Exercise time

It’s hard to do. Schedule it. If you hate it, try to make it fun. Vary what you’re doing. Tell yourself you’re just gonna do 10 minutes. Maybe that 10 minutes will turn into 30 or 60. Get going. Do something. Your physical health is important!

People time

That’s what it’s really about, right? Especially for those of us that lead in the Church. People are the number one priority. Sure, other things play a part in our leadership, but it eventually always comes down to people… they’re the ones we’re leading. In the process of managing things and papers, don’t forget about the people. Make time for them. Stay aware of their importance.

Down time

We have to unplug… trust me. It’s one thing to be ‘available’, it’s another to be ignorant of our emotional and spiritual health. Take time to unplug. Watch a movie, listen to music, watch sports, or do anything that helps you unplug from the demands of leading. For those of us that are young, taking time daily will keep us from having to take a larger amount of time later. Work hard? Yes. Take down time? Definitely.

What would you add, young leader?
originally posted here

He understood one entity can’t do that many things well, and its been said that an organization is only as strong as its weakest product.

In churches, we have so much more at stake than a bottom line.

I have certainly seen where that holds true in the church world. Too often as leaders we feel that the more things we offer, the more likely we are to catch something using such a wide variety of bait…Not so! We really need to be honest with ourselves and ask the hard questions about the real Kingdom fruit we’re seeing from any activity that has our name on it, and requires resources.

The truth is, there is no possible way for any leader or church to put enough resources in many things and make those many things effective and excellent. Find what works. Find those 3 or 4 things that fit your culture, community, and context and do them… BETTER.

Pour yourself and your church’s resources and effort into those few things that you hear God telling you to do. The results won’t be having the world’s richest company, but you’re sure to begin to see kingdom impact all around you!

Have you found this principle to work too?

originally posted here

In order for me to write this blog it took:

1) A new task management system synced to every device I own (thank you Asana).

2) A dark chocolate bunny from last Easter.

3) A new year so that I had a reason to make resolutions.

Is that embarrassing? Sure. But the important thing is that I’m writing the blog.

Motivation is a rare commodity. It’s rare because it’s coupled with a few other rare commodities: time, energy and passion. So, in order for me to stay motivated to do the most important things this year, I’ve come up with a few basic guidelines:

Only invest time in projects that will be making a difference in a year from now.

Only invest energy into projects that give you energy when you think about them.

Only invest in projects that you have a passion for.

I am hoping that my new guidelines will keep me motivated by reducing my focus to just a few important projects in my life that I am passionate about, and also willing to invest time and energy into.

Any motivational or organizational tips? I’d love to hear!

7 truths in 4 years..

1. I love writing.
I gain clarity through writing. My thoughts make better sense to me when I can extrovert them through writing. In fact, I’ve found that when my blogging frequency decreases, clarity around key ideas and issues I’m dealing with decreases as well.

My challenge to you: Find a way to communicate. Hone your craft and hone your ideas through some sort of open forum publicly.

2. Writing impacts people.
I know, I know…this isn’t revolutionary. Words are powerful. I’ve tried to become increasingly cognizant of this truth, knowing that words carry weight in incredible ways. This causes me to pause before I ever hit “publish.” I reread, re-pray, and edit more thoughtfully with the understanding that real people with real struggles in real communities can be profoundly impacted as God uses words to change hearts.

My challenge to you: Write thoughtfully. Write a lot.

3. Sometimes I get it wrong.
I never try to let “I might be wrong” keep me from writing. In the early days, I did. I was hesitant that I’d put a thought out there and completely miss the mark. And you know what? I did. Quite a few times. But I’ve learned that “I might be wrong” is never reason enough to not write.

My challenge to you: Wrestle with tough concepts. Challenge your readers. Challenge yourself. If you get something wrong, admit that you did and move on. Or delete the post and act like it never happened. Getting it wrong is better than not getting it at all.

4. Authenticity is king.
My favorite posts to write, and the ones that get the most interaction, are the ones where I share personal stories and personal details. Those are the glue that help people stick to the truth.

My challenge to you: Be the best “you” you can be. The best “you” is always better than being who you think others want you to be. God’s created you uniquely, with unique gifts, talents, and passions. We need you!

6. Evernote is my best friend.
I use it constantly. I’d be a terrible blogger without it. Seriously, this is where my ideas go initially, where they’re fleshed out, and where they find their substance.

My challenge to you: Capture every idea that crosses your mind, and find a way to store those. Having a wealth of ideas is invaluable on days when ideas are dry.

7. There are blog posts around every corner.
Sometimes blog posts have cropped up out of meetings, at Starbucks, at the golf course, or at the beach. Other times, they’ve happened at the gym, or while running. Yet others have happened while preaching. I’ve learned to constantly have my eyes open, which has made me a better observer of life.

My challenge to you: Observe life. Live in the moment. Enjoy every gift, large and small, that God gives.

originally posted here

I know it sounds obvious. You’re probably thinking, “Duh, why am I even reading this.” The truth is, though, that people everywhere are doing things that aren’t effective.

They’ve been doing them for years.

They’re still doing them.

Churches all across the country have ministries and methods that simply aren’t working.

But they haven’t killed them.

The reason?

It’s really not this simple, but it’s often because they don’t know what to do in place of it. That, or they’re afraid that someone is going to miss it and grumble a little.

If it’s not working, kill it.

That way of loving your spouse.

That way of disciplining your kids.

That way of relating to your friends.

That way of reaching your workplace or school.

