Surviving the End of Summer Panic

I've noticed something buzzing around Hayward lately.  It seems like people are extra busy these days.

Of course, most of us are busy all the time, but as the summer is drawing to an end, a lot of folks have gone into warp drive.

Here's my theory:  I call it "The End of Summer Panic."  We scurry around like an army of ants because we know that autumn and winter are on the way.  There are three thousand jobs to be done and three weeks of good weather (maybe.)

How do we survive the "End of Summer Panic"?  Let me suggest a few helpful hints:

1.  Prioritize:

Make a list of everything you have to do, and want to do before summer's done.  Rank the items according to how important they are.  Start with the most important thing and then work down from there.  Remember, however., that "urgent" isn't always "important."

2.  Plan Ahead:

You can do more during the next six months than you could possibly imagine, but you need to plan for it.  Use the 7-P Principle:  Prayerful Prior Planning Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance.  Often our lives get overcrowded and jammed with too many responsibilities because we to plan ahead.

3.  Put Aside the Non-Essentials:

Most of us engage in activities that aren't that important.  Look back over your calender from the past week, checking it for time-wasters.  Invest in things that matter instead of spending your precious time and energy on junk.

4.  Place God in the Center:

When we make God the center of our lives, everything else falls into place.  He is the center of the universe already -- so why not allow him to be the center of your daily life and schedule planning?