Leaders who are consistently late are viewed as weaker and less effective. So being on time should be the standard for every renegade pastor. But we would encourage you to take it a step further and make it your practice to be ten minutes early everywhere you go.

Adopting this habit is surprisingly easy. With some simple changes to your behavior and attitude, you can become someone who is consistently early. Here are four practical tips to help you get started:

1. Change your thinking. From now on, on time is late and ten minutes early is on time. It’s a subtle mental shift that will change the way you approach your schedule.
2. Allow extra time for travel. Expect delays and plan accordingly.
3. Be realistic about how much time you need to prepare. Many of us think we can get ready for an appointment more quickly than we actually can. Be a realist when you plan.
4. Avoid back-to-back meetings, if possible. The second of two consecutive meetings often gets short-changed because the first one ran long. If you must schedule back-to-back, do all you can to wrap up the initial meeting a little early.

For many, being late is a habit. Some even consider it a badge of honor–proof of how busy or important they are. Renegade pastors don’t fall into this trap. They demonstrate their mastery of time by making it a point to arrive ten minutes early for everything.

– Nelson Searcy and Richard Jarman

The above excerpt is from pgs. 55-56 of The Renegade Pastor’s Guide to Time Management. 

Time is your most important God-given resource no matter how hard you work, you can’t make a day last longer than twenty-four hours. By mastering a set of proven time-management principles, you can regain control of your life. It is possible to manage your time so that you can stay on top of the never-ending demands of being a pastor, nurture your congregation, spend quality time with your family, and take care of your physical and emotional needs. Become the pastor God has called you to be.

P.S. – Click here to grab your copy from Amazon today!

Your partner in ministry,

Nelson

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.