[: 00:04

Thibodeaux

Welcome, listeners, to Faithful on the Clock, the podcast for Christian professionals where all the ants build hills in the sidewalk cracks to get your faith and work aligned. How many of you out there have struggled with time? Maybe you’re one of those people who look at your calendar and just see this overwhelming, huge wall you don’t know what to do with, or maybe you don’t know if you’re really using the time you’ve got in a way that’s gonna glorify God. If you’ve tried time management and still feel stuck, my guest, Lissa Figgins is gonna give you a truly refreshing way to see the clock. Grab a coffee and something to take notes with, because you’ll want to make the most of every minute.

[: 00:51

Thibodeaux

Hello, everybody. We are here for another episode of Faithful on the Clock. And joining me today is time-scaling strategist Lissa Figgins. Lissa calls herself a recovering busyness owner, and she is our guest today because she has unhurried her heart, finally letting go of her addiction to controlling time, multitasking and always doing. Her mission is helping Christian women business owners make time their most valuable business asset. Instead of managing time, she teaches how to multiply time as stewards of the 24 hours God entrusts us each day so that time is no longer her biggest obstacle, but her greatest opportunity. Lissa loves walking and talking, traveling and planning, reading and leading, plus lots of dark coffee and dark chocolate. But most importantly, she speaks the truth. You have time. So, Alyssa, welcome to the show.

[Figgins]

Thank you, Wanda. I mean, I just I — love everything about this show and the title of it: Faithful on the Clock. Because how many of us feel like, I'm on the clock, right? And so, that kind of creates this sense of urgency, and this, like, I feel like I'm behind because I'm trying to catch up with, you know, the ticking of the clock, and yet, like you're talking about here, like, we're called to be faithful with the time that God has given us. And yeah, I could talk — I can't wait to have this conversation.

[Thibodeaux]

Well, good. And I will say, you know, John 9:4 has been kind of a guiding verse for my show. And you know where that says, you know, night is coming. You know, we are not going to have the time always to work for God. That has a deadline. So, you know, I — and I just posted a post about this, but instead of paying so much attention to our work deadlines, those do matter, but serving Him that is the most important thing. That is the deadline that we really have to pay attention to. So, as a time strategist, I'm thrilled to have you on the show so that we can be a little bit more prudent and faithful in that. So, thank you again for being on the show.

[Figgins]

Of course.

[Thibodeaux]

Alright. So, you know, we just heard all of that wonderful stuff in your bio, but let's just learn a little bit of — a little bit more about you. So, your business is called Redeem Her Time. So, tell us a little bit how that business got started. How did that all launch?

[Figgins]

Yeah, well, if you're familiar with Scripture, you might already be thinking, I know there's a verse somewhere about that, and you're right. Ephesians 5, 15 through 16 says, “Look carefully how you live, not as unwise, but as wise.” Like, we have a choice how to, you know, like, steward this time, redeeming the time, or, some versions say, making the best use of the opportunity. Because time is our opportunity, as we said earlier, because these are difficult days, right? Or some versions, because the days are evil. Like, hello, the devil would love to keep us busy and distracted. We're of no threat to him and no use to the kingdom. So, that was me. I was the poster child for busy. And yet, I thought I had time management all figured out, right? Like, ever since grade school, I've had a planner, and I've had my checklist, and I've even written things on my list that I already did, just so I could check it off and feel good about, you know, I don't know if anybody else is out there.

[Thibodeaux]

I have to raise my hand and confess —

[Figgins]

OK! Good, good, good!

[Thibodeux]

— I relate.

[Figgins]

Yeah, I've always had a planner. I've always had a plan. I don't, you know, typically ever go into a day that I could even remember where I didn't know what needed to be done, and, you know, all of that. And yet, I was never done, right? Hence, always doing. And I didn't know who I was when I wasn't doing. You know? And so I think for — for me, a lot of it, the busyness kept me from having to be present to some of the deeper questions. But maybe I was a little bit uncomfortable with. And so, I just, yeah, I was a doer. I was, you know, people would always be like, “Oh my gosh, you're so busy!” And of course, we wear that like a badge of honor, like it's a good thing. And finally, I — well, actually, God finally got my attention through a diagnosis. I had this feeling of a ball in my throat, which, of course, I ignored for over a year, because who has time. And finally, I was like, I should get this checked out, because I had had a cancer scare in that area. Ended up not being cancer, but something was growing there at one time. So, I was like, “Ooo, maybe something's back.” Went and saw a specialist. They did all kinds of tests. He sat me down. He's like, “Lissa, good news. There's nothing in — growing in your throat.” He said, “But the reason that you feel like there's something there is because you have what's called hystericus globus. And he just kind of sat there with the smirk on his face. And I was like, “What is that?” He said, “Globus, like, globe, a ball. You had the sensation of a ball.” And he said, “Hystericus.” And he starts swirling his finger next to his head. He's like, “This is where they got the word hysterectomy from. They thought women were going crazy. Like, it's all in your head. I'm happy to give you a pill. You know, you just have anxiety around your time and everything you're trying to cram into it.”

