He was once a workaholic with bleeding ulcers, a failed marriage, and a failing business. But at 70, Canadian author and speaker Harold Taylor is a living example of what can happen when we put God’s priorities first in our lives.

An international expert in time management, Harold is a member of the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers’ Hall of Fame, 1999 recipient of the Founder’s Award from the National Association of Professional Organizers and 2001 recipient of the Founder’s Award from the Professional Organizers in Canada—an award named after him.

The founder and president of Harold Taylor Time Consultants Inc. has been writing, speaking and conducting training programs on the topic of effective time management for over 25 years. His 15 books include a Canadian bestseller, Making Time Work For You; his monthly Time Management Report has gone out for 22 years; he has had more than 300 articles published; and he has developed more than 50 time management products that have sold in 38 countries.

Harold, who was born in Timmins, Ontario and today lives in Markham, was always attracted to writing. Growing up, he even wrote poetry, something he hid from everyone except his encouraging mother. “Boys simply didn’t write poetry, I thought, unless they were sissies,” he says. While still in high school, he was published in magazines such as Maclean’s, Saturday Evening Post and Reader’s Digest. He also earned about $100 per month selling ideas to greeting card companies such as Hallmark.

Harold wanted to study journalism, but was advised to find a better-paying vocation. Without clear goals, he enrolled in a research technology program at Ryerson and after graduation became a quality control foreman. He moved on to quality control supervisor and plant manager before being hired to teach manufacturing operations at Humber College.

Still restless, he started Harold Taylor Enterprises, an association management company. At the same time, he married a divorced woman with four children and she became a partner in his new company.

But after five years of marriage and juggling two demanding jobs, Harold’s marriage broke up and he was left with a two-year-old son, a failing business and bleeding ulcers.

Recognizing he had become an out-of-control workaholic, Harold quit teaching at Humber College and focused on his business and on working smarter. Before long he was giving workshops on time management.

During this time, he met and married Marlene, the mother of two sons, Sean and Craig. A short time later, 12-year-old Craig accepted Christ through a friend from Sunday school. Soon after, because of Craig’s influence, Harold and Marlene also became Christians—Harold through the husband of a couple who worked with the Navigators and Marlene through 100 Huntley Street.

“The moment I invited Christ into my life,” Harold says, “He took over. I immediately started sharing my story in the over 100 workshops and speeches I was giving each year. I was careful not to preach; but every secular seminar ended with the same presentation—a circle of priorities with God in the centre.”

Harold began a new company, Harold Taylor Time Consultants Inc., and dedicated it to God. He began tithing both his money and his time, becoming active in his local church and giving free outreach seminars for churches. “The more time I devoted to God,” he says, “the more He gave back to me.”

He also began writing books and articles. He felt that by helping people use their time wisely, he was freeing them to do what God wanted them to do.

Today, Harold is busy converting his workshops to self-study programs, finishing his 16th book, 2001 Time Tips, and starting The Time Manager’s Desk Reference, a compilation of everything he has learned over the years.

Harold’s advice to other entrepreneurs is to “focus on one thing. You cannot be an expert in everything.” While most of his workshops, books and articles ultimately say the same thing, they will “impact different people at different times. I cannot communicate to everyone at once, but hopefully I can reach a few more people each time.”

Looking back on his life, Harold says, “I believe God has taken all my mistakes and used them for good (Romans 8:28).” By pointing to the difference God made in his own life, Harold has been able to help many others find direction and purpose.

Visit Harold Taylor’s website at www.taylorintime.com

N. J. Lindquist is the executive director of The Word Guild (www.thewordguild.com). Her mystery, Shaded Light, was released last fall.

Published in ChristianWeek April 29, 2005 Volume 19 Number 03