Your time is like water. Water naturally flows from higher places to lower ones. In the same way, everyone has both strengths (higher places) and weaknesses (lower places). We tend to spend less time in our areas of natural talent and more in areas where we struggle. I came across this strange law of time management recently in a lecture from a gifted preacher. He explained that public speaking has always been easy for him due to an abundance of natural talent. He didn’t have to try hard, train, or prep to preach above-average sermons. So, he didn’t. Instead, this fellow found that he used more time on aspects of his life and work where he struggled. The idea resonated with me. As I thought about my areas of natural talent, I realized that I can easily rest on my talents. The thing is, I will never become great at things I’m not good at. I may improve, but the time I put into my weak areas will never raise those low points to the level of my high points of natural gifting. For some reason, it never occurred to me to devote the majority of my time doing the things I do well.
The talk I listened to on the topic of time flowing to weakness argued that it makes more sense to do what you do best, more. A good speaker can sharpen his skills and become an amazing speaker. All too often, we short-change ourselves trying to do well what we do poorly. The problem is that this natural tendency to devote time to weakness happens because we don’t think about it. Areas of lesser giftedness are frustrating and can feel like areas of crisis. Crisis, or the looming threat of crisis, demands we take care of the problem immediately. The urgent can become a tyrant that suppresses our excellence. The urgent keeps us from improving. It keeps us running to try to keep things working. Most of all, it keeps us from thinking. For me, this arises in areas of organization. I am not great with details and schedules. This means that sometimes things pop up that I forget are coming up. Then I am in crisis and need to run to make up for my lack of talent. I also spend a lot of time and energy trying to be more organized, with very little benefit.
Overcoming the tendency of time to run to our low spots and for our weaknesses to become urgent issues is not easy. It requires that we plan our time intentionally, contrary to the natural flow. We must identify strengths and devote time and energy to doing what we do well and improving in those areas. In addition, we must learn to delegate or outsource our weaknesses to those who do it well. It only happens if we plan for it and do it intentionally. Excellence doesn’t happen by accident. It comes about by sharpening our strengths and growing.