[Thibodeaux]

Okay.

[Figgins]

And, you know, he was telling me it was all in my head. But as I walked on there that day, I knew it was really in my heart. Right? Like, I was always finding my worthiness in my doing, and I was always chasing my not enoughness. My time wasn't enough. My doing wasn't enough. I wasn't enough. Right? And God finally, was like, “Are you — are you ready to listen?” And shortly thereafter, I — a book showed up on my porch. Found out later it was from my dad, and it was called The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. And it was that book that really got my attention and said — it said that your busyness is not a disordered calendar, it's a disordered heart. And I was like, “Oh!” And so it just really started shifting my perspective on my time and how I was filling it, and what God had called me to do. And these were good things I was busy with. I mean, I was running ministries. I was taking care of my family. I was, you know, like, my husband would deploy because he was in the military. I mean, all good things. Right? Running a business. Right? But, yeah. But it was just a lot of Lissa doing and chasing after not enoughness and not really trusting the Lord with my time. And so, yeah, I wish I could say everything changed that minute I walked out of his, you know, his office. It didn't, but it changed in that moment when I started realizing, like, time is this thing I can't control, and yet I'm called to — to be faithful, as you would say, right, with it. And what does that look like? How should we as believers approach time? Because I think it should look different than the way the rest of the world approaches time that doesn't know the Lord.

[7:07]

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah, for sure. And I mean, you know, when you were talking, the thing that kept coming through my head is that, and I've said it in different places before, this busyness and this feeling of obligation that we can't stop, that I have had to learn the hard way myself, that that can creep in, even in our best intentions, even when we're working at the church, even when we think we're doing the right thing, sometimes we have to prioritize and really think about where we need to contribute for God, because we can't do it all? Right? And I — it sounds to me, from what you're saying, that that's a lot of what you kind of discovered is that, you know, you had to start getting picky about where you put your time.

[Figgins]

Well, and even just that one word you just said. I don’t know if you noticed it. You said, “All the things I'm doing for God.” There's a difference between doing things for God and doing things for God and doing things with God. Right? He didn't call us to do things for Him. He invited us into this relationship with Him. And therein is the difference, right, that I think we can, you know — and this is why I talk with my clients all the time. I think God doesn't, like, lay out the whole plan. Yes, he knows all of our days before one of them came to be. And yet He doesn't say, “Here, Wanda, here's what they all hold.” Because he knows one of two things would happen. Either you run away in fear because you're like, “No way, no how,” or you would be like, “Okay, God, I got this great. See ya!” You know, like, there's this dependence, there's this every day — and I look at our time like manna in front of the children of Israel. Every single day, they had to trust that God was going to give them what they needed that day. And we go around complaining that our time is not enough. Right? And I wish I had, you know, another hour in the day, or, you know, I never have enough time, or whatever. Like, we are saying that our, you know, Creator doesn't know what we need, and we're not trusting Him to, you know, He's never just a barely enough God. He's always, like, exceedingly abundantly beyond what you could ask or imagine. Like, you know. So, it really is this trust, you know, thing of like, do I trust that 24 hours is not only enough, it's more than enough for what He's called me to.

[: 09:10

[Thibodeaux]

So, you just gave us two really good listen — or, reasons to pay attention and listen. But why do you — if you had to really summarize this, why do you say busyness is the enemy's number one distraction tactic for Christian women business owners?

[Figgins]

s going on. You know, in John: 10:10

[Thibodeaux]

Ouch.

[Figgins]

And here's what's interesting, because you're talking to people who are, you know, who are working in different settings and things like that. 52% of the times that people are on their phone is during business hours. And then we wonder why our work isn't getting done or not getting done well, or why it's taking longer than we think. Or, you know, like, why am I so easily distracted? Squirrel! Hello! Right? Like, I think — again, I'm not saying everything on here is evil. There are amazing things that I can do, you know, to pray for, reach out, to encourage people with, you know, with this device, and yet, it can also become a huge dysfunction.

[: 11:57

[Thibodeaux]

Sure. Well, I want to go back to something that you had said, because, you know, you're talking about having time, but that also connects to the ability to connect to people to do all the tasks that we have to do. And you're talking about this woman coming in, she, you know, she kind of had looked — that look on her face. And I kind of feel like busyness can become this mask that we wear, that that's the default response: “Oh, how are you?” “Oh, I'm busy.”

[Figgins]

Sure.

[Thibodeaux]

And then we never learn about who that person is. We never — it's like a superficiality that we can't get past.

[Figgins]

Yes.

