Those who know what to do when, and when to do what, will never have trouble with time management.

Have you ever wondered what to do next, or what to do with those time-gaps between appointments and obligations? Any length of time not pre-dedicated to something obligatory can be considered “free time.” The rarer and shorter those times, the more valuable they are—therefore, something we need to make the most of and not waste.

Conversely, we all have a crowd of “what”s, each one screaming like kids at a fair, “Pick me! Pick me!” Which one should we pick first? Which one deserves our immediate attention? Which can wait until a little later? Which can wait until much later?

In both cases above, priorities drive our decisions. So does external, as well as internal, reality. You may consider one thing more important than another, but your boss tells you the other is more important, so get it done first. Or, depending on your biorhythm and scheduled meetings, you’ll do certain things earlier in the day and other things later.

How, then, do we prioritize what to do when, and when to do what?

First—determine and assess your core values. Values lead to priorities. If someone values wealth above all else, they’ll use their time doing whatever makes them more money. If someone values relationships over getting stuff done, they’ll talk or meet with whoever asks or wants to, before cleaning their house (I speak from experience here!). If someone values recognition and reputation above other things, they’ll make it top priority to do whatever leaders and other “important” people notice vs. whatever goes unseen. And so on.

What matters most to you, and why? Which of these core values align with what counts for eternity and from the Lord’s perspective? Which only have a comparatively temporary impact and are informed by the world?

For example, it’s not wrong to do well in business and make money, but as the saying goes, “You’ll never see a U-Haul pulled behind a hearse”! But we can do what we can to be able provide for ourselves, give to others in need, help society, and further His Kingdom on earth.

Likewise, getting stuff done is great if it’s stuff that really helps people and has a long-lasting, even eternal impact. But there are times we need to ask ourselves if some of that stuff is really worth doing or ours to do? Or consider relationships—do we value them for what we can get out of the people we relate to, or for the sake of popularity and self-esteem? Or do we value them because each person is made in the image of God and we want to care for them the way He does?

Once we have our values straight, our priorities will line up in proper order.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” Mk. 8:36-37

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you.” Mat. 6:33

Second—Whenever you have to decide exactly what to do when, use the “important/urgent” matrix put forth by Michael Hyatt in his book “Free to Focus”. Having decided what’s most important (priorities) and why, we then divide our “to-do’s into 4 quadrants: Important and urgent; Important but not urgent; Urgent but not important; Neither important nor urgent. That gets it all out of our heads into a place we can see each clearly. Sometimes urgent vs. important won’t be as obvious as to which to do first. My counsel on this is do what’s most important to you first, unless it’s really urgent—as in, your authority figure or someone you really care about asked you to do it right away!

Third—Consider your own mind and body—Do the high-concentration work when you’re most “up” for it mentally. Do the physical exercise or work when it’s most conducive (for ex., best weather, when you can get to the gym, not too tired, etc.). For some of us, this means creative writing or project work in the morning. For others, it means, wait until we feel more awake! Or even later. We’ll have roller-coaster-like ups and downs throughout the day and can fit things in accordingly.

Fourth—Consider the amount of time in each “free-time” gap. If it’s long enough, do the things that take longer. If it’s not so long, do the “I can knock off this task quickly” stuff. Or, you can even get started on a longer-to-do project in the shorter free time, knowing you can pick up on it later. This helps with the truly important, even urgent things, because it’s easier to continue something than to get started. Don’t let gap times become wasted time. Rather, do whatever productive, beneficial, thing you can with the time you have, knowing that once it’s gone, it won’t come back.

Here’s an example: Last week, I had a full day of coaching sessions on the only sunny, nice, day of the week. I value health, both physical and mental. So no way was I going to let that sunshine go without enjoying and exercising in it! Thankfully, because I build margin into my schedule (also recommended), I took three of the 15-minute breaks to run and walk outside. No 45-minute block existed, but that’s what it added up to. I benefitted by feeling happier, more energetic, and more mentally “with it”, and my clients benefitted by receiving better attention and insight from me.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Eph. 5:15-17

These are just a few quick tips to help, so next time you need to decide what to do when and when to do what, you’ll be able to do them all at the best time in the best way with the best results.