Fritters - More Than Food

Creativity often happens during our meditation time. Turning our eyes inward and allowing our energy to be used on thinking. Allowing a creative person to have time to think is wise of you as a supervisor.

Time management is another issue but difficult to define against the creative process. I call failure to manage time as "time fritters". It can be obvious when a child is just messing around. It can be subtle when it is an adult needing to accomplish tasks at work (or at home). Here's a little test to see if you have the mannerisms of a time fritter:

1. Do you promptly read and answer all e-mails as they come in during the day?
2. In surfing the web for certain information, do you often get pulled into going deeper than necessary into the subject for the project completion?
3. Do you handle paperwork several times before filing, throwing away, or completing?
4. Do you go to the break area more than two times a day for smoking, eating, talking?
5. Do you have conversations about non related business matters lasting beyond simple pleasantness?
6. Do you listen to the radio, iPod, CD's/tapes, web, or other electronics while working?
7. Do you have sticky notes, piles of "to do" files, drafts/hold e-files, that you must routinely browse to make sure you aren't forgetting important things?
8. Do you spend more than five minutes a day writing in/on your calendar?
9. Do you do personal calls, letters, errands during your work day?
10. Do you talk with friends and relatives on the phone, by e-mail, or text messaging during your work day?

These are just the merely subtle - there are millions of obvious things employees do that fritter their time away from work. Often the person who complains they just can't seem to get anything done, they are too busy at work or they are given too many things to do, are the subtle fritters of time. It is often difficult to recognize when you are frittering time and it is difficult to have your employees recognize they are frittering time. You or your employee often enjoy the little time wasters and try to fool others into believing they don't really waste that much time on them.

When I ask someone, who I suspect of wasting time, to document everything they do during the day, they immediately say they don't have time. Right there I know I have a time fritter in denial. Often the denial is indignation and anger because how can I suggest they wouldn't be giving their best. May I suggest, if you are having trouble making time for everything, honestly write down what you do every minute of the day (what, time it starts, time it ends; including interruptions). It is not an easy task but it will show you where you are wasting time. It may show you aren't wasting time but are actually very busy doing assignments. That is another issue. But a time fritter person will always say they are just too busy doing their work, they are just that important (implied) to the company, just the only person who can do certain things, no one understands their situation, etc. etc. etc. Then the one I like: But, I'm only listening to Christian music and sermons.

OK, Christian, God doesn't tell us to do a half way job at work for the people who are paying us for full time work. He doesn't say listen to Christian music or ministries while you are trying to think about a work project. Your time will be divided and no one will be served well. Your job description probably does not say, "Minister to others via e-mail" or "Seek web sites that apply to your moral being while being paid to work for your employer" or "Spend time talking to others about your personal witness while projects assigned to you by your employer lays waiting". You see, Christian goals, fun net sites, corresponding with friends, offering support, love, and care to others; all these things are admirable ~ on your time. A quick prayer, a manner of Christian devotion in all things, attention to an emergency situation are all work worthy time spent. If you answered (honestly) "yes" to any of the ten questions above, you may want to look long and hard at your time frittering.

I Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Are you doing your job all to the glory of God? Or, have you allowed these time fritters to steal away your time, your thoughts, your witness that is diminishing God's glory in your life or in the eyes of others? Will God count all those little things as your doing your job well for your employer or will it be counted as a poor example of Christian conduct?