[Thibodeaux]

And if you don't know somebody, you can't work with them, right? You can't get past that. So, I think that does tie to that — that choice that we have to put down the phone and get to know people rather than the device. Does that make sense?

[Figgins]

Well, speaking of phones and people, I think you probably are from a generation like me. We remember the phone that, like, was on the wall, not always in our pocket.

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah, I'll admit it.

[Figgins]

I think — right? Like, if I were to call you, Wanda, and you were already on the phone, what — you would hear a busy signal. Right? And what that meant, I mean, you could make it mean something, you know, like, “Oh, she doesn't care.” But really it just is like, I'm not available, right, right now. And yet I think about, like, yeah, when — when people say, “Oh, my goodness, you're so busy!”, does that mean that I'm, like, making it feel like I'm not available to them, you know, like they don't matter, like, you know? So, it's just kind of, again, what is that communicating to other people? Because you're right. It keeps people at arm's distance, you know, in many ways, you know. And it also, you know, keeps us isolated from other people, as well. So, kind of like, yeah, is that what I want people to say about me at the end of my life? “Lissa was busy.” No.

[Thibodeaux]

No.

[Figgins]

I want people to say, Lissa had time, and she knew what it was time for.

[: 13:38

[Thibodeaux]

So, keeping that idea of connection in mind and really working, you know, for the right things, why do you say time management is not the solution, but actually the problem?

[Figgins]

Yeah. Well, here's the thing. So, I used to be an English teacher, and so, I love definitions. The definition of manage literally means to keep contained or under control. Right? And this is fear response. I'm trying to keep time from getting away. Right? I have this very — again, this is why I had this vice grip on my time. Right? Because I wanted to be so good with it that — like, you know, when you're managing something, it is this constant game of Whack-a-Mole all day long. Watch a manager at a fast food restaurant they're running around, behind. You know, they're trying to keep all — everybody in line, and, you know, things are popping up all the time. And I feel like that is oftentimes what our day is like. It is literally Whack-a-Mole all day long, trying to, you know, get everything lined up. And everything looks pretty at the beginning of the day. You've got your time blocks, you've got your to-do list, you've got, you know, like all the things, timers set on your phone, whatever. And then life starts happening. And you feel like everything's just, you know, and, you know, again, it's focused on maintaining things. There's no growth in that. And I — I — I often go to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. What did that one servant do who got the one talent? He went and buried it. He kept it under control out of fear response of it getting away. He managed it. It didn't get away. But what was the Master's response when he got back? “You wicked and lazy servant. Like, that wasn't why I gave it to you.” And then look at the other two. Right? Like, they understood that it didn't belong to them, number one, and that their role was not just to keep it contained. It was to actually expand it. And that's what stewarding is, right? And so here's where the difference, I think, is, you know, in how we approach time, especially as believers. We are not here to manage anything, just keep it contained or under control, keep it from getting away. Right? We're here to steward it, to invest it with expectation of return on behalf of the purposes of the owner. Right? And so here's where, yes, we talked about in the beginning, those 24 hours entrusted to me are not just for me to fritter away. Right? But like, how am I being intentional with how I invest them in the work I do, in my family, in my faith walk, in my health, in, you know, the way that I store my money and things like that. Right? And we want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Right? Like, “You understood the purpose behind why I gave you these things.” And I think time is like that number one resource that — you know, we pay attention to the money, where it's going, a lot more than we do our time. You know, we know our balance on our accounts, on our money, but we don't always pay attention to, “Oh, yeah. Look at where my time is going.”

[: 16:11

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. So you have in your business, I know we hear ROI all the time, right? But you have kind of adapted this to roti, R, O T, I. So, can you kind of expand on that concept just a little bit?

[Figgins]

Yeah. So, ROI, yes, everybody's familiar with that return on investment. Right? If you are going to — say, Wanda, you're a financial investor. Right? And I bring you $100. I am asking you to invest it on my behalf, to bring me a return. Now, I'm not expecting a crazy return overnight, because then you probably had insider secrets and we're going to jail. But over time, both you as the financial investor and me as the person that was, you know, had the money, we're going to be looking at the ROI. We're going to be looking at the return on investment, and then we will make some strategic decisions. Do we keep our money here, or do we move it somewhere else. Right? But again, this, like, time and money, like, we don't often look at time as also just as valuable of an asset. Right? Am I paying attention to not just where my time is going, but what's the return on that? Right? And here's where we get to a difference between wasting time, which no one would ever just throw money out the window, but we throw time out the window all day long, just spending time where, okay, yeah, like, maybe, you know, again, with spending money, you may get a cute pair of shoes, you may get a coffee, but it's not like anything that's really making a difference long term. Right? Versus investing time where, like, I am putting this into something, and it is — it is bringing back a return. And not just, I mean, there is the tangible. Right. Like, so, whether it's impact or income and things like that, but also the kingdom impact. Right? And so, I teach something called the ROTI method, where we're not just looking at where our time is going, but what's the return on it. Because again, we want to be like those servants who were investing it, so that when the Master returned, they're like, yeah. And back to your point of, like, that — that timeline, that one guy who went and buried his time, it's almost like he was acting like the Master wasn't coming back.

