The one about time management

When I write, it is usually my desire to write out of an overflow of my knowledge or experience. Let’s discuss time management. Before you nod with approval and think to yourself: Wow, Muyiwa has really mastered this stuff…so dope. Pause. I wish I could affirm your thoughts, but the truth is I am knowledgeable about and have much experience in poor time management.

Oops, I said it.

Part of the “adulting process” is that it is probably (read: definitely!) a good idea to develop great time management skills as early as possible. As we grow older and leave the childishness of adolescence into the beauty, richness and difficulty of adulthood, many of us find it difficult to shed some of those childish habits that are not helpful for responsible and intentional living. There are so many things that are calling for our attention: Family. School. Work. Friendships. Church community and commitments. Service. Marriage. Kids. How on earth are we meant to balance it all without falling apart?

Now, some of you are probably like: uhh…not sure what this guy is talking about; I balance it all just fine. Praise God for you! No, really, I mean that and I am not actually being sarcastic. That is amazing if you have gotten to that point because good time management is so necessary! For me, and I say this with some embarrassment, even at the age of 25, I am still trying to get a hang of proper time management. Have mercy on us, O Lord.

For a long time, I have struggled with procrastination. And by very long time, I’m talking years. Let me take you into a few snapshots of procrastination episodes in my life so I can serve as comic relief (or prayer point) for your perhaps stressful day.

So, I love giving cards to people. As someone who loves to write, I have always found personal messages on cards to be a sweet token of my appreciation to people for different occasions: birthdays, graduations, etc. When I was still a high school student in boarding school, I remember being at the graduation ceremony of some friends in the graduating class ahead of me and scrambling to finish signing their cards as the graduation was taking place. I promised myself that by the time I am graduating, I would do better. Lol. I was at my graduation mass/ceremony scrambling to sign thank you cards to peers. You are right if you’ve concluded that I obviously did not find all the recipients to deliver the cards to in the midst of graduation day celebrations.

Six years later, I was scrambling through Chicago to purchase graduation clothing for my graduate-school graduation ceremony. Oh, Muyiwa, you ask, this was three weeks before your graduation, right? Right?? crickets

It was hours before my graduation. I bought my outfit, changed into it as well as my graduation regalia in the changing room of Macy’s and dealt with Chicago traffic trying to make it to my graduation in time. Wonderful (read: sad) times. If procrastination was a school, I would be: Muyiwa Oyatogun, PrD (Doctor of Procrastination).

But the truth is, even though I have had so many experiences with poor time management leading to last-minute work, procrastination, unnecessary anxiety with regards to getting tasks done, and so forth, I have also seen the beautiful fruit that has come forth in my life in times where I managed my time well. And my vote is that whoever you are, whatever stage of life you are in, you need to start cultivating good time management skills ASAP.

I do not say this as one who has figured it all out and is here with ten easy steps, but as one who is worn out with the bad fruit of poor time management. If you are disappointed in where you are at with time management, please know sincerely that I am in the doldrums with you. But we cannot just give up and do nothing about it.

Proper time management is so important primarily because we are not our own. We have been placed on this earth by God and we have been given this precious gift of life and this limited gift of time. Not only do we not know how much or how little of it we have left, but we also have so much important work to do with the time that we do have and we will give an account to God of how we used all of the time that was given to us to steward on this earth. That is sobering.

As young adults, it is simply crucial that we develop proper time management in this season of our lives. The habits that we develop in our 20s will have ripple effects into our 30s and the rest of our lives. For those who have had disappointing days, weeks and years of poor time management, we can be foolish and think things will magically fall into place as we grow older, or we can step back, take stock of what has worked and what has not worked, and develop a better strategy moving forward. Talk to someone who has better time management skills, read a book, just do something!

So, what am I doing to change? Thankfully, this Christmas break, I have a long vacation and I am about to work through Tim Challies’ book: Do More Better. It is a small book on effective productivity. The good thing is that it is written from a Christian perspective and so we are not seeking productivity and effective use of our time as an end in itself but for a greater purpose.

God’s grace covers and forgives me (and you, if you’ll ask him!) for how I have not always been faithful in how I use my time, and because in Christ I am free, may His grace also empower me to grow in being a better, more faithful steward of my time, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

I don’t have to have a PrD. I can settle for a Master’s degree as I grow to become an MS: Master Steward.