Seven Tips for Managing Your Time and Avoiding Burnout
I was barely two years into pastoral ministry when it happened. I burnt out. It took almost a year to recover from the fatigue and depression. As I struggled forward, I decided that with God’s help, I would never let myself burn out again.
By God’s grace and with several time management strategies in place, I have been able to stay clear of another major burnout period for the past 23 years.
Here are seven tips for managing your time and avoiding burnout:
Develop a life purpose statement
Understanding your purpose in life helps you to do what is best and not to get distracted by the many good options in life (you can read about how to do this in my Three Steps to Understanding Your Life Purpose in a Deeper Way post). God does not want you to meet every need or seize every opportunity that crosses your path. In fact, Jesus Himself did not meet every need he encountered. He understood what the Father wanted him to do. A sense of our life’s purpose will help us to follow God’s agenda for our lives (which, by the way, does not include major burnout).
Manage your schedule according to your life purpose
Schedule in daily, weekly, monthly and annual reflection times where you think through your priorities and arrange your life accordingly in your calendar. A life purpose is only a life purpose when it guides our lives.
Spend time alone with God
I need to spend time alone with God each day. I need to spend extended times with God so that we can go deeper in our conversations. For example, I just spent a day of prayer and planning at a local retreat center. These times alone with God help me to recognize God’s voice in the busyness and chaos of everyday life.
Leave room in your schedule for important interruptions