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah.

[Figgins]

It was just all about the here and now, right, and how he felt. The other two, they're like, “Hey! This Master's coming back.” And I want to be able to be like, “Hey, here's what I did with what you entrusted to me.” And I think that's the perspective we need to have on our time, and that's what ROTI really helps us focus on.

[: 18:20

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. Well, I think a lot of business professionals, you know, we are forward thinking, you know, we are thinking about the goals,. But I think sometimes we get stuck in the opportunity costs. And so, you know, if we've already invested money, we maybe don't want to pull it out. But I think we can be that way with our time too, that — you know, okay, well, I'm already committed. I've already set this meeting, or, you know, set myself up to do that amount of time. So, what would you say to business women, professionals, who feel that sense of obligation and they're like, “Oh no, I can't pull that time back. I can't say no.” What would you say?

[Figgins]

Girl. Okay, first of all, yes, I love this. Right? If it was someone else's money, would you just leave it there, knowing full well that it wasn't going to be a good investment? No, you'd be like, “I'm going to need to do this.” And you know. So, number one, remembering it's not just ours. Right? And it really comes down to — two things come to my mind. Number one, I call them the four shuns. We have expectations, the things others, you know, think that we should do. We have obligations, that think — that — things that we feel like we need to do, which is the one you mentioned. We have interruptions, the things that intersect the plans that we know we should do. And then we have distractions, which is squirrel. Right? And so, yeah. In an obligation, why do I feel this obligation, and what is the ripple effect of that? You know? What even, what is the ROTI of that? Like, if I do continue to do — go through with this, what will happen down the road? Right? We — we don't want to feel uncomfortable in the moment by saying no or pulling back or changing something. And yet, if we were to play it out, wow, it could be a much harder no down the road, versus feeling a little uncomfortable now. And so that really comes down to the concept of the best yes. Right? Like, am I slowing down before I say yes to something to really evaluate, “Is this a best yes?” Because there are a lot of good guesses we can give, and there are okay yeses we can give, but every time we say yes to one thing, we are also inadvertently saying no to other things. And so, I think this is where, again, we just, we have to just pay attention to, like, is this the best yes with my time? And it's okay if you already gave a yes to something to, again, just like with the money thing. Right? If I've invested it somewhere, it's not bringing a good return, it's okay to say, “You know what? I need to make a different decision with this resource.” And yeah, there may be, you know, people may not understand the moment, but you'll be glad you did.

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah, I think a lot of it comes down to kind of, like, we get in a fight between our heart and our head. Like, we can know, you know, that maybe we should do something different. But again, that feeling of obligation, or whatever it is, kind of gets in the way.

[Figgins]

Sure. And who are we trying to please. Right?

[Thibodeaux]

Exactly.

[Figgins]

Are we trying to please people? Or we trying to please the Lord. Right? So, we have to remember that too.

[: 21:04

[Thibodeaux]

I think sometimes, you know, as we're having that fight go on inside of us, we get so stuck because we don't take the time to let the tape play to the end. We're so busy that we're just like, “Oh, I just have to go.” Right? Rather than just slowing down and pausing. Right. Which brings me to my next point.

[Figgins]

Slow down here, yes, right. Yes. Really, how to pull that together.

[Thibodeaux]

Right. So, you have this concept of pauses, so I would love for you to talk about how important those are and why we need those.

[Figgins]

Yeah. Well, if you look in Scripture, especially in the Psalms, you see this little word that you may easily skip over, but it's the word Selah, S, E, L, A, H. And what that means is, like, pause and ponder. Like, stop and think about these words that you just read, or in the Psalms, they would have probably been singing them. Right? Like, how often are we in church and we're just singing words, but we're not really thinking about them. And so I think we need these Selah times. We need these pauses to, like, just stop and be present in the moment, because, like you said, we're so busy and onto the next thing. I have been so guilty of being the person who's, like, in the room but not really in the room, if you know what I mean. Like —

[Thibodeaux]

Oh, I totally understand.

