I love the concept behind the Slow-Brand of single-hand, twenty-four hour watches. Designed to measure the progress of a single day; the slow watch has only one hand that rotates once every 24 hours. It actually moves at half the speed of a normal watch but allows you to see the progress of your entire day at a glance.

In our busy lifestyles, it’s easy to forget that we have a choice in how we live. I often need to be reminded that “Fast and Furious” is a movie franchise, not a lifestyle choice.

I think the message behind the slow brand of watches is brilliant. A unique watch can serve as a subtle reminder to enjoy every moment and stop chasing every minute. But in case you can’t afford to buy a new watch. Here are a few tips I’ve learned about maximizing my time.

Don’t lie to yourself about making more time. We often say crap like, “Tomorrow, I’m going to make more time for that.” Making time is a myth we believe to make us feel better about what we didn’t get to experience today. You can’t make time. Telling yourself you can is a lie.

Expose the myth of saving time. Let me ask you, “Have your modern time-saving devices made you more or less busy?” I love technology, especially when it increases efficiency. But saving time is a myth. I’ve never found a way to take “saved moments” and store them up for use later. Rather, technology simply increases the volume of tasks I can effectively manage. I continue to increase my productivity through technology, but I’ve stopped believing the myth that doing so somehow saves me time.

Admit that everything takes time. Your job takes time from your family. Your kids take time from your spouse. Your hobby takes time from other interests. It’s no fun, but it is wise to embrace the reality of our limited resource of time. Psalm 90 records the prayer of Moses, a great Old Testament leader, who asked God  to “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Moses was a great leader because he knew the value of time.

Decide what is worth your time. Time unintentionally invested is most likely wasted. We would never throw away money. We would never throw away a vital relationship. We would never throw away a valuable asset, yet we consistently waste time. Why are we so reckless with our time? It’s simple, there’s a lot competing for our time. Like no one before us, we have choices about how to spend our time. Chances are you didn’t plan to take the time to read this article. But I caught your attention on Twitter or Facebook and took some of your time. So what are you to do?

Take back your time. Since you can’t make time, and you’ve already acknowledged that saving time is a myth, your only real choice is to take back your time. Did you hear that? Your only real choice is to take back your time. If you consistently find yourself running out of time, you need to take control of your time. Refocus your priorities; decide what is worth your time. Then take time from what matters least and give it to what matters most.

I think the message behind the slow brand of watches is brilliant. A unique watch can serve as a subtle reminder to enjoy every moment and stop chasing every minute. But in case you can’t afford to buy a new watch. Here are a few tips I’ve learned about maximizing my time.

Don’t lie to yourself about making more time. We often say crap like, “Tomorrow, I’m going to make more time for that.” Making time is a myth we believe to make us feel better about what we didn’t get to experience today. You can’t make time. Telling yourself you can is a lie.

Expose the myth of saving time. Let me ask you, “Have your modern time-saving devices made you more or less busy?” I love technology, especially when it increases efficiency. But saving time is a myth. I’ve never found a way to take “saved moments” and store them up for use later. Rather, technology simply increases the volume of tasks I can effectively manage. I continue to increase my productivity through technology, but I’ve stopped believing the myth that doing so somehow saves me time.

Admit that everything takes time. Your job takes time from your family. Your kids take time from your spouse. Your hobby takes time from other interests. It’s no fun, but it is wise to embrace the reality of our limited resource of time. Psalm 90 records the prayer of Moses, a great Old Testament leader, who asked God  to “Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” Moses was a great leader because he knew the value of time.

Decide what is worth your time. Time unintentionally invested is most likely wasted. We would never throw away money. We would never throw away a vital relationship. We would never throw away a valuable asset, yet we consistently waste time. Why are we so reckless with our time? It’s simple, there’s a lot competing for our time. Like no one before us, we have choices about how to spend our time. Chances are you didn’t plan to take the time to read this article. But I caught your attention on Twitter or Facebook and took some of your time. So what are you to do?

Take back your time. Since you can’t make time, and you’ve already acknowledged that saving time is a myth, your only real choice is to take back your time. Did you hear that? Your only real choice is to take back your time. If you consistently find yourself running out of time, you need to take control of your time. Refocus your priorities; decide what is worth your time. Then take time from what matters least and give it to what matters most.

Every high-impact leader understands that saying yes requires saying no. This is most true in the arena of time. So let me encourage you to take back your time. Determine right now to take back your time; take it from what matters least and give it to what matters most. It won’t be easy, but it will be worth it.

Go ahead. I’m cheering for you!

If you’re struggling with prioritizing your time, check out my post on “The 3 Most Important Questions when Prioritizing Your Day.”