That way of reaching your city as a church.

That way of serving the underprivileged.

That way of discipleing your children.

If it’s not working, kill it.

You’re wasting time, energy, resources, and credibility.

There may not be something to replace it.

There may be. Decide what needs to change, what has changed around you since it was effective, and what new thing could be done to be effective. Then, make decisive movement.

If it’s not working, give it up.

For your sake.

For your family’s sake.

For your organization's sake.

Originally posted here

Baseball, over the course of 162 games played almost everyday, requires a grind and consistency that no other sport requires. In fact, over that long season, we are given the best idea of who the best teams really are because they had to be great each day.

That’s the way life is…

• It’s not about being great and showing up just one day, but everyday.
• It’s not about the ups or downs, but the consistency in between.
• It’s not about living a disciplined life on occasion, but consistently.
• It’s not about loving other people very now and then, but consistently.

Bring it everyday!

So, sit back and enjoy the long baseball season. At the end of it, you’ll know who the best team is.

They’re the ones that brought it each day… That brought it consistently.

So, are you a baseball fan? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.

originally posted here

If you’ve never been to a Moe’s, it basically a Southwest burrito joint. You go through the line, place your order, and tell them what you want on your burrito or salad. The food is great at Moe’s, but there’s a lot more about going to Moe’s than just the food.

The way that Moe’s serves guests food is pretty cool too. The atmosphere and the employees help make a Moe’s restaurant what it really is. Last week, I went to Moe’s and wrote down these 3 life and leadership lessons that someone could learn from their local Moe’s…

1. Passion. A good life is lived passionately. Good leadership is done passionately.
Each time I go to a Moe’s, I’m met with a “Welcome to Moe’s!” at the front door. It’s a company policy to greet each guest with excitement. They are passionate about what they do.

2. Consistency. Whatever you do, do it consistently.
I don’t ever yell back at the Moe’s employees after the scream, “Welcome to Moe’s!” Even though I don’t ever respond, they continue to greet me each time. They’re consistent with their service and their food. The food always taste the same. If I order what I got last time with the same toppings, it always tastes the same. We need to be people of consistency. We are what we consistently do.

3. Fun. Learn from Moe’s. Let loose. Have fun.
Have fun. The people and the atmosphere at Moe’s makes eating there fun. Make time for fun. Have fun with the people you lead. Have fun with your family. Have fun with the people you do life with. Plan for fun. Have spontaneous fun. Just have fun.

originally posted here

Here are 2 random, but important things about communication…

If you communicate everything, you communicate nothing.
The truth is, our brains can only handle so much information at a time. We can only soak in so much and our attention spans only allow us to listen so long. Communicate what’s important, not everything that could be said. Whether you’re talking to your child, having a conversation with your boss, or typing out a church newsletter, remember, communicate the essential, not just the possible.

Clarity trumps creativity.
In communication, be clear before being witty or creative in how you say it. You see, creativity may greatly increase the effectiveness of communication is it’s clear… if it’s unclear, though, creativity may only complicate it. Be clear. Be succinct. Then, be creative in how you communicate.

What about you… any more tips for communication?

original post here

Here are a few tips to help in communicating clearly:

Think about what you are about to say before you say it.
Although you may be an expert, your listener may not be so it is important to think through the conversation before it happens.

When having a conversation, Listen.
If you are the only one talking, the conversation is probably not going well. If your listener is not responding, it may be because they have no clue to what you are talking about, thus wasting both of your time.

Speak clearly.
Sometimes we can be too polite because of a difficult issue, or speak to fast because of time restrains or nerves, or we mumble because of insecurity about the topic, but whatever the cause it is pointless to expect our listener to understand us if we do not speak clearly.

Lastly, If you don’t know, then don’t pretend like you do.
The phrase “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bulls**t” may be hilarious, but it is not very good advice if you want to be taken seriously. I run when I see the person who is constantly trumping everyone else’s conversation just to hear themselves talk. Don’t be that person.

Communication is a vital resource. The best ideas will never happen if they are not communicated correctly.

originally posted here.

I’ve seen other “goal” people in the past and thought I’d never be able to do it. After some thought and prayer, I’ve come up with a little practice that I’ve found helpful. I thought I’d outline here… Not to tell you how to do it, but to maybe inspire you to start something new…

My goals are based on a 60 day span.

That seems to work for me. Any longer than this and I tend to really lose steam. 60 days divides the year into 6 segments, so it just works.

I outline 3 areas to focus on.

That doesn’t mean that I abandon other practices and areas of life, it just means that those are the ones I’m really pushing forward and stretching through for that 60 days.

Here are the areas I’ve identified that I need to concentrate on. Again, I only do 3 each 60 day cycle.

1. Spiritual – my relationship with God
2. Physical – my relationship with my body. Usually a workout/eating goal
3. Financial – my relationship with our money. This may be something to pay off or pay down or something to save.
4. Personal – my relationship with myself. This is usually a sleep, a reading, or a habit goal.
5. Relational – my relationship with others.
6. Professional – my relationship with my job. This is usually something I want to see us accomplish or something I want to have done at the office and church.

I keep track of all this in my task manager Doit.im.

They’ve recently added a Goals list that makes it easy to add action steps and timeline details to it. Before I had an Evernote notebook of goals.

Again, this is a process I do every 60 days that I believe God has given me. It’s just an idea and not a formula. Take of it what you want and leave the rest. The important thing? Stretch yourself.

What about you? Any goal setting wisdom to share?

originally posted here