[Figgins]

Like, my body is there, but my head is either where I was coming from or where I need to go next, or what's on my checklist or to-do list or calendar or whatever. And yeah, how often are we really present to what it's time for in front of us? And so, I — you know, we need that to start our day, because if we jump into notifications and inboxes and, you know, even the news, goodness, you know, time is gonna get away. I think we need at the end of our day, because so many, like, we think binging or scrolling at the end of the day is us, like, unwinding, and really it's, again, just filling up of more of these things. And I think we need that throughout our day. You know, and one of the things I talk about with time is, you know, trusting that my 24 hours is enough. And then, like, also, like, when you look at the practice of Sabbath, here's a — here's a way to trust God with time. Do I — do I believe that 24/6 is enough, right? 24/7 feels like it's barely enough. What if I give up an entire 24 hours, or even just a few hours that day. Right? You know, and it's just this, yeah, we — you know, physically, we need those pauses. We can't keep going on empty, and we can't pour from an empty cup. And just like our phone. When it eventually runs out of battery, it will die and be of no use to anyone or anything. So, we need those pauses.

[Thibodeaux]

Well, when you talk about the pause and the Sabbath, what goes through my head is, you know, of course, the things that you do on those other six days, or however long you're going to give it, those are valuable things. But how valuable is the day you spend with God? Like, isn't that worth more than the other six days? I mean, like, you think, “Oh, I'm giving up so much time!” But with the — like, the return on that time is so huge compared to everything else. Like, it's worth the day.

[Figgins]

Well, here's what's crazy. It's like, I get more done in my other six days than I do when I'm trying to fit it into seven. And when you look at like — like, look at the whole concept of work. Right? Like, Adam and Eve's first day on the job was Sabbath rest with God. It was not work to the weekend and then I get my break. And that's oftentimes, I think we do ourselves a disservice. Like, we think, “Oh, the weekend.” And really it's what's beginning our week. Right? It's really what fills us up before we go into our week to pour out. And so, yeah, I think there's this, like, it's just this rhythm that God's created in the very beginning. If — you're not earning your rest. I'm giving you rest. I'm inviting you to enter my rest. Do you trust me with this? And do you trust me that when you enter my rest, whether it's a day a week, whether it's an hour, you know, a day, whatever that is, because it shouldn't just be Sunday, and then we live, you know, the rest of — rest by ourselves. Do you trust me that I'm going to multiply the — the rest of your time? It's like tithing. Right? Like, do you trust me that if you give me the first fruits of your money, that I will provide more than enough? Same thing with our time. Do you trust me? Right? Or do you feel like, “No, I have to use every minute because I might not have enough.”

[: 25:00

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. Well, one thing that I have heard a couple of pastors now preach on is that if you look in Genesis, and you look at the order of the creation story, it's always evening and rest first, and then you have your work for the day. So, and I think that that makes a lot of sense, that that is the model that we are supposed to live, but mostly don't. You know, we flip it, and we really shouldn't, so that — that makes a lot of sense to me what you're saying. But if we're going to take those pauses, is there anything that you really recommend that you have found helpful on a personal level, that you would recommend to some ladies out there? Or even the guys.

[Figgins]

Right. And yes. And I must say, like, yes, if there are guys listening, everything that, you know, we're talking about is biblically based, and so it applies to you, too. I just know how it is in a woman's mind, where it's not — you know, like, I think guys can kind of compartmentalize a whole lot easier. Maybe not better. But you know, like, this is my work time. This is my, you know, home time or whatever. And I think for — for us as women, we have like, a bunch of tabs open. You know, just like, think of your computer right now. How many tabs do you have open? I won't make you share, but the average person has way too many. And we wonder why we're distracted. Yeah, in our minds, we're so, right, we're so distracted. And so, I think it's really — I teach this actual concept called time anchoring. So, I again, as a time management girl, back in the day, I had time blocks. Right? But what are time blocks? They're very, like, boxy. They're very rigid. They're very task focused. And it's really just a to-do list with a time stamp. Right? And then we get — one thing gets off, and then we, you know, like, it runs into the next one, because, of course, they're stacked up. And then, you know, we feel like, “Ahh!” Right? And so, I teach this concept called time anchoring, where, like, you have these time anchor zones of your day. Right? So, there are times in your day when it is time to fill up, you know, like, in the — when you start your day, when you're end your day, for sure, and maybe, you know, you've got a one or two in the middle, you know, kind of in transition time. You have times in your day when it's time to pour out, whether it's into your family and household, or whether it's into the work that you do. And so, you know, like, here's the thing, is that a lot of women I work with, they own businesses. And it's beautiful when you own your own business, because you can work anytime. Except the problem is we end up working all the time. And I know the things — same thing to be true for people who work for an employer. Like, you may have office time, but then you're also on your laptop later doing stuff. And so it's, how do I create these time anchor zones such that I know when it's time to work, and then I have boundaries around when it's time not to so that I can refill, so that I can have time with family and friends and hobbies and, you know, and things like that. And so, I think really defining, especially since we're talking about work, like, when is it time to work and when is it not? Because that will force you to, during that work time, not be spending 52% of your time on your phone, right, checking this, or going to change, or whatever else pops in your brain, because right now it's time to work. Right? And then those things, I know I already have a time when those will get, you know, my attention. And so, it causes you to be more focused and intentional with your time. And you get way more done, and you do it a whole lot better with less mistakes. Hello. Multitasking is kryptonite. It does not —

[Thibodeaux]

Yes.

