Have you ever noticed that whenever someone is in front of you in the “10 items or less” checkout line at the grocery store, and they have 20 items, they will always write a check. And not only a check, but a check that requires the manager’s approval, usually when he is on break somewhere in the parking lot.
Some people, it seems, never catch on to the inconvenience they bring to others by not considering the value of other people’s time. For example, when you call a friend, before getting into a lengthy conversation, always ask, “Is this a good time for you to talk.” If it isn’t a good time for them, you haven’t lost anything, because they wouldn’t have been tuned in to what you wanted to discuss anyway. If it is a good time to talk, you’ve shown sensitivity and established some positive report from the start.
Remember, not wasting other people’s time is an important part of redeeming the time.
Rick Grubbs is best known as the host of “Redeeming the Time,” a one-minute radio program featured on hundreds of radio outlets around the world. He has spoken thousands of times on Biblical time management in all 50 states and 26 other countries. He is the author of the book “Morning Momentum: God’s plan for launching an unstoppable day”. He and his wife Carrie live in Salisbury NC with several of their 12 children.