*A blog series on what every leader needs to be effective in serving Christ.* Time is passing away every second of every day. The reality is that leaders are to make the most of the time that God has provided. One of the most important principles of leadership is to excel in time management. What is most important? One of the ways I prioritize my time every week through writing down important goals to accomplish. It is important to begin this way because if a leader does not prioritize their time, someone else will do it for them. I have learned that unless I have a goal in mind, it is easy to waste time on projects and plans and end up stressing due to last-minute decisions. Let's be honest. We all have the same amount of time (7 days, 24 hours, 60 minutes). One of the best ways to find out how you are using your time is to evaluate it. I have had to do this during my seminary class and at my ministry job. It is a hard discipline but it will quickly reveal where all of the time is being spent. We have to be willing to remove whatever time-wasting actions. The personal life of a leader is more important than the public ministry due to the fact that character and health is developed in small decisions on a daily basis. Restoring margin to a busy and overloaded life begins with an honest assessment of priorities and a clear decision to make changes to have a clear vision for health and strong leadership.

I have learned to say “no” to good things in order to be able to lead great things. Through my ministry I have learned to delegate responsibilities in order to accomplish a goal faster and more effectively. When a leader rallies the people behind the vision, it becomes shared responsibility and takes less time to accomplish. The goal is to balance time between marriage, ministry, relationships and health. Once time has passed it cannot be refunded, we need to make the most of the time we are given by God.

Effective leaders do not allow the culture to dictate decisions. Find the time wasting decisions and cut it out. Replace it with a goal driven approach so that we manage time instead of letting it manage us! The main goal is to use handle time as precious because eternity is at stake!