[Figgins]

— make you a super human. It actually weakens your focus. So, when you have the time — the time — that — these five time zones in your day, these two refills, these three pour outs, now you can ask the question, what is it time for? Right? And — and give your time to what that is in front of you.

[Thibodeaux]

I think it's so important that you're talking about balance in that way, because, I think especially for women, because I think especially in the United States, at least, we are the caregivers. We give so much all the time that I think that becomes our default. And I think we honestly just forget, oh yeah, we have to take in a little bit sometimes too. Otherwise we have nothing to give. And we let that get, you know, often, to the one way, far too often. So, that idea that, you know, you are building that time in to take something in, I think, is excellent, because I think that's really the thing we need to practice at. We're good at the other stuff, at giving. Right? But actually taking something in for ourself to be able to do the other work —

[Figgins]

Yeah.

[Thibodeaux]

— I think is pretty challenging.

[Figgins]

I don't know if guys struggle with this, but women tell me all the time, “I feel guilty, right, for doing that.” And yet, here's what I say, if it was a really hot day outside and I hadn't taken the time to fill my pitcher, right, whatever I have nearby, and you come up to my door with this, like, empty cup, and you're like, “I need a drink of water,” right, and I'm like, “Oh, sorry, I have nothing to give you.” Like, that's the selfish thing. I could have taken a couple of minutes or 30 seconds to fill my pitcher, and then, yes, I could pour right into your cup. Right? And so, this whole idea of we think that it's selfish to fill our cup, and yet it really does not allow us to serve in the way that we really want to.

[Thibodeaux]

Sure.

[Figgins]

So, it's just, yeah, looking at different perspective.

[: 29:49

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. So, you know, we have talked about getting balance, but I think that does create a lot of — I mean, it requires so many different shifts in a lot of different areas. So, how — how can we make that shift, really, from managing time to multiplying it?

[Figgins]

tatements. Right? Like Romans: 13:11

[Thibodeaux]

So, really, what I'm hearing, you know, as you're saying these — it brings to my mind the idea of task versus value. Because when you're thinking, “Oh, my gosh, what time is it?”, you automatically — you're — at least, my brain goes, “Oh, what's the next thing I have to do? What is the task?” versus “What am I doing it for? What do I believe in?” You know, it is a very radical shift to me, when you — but when you're focused on the values, then it's easier, I think, to connect that to God, because are my values, what I'm working for, aligned with Him. So that, to me, is a, like, a foundational step that you're offering to people to say, how do I get aligned with God? Because, I mean, like, that's what Faithful on the Clock is all about, right?

[Figgins]

Yes.

[Thibodeaux]

So, to just give them that foundation to say, if you make that one little mental shift and connect it to your values, and then connect the values to what God values, you're there.

[Figgins]

Yeah. Yeah. Right? And it's so interesting that we think, yeah, we — we think that the answer is in more time. Right? And yet, it's not. It's — it's more trusting. Right? It's more of Him. It's more of, like, paying attention to what He's called us to, rather than all the things we think we need to get done. And yeah, one day, what's really going to matter, when it comes down to, you know, your last few minutes here on Earth, right, it won't be, “Oh, shoot, I didn't get that done, that done, that done.” Right? It's gonna be about the — the relationships. It's gonna be about the time invested in people and in Kingdom work that's really going to make the biggest difference. And yet, the beautiful thing is that the word in Hebrew for work and worship is the same word. It's avoda. And I love that, because it's like, it's not like, “Okay, well, I'm working. This is my work time, and then this is my worship time.” Right? But it's this beautiful, like, “How do I interconnect the way I use my time in all areas of my life to make it about what's going to glorify Him.

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah? Well, again, that is one of the core tenets of my show, is getting that work and faith aligned. I don't want that cognitive dissonance or even feeling conflict to be there, because so often, what do we do? We go to work and we're scared to live out our faith, when really we should be able to say, “I am working every moment of my day, you know, eight hours, maybe even more than eight hours. So, shouldn't I be doing — spending that time really with God?”, as you said before, not necessarily for? I mean, it is for God, but with God, eight hours is an amazing amount of time through the day to focus on Him. So, why shouldn't we be doing that?

[Figgins]

Yeah. And what a great way for others to see the difference it makes. Right? Because you could have two people in cubicles right next to each other, and the way we approach the work we do should look vastly different. Right? If we're a believer, they should be saying, “What is it about her?” “What is it about him?” You know? Like, “Why — why do you do this or not do this?” Like, you know, I think that's how we live and live out our faith. Right? Shine like lights. Right? Shine like stars. Just so many different, yeah, examples.

