A restaurant owner noticed a group of people greeting one another with high fives and back slaps as they chanted 12 days, 12 days! As each new member joined they again chanted 12 days 12 days. The curious owner noticed a puzzle of the cookie monster on the table and asked what the celebration was about. They replied, the box says 2-4 years but we did it in 12 days!
They may not have been the brightest bunch, but they did exemplify a good time management principle. Our nature is to underestimate how long most projects will take. We promise things we can’t perform. Then others become frustrated when we can’t deliver and we create unnecessary tension for ourselves.
It’s far better promise a later time for completing a project, and then have them pleasantly surprised when we deliver early. God warns not to make vows you don’t plan to keep. Allowing enough time to get it done will redeem 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.
