For years I struggled with managing my time effectively. One tool I learned that dramatically increased my effectiveness is the “imaginary deadline.”

If I’ve got a project without a deadline, it’s easy to procrastinate or work halfheartedly. When an assignment has a hard deadline, I start faster, work smarter and focus better.

• Instead of thinking, I need to have my sermon finished before I preach this weekend, I have a Wednesday-at-noon deadline. It’s not anyone else’s deadline. It’s mine.
• Rather than saying this video needs to be finished by next week, I complete all videos by Wednesday at 2 pm. Again, this is my deadline.
• Instead of deciding to read my Bible plan some time during the day, I have mine read before I leave my house.

These are all imaginary deadlines. But when I treat them as real, my productivity and efficiency increase.

I’d love to hear from you if you do something similar.

-from Craig Groeschel

Want to hear more about time management and priorities? Click here for a transcript of my sermon: Stress, Time, and Priorities.

“In the Kingdom of God, service is not a stepping-stone to nobility: it is nobility, the only kind of nobility that is recognized.”  ~ T.W. Manson

Here are 16 simple ideas about how to serve others on your campus. Maybe these will spark better ideas. Maybe you’ll just use one of these. Doesn’t matter how you go about it as much as actually doing it.

Here’s the list:

1. Hold or Get the Door for Someone. Go out of your way to be helpful.

2.Buy someone lunch. People need and love food. Be like Jesus: provide lunch.

3.Invite someone over for dinner. Eat with someone and build relationships. Simple.

4.Help someone achieve a goal. Helping someone do what they want is huge. They will always be thankful.

5.Write/share an article that helps people. Study habits, sports tips, social how-to’s–anything helpful will be appreciated.

6.Teach something specific that you know about. You know stuff other people don’t know. Share the wealth.

7.Listen intently in conversation. No one cares what you think; they care about what they think. Listen first. It’s in the Bible.

8.Pick up loose garbage. Your school shouldn’t look like a third world country. Serving doesn’t get simpler than being a trash collector.

9.Be a mentor to someone. Being a mentor isn’t as complicated as you think. You have something to give to at-risk or younger students: your time.

10.Ask a leader how you can help them lead.

11.Compliment someone. Don’t make things up. That’s called flattery. A sincere compliment is saying what you really think in an uplifting way. This one has an added benefit: people will love you for it.

12.Help to organize a charity event. A fun run with the track team, a golf event with the golf team, a talent show with the drama club. Help people use their gifts for charity. You will help them do good and raise money for a good cause. Two birds. One Stone.

13.Encourage people. This is like the compliment one, but is more like trying to find the positives more than just commenting on the obvious ones.

14.Give books you’ve read away. Finished with a good book? Give it away. Simple.

15.Be a friend to those who don’t seem to deserve it. There are people at your University/College who act like jerks. Everyone knows it. Maybe they are hurting, or maybe they have no good excuse. Either way, you can demonstrate unconditional love.

16.Promote someone else’s idea. Serving isn’t about you, it’s about others. Instead of implementing your idea, help someone else from the sidelines. No one needs to know except God. He always knows.

If these ideas don’t seem glamorous, remember this quote:

“In the Kingdom of God, service is not a stepping-stone to nobility: it is nobility, the only kind of nobility that is recognized.”  ~ T.W. Manson

Adapted from Youth Alive

You’ll be able to download sermons, get updates on our latest events, read blog postings and devotionals, and some creative ideas yet undisclosed.

Potential Sunago App logos. Feel free to comment on your fav.

Major respect to Bill Xiong and Greg Richardson for working on this project.