[Thibodeaux]

I cannot tell you how many women I have talked to, especially who have said, as they started to show their faith in the workplace and be better stewards of that, that their coworkers started to say, “There's something different about you.” Or even the clients said, “You know, we went with this company because you were different somehow.” Like, “We felt it was different.” So, I think that does come across, whether or not you are explicitly talking about God and testifying for Him. Your manner is different. Your behavior is different when you have faith and you demonstrate that. And I think people see it. I really do.

[Figgins]

Yeah, John 15:8. “It's to my glory that you bear much fruit.” And again, remember that John 15 is all about minding. It's not Lissa and Wanda riding around in the forest by ourselves trying to make fruit come out of our heads, right? Like, it's staying connected to Him. But he says, “It's to my glory that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” People should be able to look and go, “How is she doing that?” Like, you know? It should be like that. Like, “Oh, wow. It does look different. It does stand out.” You know, and then it gives us that opportunity to give an answer, right, when someone asks.

[Thibodeaux]

Well, it does connect to it, too, because I think a lot of times, what do people do? They look at the successful people and they say, “How did you do that?”

[Figgins]

Yeah.

[Thibodeaux]

And they want to look for the steps. They want to look for the “How did you block your time? How did you — what's your process?” Right? And really, it's about the behavior. It's about the values. Like, how are you treating your time? Who are you spending it with, you know, so that you are glorifying God. That's the real difference. That's what makes it magnify to me.

[Figgins]

Yeah, can I tell you just a really quick little story from Scripture that stood out to me the other day, and I was like, “How have I missed this?”?

[Thibodeaux]

Absolutely.

[Figgins] Genesis 26 I think it's verse 12. It's this little — one little verse. Isaac is traveling. There's been a famine in the land. God tells him to go through, you know, they don't own the Promised Land yet. He doesn't have very much of a family. You know, God made His promise to Abraham, but it hasn't all happened yet. Right? And he's like, going through this land that belongs to somebody else. And God says, plant here. Like, hello, that doesn't make sense. It doesn't belong to me. Probably didn't have all the farming implements he would have if he would have been, you know, like actually living there. But this verse says that Isaac sowed in that land, the One God told him to, you know, plant in, and he reaped 100-fold in the same year. And what's so interesting is that this land belonged to the Philistines, which we all know, the Philistines would one day be the enemies of God's people. Right? And even the Philistines were jealous of what he had, because they saw how much more it was, and it was different than what they were seeing around them. So, it was like the farmer going, “How did he get that, you know, that crop when I'm right down the road and I'm, you know, like barely scraping by here?” And the Philistines actually said, “We can see that God is with you.” Like, hello. People that don't even acknowledge Him as God, right, are acknowledging the fact that the only way that Isaac could have produced that in one year, that's a huge — that's like a 10,000% increase, hundredfold, yeah, had to have been God.

[Thibodeaux]

Reminds me also of King Solomon. Like, everybody wants to be King Solomon. We're all like, oh yeah, he's a guy who had all the money, right? So, you know, it's kind of hard to separate the — the wealth part of his story. So, we look to that. But when we think about the Queen of Sheba coming to him, part of what she said was, “Your God must —” — basically, “Your God is with you. I can see it from everything that you've got. You’re prospering. That's got to be God with you.” So, I think as we start to prosper and get the things that the world values, that's actually a place to testify. How did you get it? God.

[Figgins]

Yeah, yeah. And you know what it — yes, it would be in some bank account things. Because I think that's like, you said, what we want, but it's also like, the joy. Right? Like, they're like, “Wait, how are you so joyful? How are you so thankful, even when this just happened? How are you so, you know, like, hope — you know, have hope and faith and all of those things?” It's the fruit of the Spirit, just as much, if not more than, you know, the tangible assets that, yeah, we measure.

[: 39:54

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. Well, we mentioned Genesis and King Solomon. Are there any other Scripture verses that you want to share with the audience that has really been helpful to you or you think would bring some benefit to them?

[Figgins]

Yeah. So, one — I mean, ob—ob—obviously, I mentioned Ephesians 5, which is where Redeem Her Time came from. One of the other ones that God really challenged me on — and it actually talks about sowing and reaping, as well, so I love this, I love the whole idea of the laws of the harvest — but 2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to bless you abundantly. So then at all things, at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” And then it goes on in verse 10, and says that He is the supplier and the multiplier, so that it will overflow in thanksgiving to Him. Like, when we look at Him as our supplier and our multiplier, right — again, here's where, now this — I'm not going to keep this seed stored in my barn. Right? Like, if God's given it to me, and I trust that He's the Lord of the harvest, and He's going to multiply it when I put it in the ground, I still have to do my part. Then I am going to be that faithful steward. I'm going to be the one that goes out and sows that seed, you know, in the field that He's called me to in the season that He's, you know, placed me and trust that He's going to bring the growth and He's going to multiply, right? I'm not just going to put one seed in and get one piece of fruit out. No farmer would be in business if that was the — one for one. Right? They know, “When I put seed in the ground, I get back however many times.” Right? So, yeah, just that reminder, He is our supplier and our multiplier, and it's all so that it will overflow to give Him more glory.

