A Renewed Perspective on Time Management
Bad times, hard times, this is what people keep saying; but let us live well, and times shall be good. We are the times: Such as we are, such are the times.
St. Augustine
We all share a commonality in life – a fixed amount of time: twenty-four hours in a day and 365 days in a year. We cannot create more time or receive a refund for the time used. Time is life’s most precious and nonrenewable resource, prompting us to reflect on how we spend it.
As we seek to understand how to live a well-spent life, Thomas à Kempis, the author of "The Imitation of Christ," writes: “It is vanity to wish for a long life and care little about a well-spent life. It is vanity to be concerned with the present only and not make provision for things to come. It is vanity to love what passes quickly and not look ahead where eternal joy abides.” When I first read this book in college, I paused to reflect on this paragraph for a long time. It led me to assess how I was living and where I was investing my time. How am I making valuable use of the gifts God has given me? How am I being intentional about the present as much as I am prudent about how my decisions affect the future? What might have I attached myself to that which is transient instead of eternal?
To even begin comprehending what à Kempis was expressing, we must first grasp what vanity is. The Greek word for "vanity" translates to "empty glory" and revolves around ego, self-love, and self-idolatry. With society placing importance on external appearance, material and financial wealth, status, and pleasure, it is easy to fall into the trap of vanity. While these things may seem harmless, when used to glorify oneself, they can easily become idols. Vanity serves as a false substitute for the true glory that comes from God. Therefore, a well-spent life is one that gives glory and praise to God as the Creator and Giver of our time, talent, and treasure. God entrusts us with all these things because He loves us, and He simply calls us to steward our gifts well.
Time Management vs. Time Stewardship:
In the world of productivity, time management is crucial for success. According to Dictionary.com, time management is defined as “the analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace.” Originally, time management was a solution to improve time from a manufacturing and production perspective, focused on business performance rather than the individual. Over time, the term has evolved to accommodate our personal life and well-being, all while emphasizing the mindset of “taking control” or “owning” your time.
Scripture provides a different perspective—stewardship. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “In the beginning, God entrusted the earth and its resources to the common stewardship of mankind to take care of them, master them by labor, and enjoy their fruits” (CCC 2402). A good steward recognizes that we are not owners of God's gifts; instead, we are entrusted recipients, cultivators, and sharers. For that reason, true stewardship is not about control but a practice of surrender, a loving response trusting that God gave us exactly what we need, and everything else is in His control. The result of good stewardship is fruitfulness.
Discerning Our Schedule:
In any state of life, we may have the natural tendency to fill up our schedule with many things to do, whether it's for work, responsibility, family, ministry, or extracurricular activities. Being busy is not inherently bad; after all, the opposite of busyness is idleness, which is often considered "the enemy of the soul" (The Rule of Saint Benedict). However, it is not about being busy for the sake of busyness but about choosing commitments purposefully.
While time management tools are still valuable and can help us steward our time, especially with life's unpredictable demands challenging our schedules, the most important element lies in discernment. Our schedule reveals what we prioritize, and it is critical that what we allow to occupy our schedule is holy and life-giving. Much of our decision-making in life will be choosing between many goods. Therefore, we must take time to pause and evaluate all considerations so we can make the most prudent decision.
Some questions to prayerfully ask ourselves before committing to anything are:
Is this aligned with God’s will and what He made me to do?
Will this allow me grow personally and spiritually?
Will it help me stay faithful to my vocation, top priorities, values and needs?
Is it necessary right now?
Do I have the capacity?
What would happen if I said no? What if I said yes?
In the dance between stewardship and surrender to God, we find the true meaning of a well-spent life. God’s time is sacred. May we learn to be good stewards of God’s gift and align our commitments with the eternal joy that abides.
