroundtable.org/archives/945/comment-page-1#comment-2782 John Arnold Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:36:48 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=945#comment-2782 I find that much of my time management struggle comes from failing to observe any form of rhythm. God built natural rhythms to the day and seasons, but I tend toward a rhythm of go, go, go, which is not a rhythm at all. Keeping a sabbath is perhaps one of the most fundamental pieces that I find I have to have in place in order to have good time management. A Sabbath is what keeps me reexamining the big picture. Along those same lines I find it necessary to intentionally sow margins into my day and week. I tend to want to live in "idealized" time. What I mean by that is that I figure out how much time something can be completed in, in an ideal world and then set that as my intention. The problem with this approach is that the world seldom cooperates ideally. I am learning to leave a significant margin of error around the time I allot for tasks and within my day. Allowing margin greatly limits my stress, missed deadlines and/or poorly completed projects. All of this though I find only works if it is predicated by a clear sense of purpose. If you don't know what you want, there are plenty of things that will fill the void of purpose. The result is busy for the sake of being busy. I find that much of my time management struggle comes from failing to observe any form of rhythm. God built natural rhythms to the day and seasons, but I tend toward a rhythm of go, go, go, which is not a rhythm at all. Keeping a sabbath is perhaps one of the most fundamental pieces that I find I have to have in place in order to have good time management. A Sabbath is what keeps me reexamining the big picture.

Along those same lines I find it necessary to intentionally sow margins into my day and week. I tend to want to live in “idealized” time. What I mean by that is that I figure out how much time something can be completed in, in an ideal world and then set that as my intention. The problem with this approach is that the world seldom cooperates ideally. I am learning to leave a significant margin of error around the time I allot for tasks and within my day. Allowing margin greatly limits my stress, missed deadlines and/or poorly completed projects.

All of this though I find only works if it is predicated by a clear sense of purpose. If you don’t know what you want, there are plenty of things that will fill the void of purpose. The result is busy for the sake of being busy.

]]> By: Andrea Briggs http://albanroundtable.org/archives/945/comment-page-1#comment-2777 Andrea Briggs Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:32:34 +0000 http://albanroundtable.org/?p=945#comment-2777 Time management advice abounds. What would be new to me, and welcome, would be an article focusing on the integration of my priorities with a sense of God's priorities for my life and the life of my congregation, or on the use of prayer in scheduling a day or project. Maybe that's what Dorothy Bass's book addresses, and I hope I might find time to look at it. Time management advice abounds. What would be new to me, and welcome, would be an article focusing on the integration of my priorities with a sense of God’s priorities for my life and the life of my congregation, or on the use of prayer in scheduling a day or project. Maybe that’s what Dorothy Bass’s book addresses, and I hope I might find time to look at it.

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