I have been thinking a lot about my responsibilities in life. How in the world can I THRIVE as a pastor and as a person without defining what I am supposed to do with my time. I have always been a goal driven individual, and then when I entered the local parish over 6 years ago, the ‘tyranny of the urgent’ took over how I spent my time.
I have finally broken free from trying to please everyone because I realized I never will and started to focus on my responsibilities. What am I supposed to be doing with my time?
I was talking with a group of pastors who all tend to get distracted and one older and wiser sage said, ‘Your church is not paying you to fix the toilet, they are paying you to pastor.’ An instant a-ha moment. An individual member may need or want me to do something but that does not mean that it is the right thing to do. As a pastor or really any profession, the urgent things can take away our energy to do the important things.
How will I T.H.R.I.V.E. in my work and life. The 3rd aspect of THRIVE is focusing on my Responsibilities, working to become effective at the tasks I am given.
There are a lot of time management/planning techniques out there, I still think Covey’s 7-Habits is the best because you start from values and plan outward. How can I develop my R - responsibility function at my vocation? I am glad you asked.
Take an afternoon and pull out your job description. It it is like mine, even superman could not accomplish all that is on it and remain standing. Prayerfully look at the responsibilities and ask God where you need to invest yourself over the next 18 months. There will be some tasks that need to be delegated or even eliminated. Here are a couple questions to get you started in the right direction:
1. What is my sweet spot? What 3 or 4 things am I really good at and feel are the foundation of my job/role/calling? List them on paper. Another way to get at these activities is to ask, what can only I do in my role to move the Church forward? You may even want to ask your Board where they see you could be most useful! These roles will change over time, and should because churches are dynamic and the needs are ever changing. Don’t get stuck in identifying yourself as only a preacher, or only a counselor…if you do your church will get stuck. Every 12-18 months this question needs to be answered by us individually.
2. How am I gifted? This is deceptive, because many of us tend to think our gifts are what come naturally to us. I have a talent that I do not necessarily enjoy using on a consistent basis. Yet our church needs me to use this gift often. If I shrink back from using this gift our church will suffer. Gifts may not produce immediate joy, however looking back they always do. Ask your spouse to list your top 3 or 4 gifts, then ask your peers or staff and see what they say. I have a funny suspicion that the #1 and #2 will intersect often.
3. What training do I need to accomplish this task? Do you need to attend a conference, interview someone who has tackled your task, read a book or talk to an old professor? Training today is easy to get and there is great stuff out there for anyone who wants to learn. I just recently completed a church consultant training from the Society of Church Consultants and it has already benefited the things our church is doing.
4. Develop a plan and stick with it. As I said before, there are dozens of time management/effectiveness techniques and each one has a book and expensive training courses built around it. They all promise a new and changed life if you buy in fully to their way of personal management. The only one that works is the one that you work. Pick a planning technique and keep at it…own it, work it and don’t get derailed with the new and best method.
I am interested in how you go after the responsibilities at your vocation. What is some of the best advice you have heard about fulfilling your responsibilities?
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