[Thibodeaux]

Sure. What I have been telling people lately is that we are all planted with purpose. We all have different callings. There's a difference between calling and purpose. Calling is the path to the purpose. Everybody has the same purpose, and that is to give God joy. But how we work, that's — that's our unique path. You know, and that might change over your lifetime. Maybe God calls you into a different calling, but the purpose is always the same. And He always plants you with that purpose to have joy and to give it back to Him. So, I just kind of want to share that too.

[Figgins]

I love it.

[: 41:56

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. So, I know that you have a lot of good resources to get joy — get time back. So, tell me a little bit about the resources that you use or that you would want to share.

[Figgins]

Yeah. Well, there are two. So, one of them is an on the go audio resource that you can take — especially if you're driving back and forth to work or you're walking the dogs or, you know, whatever — and that is the Productive and Profitable CEO private podcast. And when I say CEO, I'm saying a Christ-Empowered Operator, right, of what God has given you to do. And so, in there, I really debunk a lot of the time management, and say, “I'm gonna help you ditch time management, and in the process, get back five hours this week. But then we're going to actually replace that with time stewardship tools, with time scaling tools, with things that are going to show you how to not just manage time, but multiply time and multiply your impact.” So, you can find that at RedeemHerTime.com, forward slash, hours. Think five hours. Right? We're gonna get bsvk five hours this week. Who doesn't want that back in their pocket?

[Thibodeaux]

Sure.

[Figgins]

And then, yeah, I also have a planner, because I know that, like, there — we — we need something tangible. Right? Like, I don't think that putting our to-do list and our calendar on our phones or on our computers gives us the same experience with our time as actually writing it out and seeing it, you know, how it all lays out. And so, I created a planner, but it comes with a course, because it's all about, again, your perspective on your time and all of that. So, you can find that on my website, redeemhertime.com. And it's undated, so you can start anytime. It’s so easy to feel like, like, “I'm behind!” You're never behind. Right? It's your time. And today's the best day to start redeeming it.

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. And listeners, I can tell you, I have this planner that she has offered. And it is beautiful the way it lays out. And as a writer, I can tell you, I really do like writing things out by hand. So, I know that this is going to be something that I just keep going back to. So, I'm really grateful that you have put that together for people. I know it's going to be a blessing. You know, it's — it's not like the other planners that you can get at a lot of the big name stores. It's — it's different. It's got a God focus.

[Figgins]

Yeah.

[Thibodeaux]

So —

[Figgins]

It doesn’t have a bunch of lines. I [don’t] want people to feel like you gotta fill every box. Right? Fill every box. Right? Like, yeah, space to really be present with your time. So —

[Thibodeaux]

Sure. Well, I think it's structured enough, but it's open enough that you can really make it yours.

[Figgins]

Yes.

[Thibodeaux]

You know, and I — I — because nobody has the same exact schedule or demands in their life. Right? You've got to have that flexibility to make it unique to you and your life. Right? So, I appreciate that you've putting — putting that together. As we're wrapping up here, do you mind if I pray for you?

[Figgins]

Oh, that'd be amazing, awesome. Great way to spend time. Right?

[Thibodeaux]

Yeah. For sure. All right.

[: 44:29

God, I know that Lissa is doing some incredibly important work, because I don't think there's anything more valuable than time with You. That is how we get restored to really pour out, as she said to other people. And taking care of other people, being loving, that's where it all starts, is time with You, modeling the love that You have. So, I just ask you to keep blessing her and her business and her work, because she is restoring time available with You. In Jesus name, Amen.

[Lissa]

Amen.

[Thibodeaux

Alright. Well, Alyssa, I have very much appreciate — I very much appreciate the time that you have given me today, and I continue to ask God to bless your ministry. Thank you very much for being on the show.

[Figgins]

Thank you.

[Thibodeaux]

Thank you.

[: 45:24

Now was that a good use of time or what? I know what sticks with me when I talk to Lissa is how doable this shift from time management to time stewarding really feels. And so, I just want to encourage all of you out there today, as Lissa says, you have time. You absolutely can do this. Whether it’s by using her planner or other tools out there, this is within reach, especially if we support each other along the way. Next episode, because Christmas is right around the corner, I’m gonna be talking about the power of joy — but not just joy. Joy by a thousand jolts. Join me for that in two weeks. Take care, everybody, and be blessed.