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You are here: Home / 1 - Productivity / Take Note of the Time You Save

Take Note of the Time You Save

December 5, 2009 by Matt Perman

I think it frequently happens that when we do something that saves time, we fail to appreciate the savings we’ve just gained. Instead, we just go onto the next thing, continuing to feel like there is less time in the day for all that we have to do.

I just decided not to do a certain household project which would be good to complete, but would take about 4 hours. It has to do with fixing a mistake the original builders made, but we’ve decided just to let it be.

Now, I could go on to the next thing on my list (which is long today). Or, I could just quit for the day (it’s Saturday, and I’m taking care of some household stuff) and say to myself: “If I had made the bad decision to fix that thing, I would have had 4 hours taken away from other stuff anyway. Why not, now, still take that 4 hours away from my work, but instead do something I want to do — like go do something fun with my kids.”

I’m not going to do that in this instance, because this afternoon is devoted for getting some of these hanging projects knocked off. But, that would be a good option sometimes. In this instance, what I should do is be glad I’ve saved some time, and now start feeling ahead of the game for the rest of the day.

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What’s Best Next exists to help you achieve greater impact with your time and energy — and in a gospel-centered way.

We help you do work that changes the world. We believe this is possible when you reflect the gospel in your work. So here you’ll find resources and training to help you lead, create, and get things done. To do work that matters, and do it better — for the glory of God and flourishing of society.

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About Matt Perman

Matt Perman started What’s Best Next in 2008 as a blog on God-centered productivity. It has now become an organization dedicated to helping you do work that matters.

Matt is the author of What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done and a frequent speaker on leadership and productivity from a gospel-driven perspective. He has led the website teams at Desiring God and Made to Flourish, and is now director of career development at The King’s College NYC. He lives in Manhattan.

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