Redeeming the time

The final reason that I can point to in order to convey why I have grown to love GTD is that it is a system that enables me to make the most of the time I am given. Although we may not want to admit it, we only have so much time each day. By God’s grace we strive each day to faithfully steward our time to make the most of the life we have been given.

One of the primary ways in which GTD has aided the way I spend my time is that I now know what to do and when to do it. I am sure that I am not alone in that some days I feel like I have spent all my time doing something but have was not able to accomplish any of the items that I have set out to do.

Balancing multiple projects in multiple contexts is near impossible without the aid of a trusted system. In the past, what I inevitably ended up with was a series of lists and ideas filed in multiple locations. Approaching any one list at any given time was a very stressful exercise. More than serve as a structure for accomplishing any given task, these lists became a painful reminder of what I had wanted to do, but didn’t know how to do it all.

I should insert here that in the area of time management, I don’t and can’t do it all. There is much to be said here for prayerful discernment when it comes to what I invest my time into. On multiple occasions I have had to ask myself the question, “What really matters?” Right now I have a very short list with some very big items. Most common diversions such as television and listening to music while I drive have had to go by the wayside. (At least for the time being.) But that is only because I have within the system the ability to weigh each item and use the processing tools to set aside something for a future time knowing that it will still be there when I come back at a later date.

Built into the GTD system is a “weekly review” that allows me to take an objective look at all of my input and data, look at my schedule and calendar, as well as any current or future projects. This weekly discipline also provides an opportunity to see where much of my time is going and on what or whom is it being spent. It has become an exercise that I look forward to each Sunday evening.

Now, I will be the first to admit that just because I review and structure a plan around a trusted system that everything works out according to that plan. That is precisely what a weekly review is needed. Many weeks I come into my review time on Sunday feeling as if everything is a jumbled mess. However, the system is still in place and that structure serves as a stable platform to rebuild on for the upcoming week.