Each year the Character Council solicits applications for an annual scholarship. Students often write about determination, hard work, and patience.  For the first time, one of the applicants wrote about availability, stating:

“Availability means being able to be present whenever goals need to be obtained. By being present, I help my family, church, work, and extracurricular activities whenever they need me. Being available emotionally is also as important as being available physically.  Being available to hear and discuss problems can be the difference between resolving the problem and the problem carrying on for much longer. As a leader and a person of character, I must be loyal to the people I lead and serve by being available when they most need it.  Availability and loyalty are both needed to be an effective leader.”  (Tara Mason, 2021 Owasso Character Council Scholarship Applicant)

TOO OFTEN…. we battle over saying YES or NO when we are asked to be available. Some always say yes; others can’t say anything but no.  As I researched the character trait of availability, it literally came down to these two personalities. Some have an addiction to saying yes and cannot discern when to NOT be available. In 1979, author Nyla Jane Whitmore shared that she “was eyebrow deep in church responsibilities and loved every minute of it but had to solve the Gordian Knot of chronic over-commitment.”  She took that as an opportunity to write a short book, I Was An Overcommitted Christian.

Our conflict, usually, is discerning when, where, how, and why to be available. For years while parenting in the 1990s, I had a list beside my phone to help me decide my AVAILABILITY. Imagine my surprise when I pulled it out and saw Nyla Jane Whitmore as the author. I’ve included Ms. Whitmore’s list so you can use it to decide YOUR availability:

STOP SAYING NO when you should be available.

STOP SAYING YES when you are already over committed.

I CAN SAY YES TO OTHERS ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT BECAUSE …

• I have prayed about it!
• My family’s need are not being overlooked, I’ve tried to meet those needs first.
• I have the support of my family and friends.
• I feel a true sense of joy in knowing that I am serving where God is calling me.
• I have a realistic assessment of my skills.
• I’m not trying to prove anything to others (hang-ups from the past are not forcing me to be a super-achiever or to receive recognition).
• I am not afraid to get involved in activities that will teach me something new.
• I’ am not involving myself in this project only because I am obligated to the person who asked me.
• I have a realistic sense of self-worth. I am willing to help others learn to do what I do well; I’m not assuming that I am the only one who can do this.
• I am taking care of myself physically. I know when to rest. I will NOT prove I am a super-Christian by sacrificing sleep and health in order to keep the kingdom of God going. (Whitmore, 1979)

When leaders master time management skills, they model to their teams the discipline it takes to accomplish great things.

• What can leaders do to be more AVAILABLE to their teams when they have tremendous demands on their time?
• Managing how one’s time is used, or not used, sets the stage for the entire day, week, and even year. Actively choosing when to do what and using discipline to stick to it shows your team that you understand how important it is to accomplish your tasks and then be available for them.
• Understand your priorities.
• Plan for realistic reactive time.
• Protect your most productive time. Protect this time for really buckling down and accomplishing your tasks to be more AVAILABLE to others when they might need you.