Dr. Jack L. Arnold

Lesson 12

USE OF TIME AND SETTING GOALS FOR A LEADER

I. Struggle with Time Management

A. General principles of time use are: (1) commit each day to the Lord, repenting of sin and asking God for direction; (2) pray with paper and pencil to put down thoughts; (3) do creative work at the time of day you are at your best; (4) learn to live with interruptions.

B. Some time wasters are: (1) misplaced items; (2) lack of preparation; (3) commuting long distances to and from work; (4) misuse of the telephone; (5) unprofitable reading; (6) anxiety over things you did or did not do; (7) television; (8) talking in circles; (9) interruptions; (10) day dreaming; (11) gossiping.

C. Some hints on time management: (1) at the beginning of each week and each day make a list of things which need to be done and prioritize; (2) write down everything and take notes if possible; (3) discourage interruptions; (4) learn to say “no”; (5) when asked to do something, never say, “yes” immediately; (6) have your own work area; (7) be relaxed and laid back; (8) be a good listener; (9) use waiting time effectively; (10) have a filing system; (11) be punctual; (12) avoid procrastination; (13) go to bed at a decent hour; (14) take afternoon naps if needed; (15) don’t complain about things that need to be done; (16) read your mail once and answer immediately; (17) keep a calendar or day-timer with you; (18) get up early and get a good start on the day; (19) do your devotions the first thing in the morning; (20) recognize interruptions are divine; (21) try to think of ways to do things more efficiently; (22) guard the over-use of the telephone; (23) clear off your desk after each day’s work.

II. Setting Goals

A. Thoughts on Goal Setting

1. Setting goals helps a pastor to move forward.

2. No goal setting is perfectly achieved.

3. All goals must be placed under the sovereignty of God and are subject to change.

B. A Desire: A desire is something we hope will happen but may not.

C. A Goal: A goal is something that can be attained and objectively measured.

D. Objectives: Objectives are measurable planned steps to achieve the goal.