Author: Edward

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…”

I recently read Oliver Burkeman’s book, “Four Thousand Weeks – Time Management for Mortals.” His premise is that if we live to be eighty, we have four thousand weeks to invest our time to the fullest extent possible. Our worldview impacts how we prioritize these investments, but a wise person numbers their days.

Time is a gift and none of us knows how much of it we are allotted. Rather than waste our days on frivolous pursuits, wisdom instructs us to be diligent to invest our time and our talents on matters of lasting significance. Deep down, we know this to be true, even when some of our frivolous pastimes are enticing!

So often we hear parents exclaim, “I can’t believe how fast they grow up!” Before we know it, our little toddlers are leaving home to begin their own lives and families. If you are like most parents (myself included), you wish you had been more intentional to maximize those precious years to love, shape, and enjoy your kids.

When our time comes to leave the earth, what do we hope our mourners will remember about us? Do we want them to be reminded of our golf handicap, or the amount of money amassed in retirement accounts? How about those fun antics while in college, will those come up? NO! We will be remembered for the ways we loved, the sacrifices we made for others, and the investments we made that altered someone else’s life. These are what fuel our legacy, and they are reserved for those who are diligent to maximize the opportunities afforded them.

How intentional are you being to create such a legacy? We were only given four thousand weeks to get it done, and many likely reading this have used up a good portion of those weeks. The good news is, it is never too late to start investing well!

Here are a few practical steps for stewarding our time:

• Each week, select a family member or friend to serve in some way. It may just be a phone call, or something more tangible like helping them with a home project. Observe not only how they react to your kindness, but what it means to you as well.
• In your work, take your written goals and break them down into short-term action steps that get plugged into your daily to-do lists. This step ensures you bring value to your team, and increases your work productivity, and of course, your sense of accomplishment. Measuring progress motivates more of the same.
• Identify a few time-wasters you would like to overcome. I don’t mean giving up every hobby as these can be therapeutic. But endless scrolling, or binge-watching TV might be replaced by more noble pursuits.
• Finally, think of a charity about which you feel passionate. Giving to it financially is a great start, but is there something else you could do to make a difference there? Take the initiative to contact them and offer your services. You will be blessed that you did.

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Any golf or tennis coach teaches the importance of good follow through in your swing; what you do after the ball is struck. Follow through determines the trajectory of the ball and whether or not in lands in the desired location (or in my case, somewhere even close!).

Follow through is a quality that garnishes universal respect. We appreciate people who follow through on what they say they will do. This builds trust and is a mark of integrity. Employees move up the corporate ladder quickly when they follow through on what is asked of them in a timely manner. And, employees or bosses who don’t follow through on expectations tend to flounder.

Jesus stressed the importance of good follow through at the end of the Sermon on the Mount when He contrasted the results of a wise and a foolish builder. The wise person’s dwelling overcame all the elements thrown at it and flourished. The foolish builder’s house, however; fell with a great crash. What was the difference between them? The Scripture tells us both builders heard the Word of God, but only the wise one put into practice what they heard – they followed through!

Relational follow through is a much sought-after virtue. Unlike buying a car, when we pledge our wedding vows we are not anticipating we are merely test-driving this relationship to see how it feels. We have already determined (as best as we can know) that we want to spend the rest of our life with our betrothed. There is security in a love that is steadfast despite challenges that befall us. The results of marital follow through bring great joy to ourselves, and our families in our senior years.

We seek deep and trusting relationships with our employees/employers, neighbors, and friends. Our long-term friends are the ones who usually know us best and vice versa. We have shared great highs and weathered some lows but we stick with each other anyhow. A few committed friendships are part of the fabric of a full life. It is common to hear people say at funeral receptions, “I wish I would have…” People would like to have had closure with the deceased before they passed. There are often unspoken blessings that were never shared. They regret not following through.

Relational follow through takes work, it requires initiative, but it will always be worth it. How are you at following through? Are you a better starter than finisher? Do you procrastinate along the way thus delaying gratification? Or do you apply intentionality, discipline, and perseverance to reach the finish line?

Here are a few applications to consider:

• When working on a project, set a timer that keeps you solely focused for a set time. Then take a break.
• Keep a note in your phone for every task you say to yourself you would like to do sometime. It may be fixing something around the house, or learning to play an instrument, or an extra-mile investment in a work project. Prioritize these notes and strive to follow through with at least one on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Do you have a good friend that you’d like to make a great friend? If so, initiate some activity together and talk about how you might best support one another in the things that matter most. Most people are looking for close, long-term friendships, but few are willing to initiate talking about it. Learning to ask “Best Friend” questions is a much sought after attribute.

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