“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” — Psalm 90:12
Lesson
What You Will Learn
- Define excellence without perfectionism
- Prioritize tasks using urgency and importance
- Plan a workday and week
- Reduce distractions and manage interruptions
Lesson Notes
Excellence, Not Perfectionism
Excellence is doing your best work with care and skill. Perfectionism is fear-driven and often leads to procrastination. God calls us to excellence as an offering, not to anxiety about being flawless.
Urgent and Important
Sort tasks into four boxes: urgent and important (do now), important not urgent (schedule), urgent not important (handle quickly or delegate), neither (drop). Front-office work is full of urgent interruptions; important tasks need protected time.
Planning Your Day
Start each day with a short list: the top three priorities. Group similar tasks (return calls together). End each day by reviewing and preparing tomorrow's list.
Interruptions
Interruptions are part of front-office work. Keep a running notepad so you can return to tasks. Use polite phrases: I can help you in about ten minutes once I finish this. Keep personal phone use to breaks.
Key Terms
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Excellence | High-quality work done with care |
| Perfectionism | Fear-driven demand for flawlessness |
| Priority matrix | Sorting tasks by urgency and importance |
In-Class Activities
Sort the Tasks
Place the 12 office tasks into the four urgent/important boxes.
Plan the Day
Using the tasks, write a realistic plan for an 8-hour front-office day with breaks, focused work time, and room for interruptions.
Assignment: Personal Time Audit
Track how you spend your time for three days.
- Categorize it: work or program, rest, relationships, faith, distraction.
- Write three changes you will make to steward time better.
Graded with the Module Assignment Rubric.
Reflection Journal
Psalm 90:12 asks God to teach us to number our days. Lost years can make time feel precious. How do you want to spend the days ahead?
Prayer focus: Ask God to teach you to use your days wisely.
Weekly Reading & Devotions
Excellence Without Fear
Some women approach work with perfectionism: fear of making any mistake, fear of being judged, fear of confirming what others said about them. Perfectionism often leads to procrastination and anxiety.
Excellence is different. It is doing your best with care and skill, as an offering, not as a performance. Mistakes happen; excellence learns from them and keeps going.
Time is one of the most precious things we steward. Psalm 90:12 prays, teach us to number our days. After years that may have felt lost, the days ahead are a gift. Planning, prioritizing, and protecting time for what matters most are ways of honoring that gift.
Start each day with your top three priorities. Protect time for important work, not only urgent interruptions. And build in rest, because a rested worker is a better worker.
Think About It
- Do you lean toward perfectionism or procrastination? ______________________
- How do you want to spend the days ahead? ______________________
- What are your top three priorities this week? ______________________
Daily Devotions for Week 5
Number Our Days
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.— Psalm 90:12 (KJV)
Every day is a gift. Wisdom uses it well.
Reflect: How do you want to use today?
Pray: Lord, teach me to number my days.
Do: Write your top three priorities.
Redeeming the Time
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time.— Ephesians 5:15–16 (KJV)
Walking wisely includes using time on purpose.
Reflect: Where does your time slip away?
Pray: Lord, help me redeem the time.
Do: Replace one time-waster with something meaningful.
Excellent Spirit
Because an excellent spirit was in him.— Daniel 6:3 (KJV)
Daniel was known for an excellent spirit, not perfectionism, but faithful quality.
Reflect: What does an excellent spirit look like?
Pray: Lord, give me an excellent spirit.
Do: Do one task with excellence.
Cast Your Cares
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.— 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
Perfectionism carries fear; God invites us to cast our cares on Him.
Reflect: What fear drives your work?
Pray: Lord, I give You my fear of failing.
Do: Let go of one thing you can't control.
Lost Years Restored
And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten.— Joel 2:25 (KJV)
God can restore what time was lost.
Reflect: What years do you want God to redeem?
Pray: Lord, restore the years.
Do: Plan one goal for the coming year.
Module Quiz
- 1.
A task that is important but not urgent should be:
- 2.
Perfectionism is usually driven by:
- 3.
A good start to each workday is:
- 4.
Interruptions are a normal part of front-office work.
- 5.
Give a polite phrase to manage an interruption.