"You’ve heard of the 2 minute warning in football, but there is another 2 minute rule you should be aware of as well. When a task comes across your desk that requires two minutes or less of your time, go ahead and knock it out.
Using this method keeps your to do list short and manageable. Many of us have lengthy, cumbersome to do list filled with things that could be eliminated in a matter of minutes. Many of these items should never have been placed on a list in the first place.
Problems that can be resolved with a 2 minute call shouldn’t be on a list. Just make the call. This is what Christian author Michal Hyatt calls a “bias towards action”. Productive people, he points out, take pleasure in moving an important project forward even in small increments instead of accumulating long to-do list.
Remember, the 2 minute rule, with a bias toward action is a powerful tactic for redeeming the time.
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"Perhaps you’ve heard the term “zero sum game.” It describes a situation where any gain received comes at the expense of something else.
In gaming, it means you and your opponent are competing to see who can get the most points from a limited pool. If he gains a point, you lose a point and vice versa.
In economics, it describes a situation such as two people eating a pizza cut into 10 slices. The only way I can have six is by reducing your share to four.
But the concept of zero sum game also applies to time. You have only 24 hours today and no means to create any more. That means when you take on something new, it has to come at the expense of something else you are already doing.
When you’re tempted to add something new, pause to identify what you’re willing to give up to make it happen. God might use that tactic to keep us from something that wouldn’t redeem the time.
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"Have you ever known someone who was an addict? Who comes to mind when you hear that word? Probably someone who is a real loser, right? No job, no money, forsaken by family because all they cared about was feeding their addiction.
If so, you might be surprised to learn the Bible speaks of addicts in a positive light. In First Corinthians, Paul mentions the family of Stephanas as one who is addicted to the ministry of the saints.
An addiction is simply a very strong habit, so strong that it controls every aspect of our lives. In the case of the Stephanas family, they were totally controlled by the desire to minister to the needs of fellow believers. They thought about ministry when they woke up in the morning, looked for opportunities to practice ministry during the day, and discussed the day’s ministry at bedtime.
Do you have any addictions? Maybe you should, because being “addicted” to the right thing can redeem the time.
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"Gerald Mullen notes how age is a funny thing. The only time we like to get old is when we are kids. If you are less than ten years old, you’re so excited about aging, you think in fractions. Such as, “I’m four and a half.” You are never 36 and a half, but you are four and a half.
Teens want to jump to the next number, such as, I’m “gonna be” 16. Finally you “become” 21.
But then you “turn” 30. You’re “pushing” 40. You “reach” 50. You “make it” to 60. And you “hit” 70. In your 80’s and 90’s you go backwards, such as “I was just 92 last week.” Then a strange thing happens. If you live to 100, you become a kid again and revert to fractions saying, “I’m a hundred and a half.” Or “If I live till June I’ll be 101.”
I like his clever way of noting how God uses the aging process to prompt us to redeem the time.
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