Being in the Right Place at the Right Time Takes Practice

26 February 2020

It isn’t luck or fate that moves us along. It’s our own work habits.

Success starts with the little things: preparing your day, taking time to plan, setting priorities. One of God’s greatest gifts to us is time. When we use it to improve ourselves, help our families, and reach out to others, we grow closer to Him. We can approach each day with a renewed sense of patience and perspective.

Preparing your day.

We accomplish more when we know why we are doing it. Contemplating verses from the scriptures, writing down inspired thoughts, praying with gratitude: these are the morning activities that help prepare us for days filled with demands. Our morning meditation helps us focus so we aren’t easily distracted.

Taking time to plan.

Working hard and being productive doesn’t mean putting in lots of long hours. With good time management we can actually work regular hours but get much more done. Studies by organizational psychologists show that good planning at the beginning of the day, along with a little extra effort throughout the day, actually decreases the amount of time we spend on tasks. This includes family tasks. A 10-minute planning meeting each week with your children and partner will help keep the chaos at a minimum and teach children to plan out their days to be more effective. It also creates a stronger bond in families, especially if you add enjoyable spiritual lessons to your mornings.

The top three.

To-do lists can get overwhelming. Try setting your top three priorities for the week. This works great in the 10-minute morning family meeting and in team meetings every morning at work. Again, working long hours doesn’t make for better work; sometimes it’s just a few minutes connecting with a family member or coworker.

The power of the group.

The burden is always lighter when you lift together. Don’t forget to rely on the power of the group. Your family, your coworkers, your friends and neighbors in the community and at church and in your Self-Reliance groups: they can all help you be more productive, gain support, and support others.

Checking in regularly but briefly.

Some parents text their children at lunchtime to check in on their top three priorities. Some parents schedule 20 minutes in the afternoon to coordinate evening family activities. Good leaders check in with their teams to see who needs help and encouragement. And at the end of the day, talking about the day’s accomplishments with your family prepares everyone for the next day. Finally, before falling into bed, nightly prayers can be a check-in with God.

We make the most of our time when we use it wisely: reaffirming our purpose, setting daily goals, encouraging and serving others, and staying close to God. In this way, we are never alone.