We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lissa Figgins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lissa, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I wish I could say I had this TIME thing all figured out from birth…but the TRUTH is, I found my purpose in helping Christian Women with their TIME by learning how NOT to approach time. You see, I’ve been a Time Management Girl for as long as I can remember…even from as young as grade school when I started using a Student Planner to keep track of my assignments. Even if I had already completed my tasks, I still wrote them down just for the satisfaction of crossing them off. Fast forward through being a top student in highschool, graduating from college, becoming a teacher and then a military wife, homeschooling mom, ministry leader and business owner…I just kept taking on more, so my to-do list just kept getting longer. I was always doing but still somehow was always behind.
Then one day I noticed a “ball” in my throat. I didn’t have to time do more than try chewing my food more and drinking more water, so I just ignored it, cuz who has time for that…until it had been over a year and I started to wonder if maybe there was something growing in there that was gonna cost me a LOT of time. So I went to a specialist who tried everything including putting a camera down there and came out with a diagnosis of HYSTERICUS GLOBUS. I had the feeling of a “ball” in my throat because of what was in my head…ANXIETY. Anxiety around my TIME not being enough, my DOING not being enough, ME not being enough.
I wish I could say it all changed in an instant, but it did change in that moment because God finally got my attention such that I could admit I had a BUSYNESS problem. But instead of trying to rely on the false promise of Time Management that just “getting more organized” (I already was) and “getting better at managing my time” ( I already did) was going to fix the problem, I learned that my BUSYNESS was not a disordered calendar or to-do list (hence why those tips didn’t work), it was a disordered HEART.
When I started to shift my perspective on time and my use of time, everything changed about my head, my heart, my throat and my ROTI (return on time invested.
And when I looked around and saw that BUSYNESS was the norm for a lot of Christian women in Midlife too, I knew God had called me to help them turn everything they’d ever thought (or been taught) about TIME on it’s head.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
As an UN-Time Management Strategist, my mission is to help women hear (and believe) the TRUTH, that no matter what you say (or feel)…YOU. HAVE. TIME. It’s not a limited resource that you need to chase after all day long to try to get under control, rather an abundant gift God lays in front of you each and every day to invest in what He’s called you to- family, friendships, work, business, service, wellness, passions, dwelling.
As the host of the REDEEM Her Time Podcast, I encourage + equip busy Christian women each week with biblical truth + UN-time management tools to help them REDEEM their time.
As the creator of the REDEEM Her Time Planner, I help women use a tangible tool (along with a free digital course) to think about where they are called to invest their time WITH-God.
As the coach of the C.E.O. Impact Program, I help busy Christian business owners optimize their Schedules, Systems & Strategies Coach to scale their business in less TIME for His glory.
And this year, as the host of the IT’S TIME BUSINESS CONFERENCE in Nashville, TN, I will be bringing together Christian women business owners who want to invest their time where it matters most in both Life + Biz
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, I’ve always naturally been a planner, an organizer and a strategist…which comes in really helpful when helping women with their random calendars, never-ending to-do lists and plateaued businesses.
If I could go back and give advice to my younger self while trying to juggle multiple roles & responsibilities, I’d say don’t just do things without thinking. Too often we DO because someone else says we should (aka people-pleasing), because someone else is doing it (aka comparison) or because it’s just what’s in front of us (distraction).
Before doing anything in your day, week, month, season, year, take time to pause and make 3 essential shifts-
1. Shift your BELIEF around TIME. The truth is, you do have time- an entire 24 hours each day. No wishing for more will ever change that, so start seeing it as the gift that is more than enough for what you’re called to.
2. Shift your ROLE around TIME. The world is out there trying to manage time (which means to contain or keep under control), no wonder it feels like a constant game of whack-a-mole you never win! Instead, resign from Manager and become a Steward- one to who something has been entrusted to invest to bring a return.
3. Shift your QUESTION about TIME. The question most people ask all day long is, “What time is it?” and then suddenly feel like time has gotten away from them and they have to run to catch up. Start asking the question, “What is it time for?” That question is only 1 word different, but makes all the difference because it focuses on the purpose of the time in front of you.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
Two books have been super impactful in my journey to REDEEMING TIME…
1. The RUTHLESS ELIMINATION OF HURRY by John Mark Comer. It was this book that really woke my spirit up to the fact that I had a BUSYNESS problem and that the solution did not lie in my calendar, but in my heart. I have read this book 3 times since my dad first sent it to me (thx dad for seeing what I couldn’t) and I’ll be reading it again with my CEO Clients in our Book Club this year.
2. The BIBLE. It’s amazing how much God has to say about TIME in His Word. However, I don’t use the Bible as a how-to manual to have a better life, but as a window into who God is and who I am and how I am to walk in this life in response to that. One of my favorite passages is 2 Cor 9:8 which says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” And that includes giving you TIME.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://redeemhertime.com/
- Instagram: https://redeemhertime.com/ig
- Facebook: https://redeemhertime.com/fb
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lissafiggins
- Other: The REDEEM Her Time Podcast https://redeemhertime.com/listen
The REDEEM Her Time Planner https://redeemhertime.com/planner
The REDEEM Her Time Community https://redeemhertime.com/community
Image Credits
photo credit DanielleandConan.com
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