One of the thoughts that really struck me at Catalyst was when Jim Collins talked about creating a stop doing list. I’ve talked about this and written about this myself. But I realized that I’m not really practicing what I preach right now. To be honest, I'm having a hard time keeping up with myself. Sometimes it feels like between pastoring and writing I have two jobs. And speaking at conferences is a part-time job.
I can barely keep up with email. Last week when I spoke at Willowcreek I turned my phone off before my session and turned it back on afterwards. I had 67 new emails waiting for me. Sometimes email feels like quicksand.
I'm certainly not complaining. I love what I do. And I want to be a good steward of each opportunity. But I'm really having to recalibrate right now. Our stewardship team gives me thirty days to speak outside NCC. And I'm grateful for their generosity. But I'm going to dial it back next year. Gonna try to scale back to 24 days. And I'm not scheduling anything for 2010 until 2009. I think I made the mistake of over-committing myself too early this past year. Again, excited about the opportunities. But I think I'll be more effective if I'm a little more selective.
What I'm trying to say is this: I'm really bad at saying no! But I have to get better at it and I have to say it more often.
Sometimes more is less and less is more. If I can create more margin I think I'll be far more effective as a pastor, writer, husband, and father. It'll take a while to turn the ship. In fact, I have trips to Canada and Germany in the next two weeks. And 2009 is already booked. But the decisions I'm making now will pay off one year from now.
Here's a simple question: what do you need to stop doing?
Just DON'T do it.
My new motto!
I can barely keep up with email. Last week when I spoke at Willowcreek I turned my phone off before my session and turned it back on afterwards. I had 67 new emails waiting for me. Sometimes email feels like quicksand.
I'm certainly not complaining. I love what I do. And I want to be a good steward of each opportunity. But I'm really having to recalibrate right now. Our stewardship team gives me thirty days to speak outside NCC. And I'm grateful for their generosity. But I'm going to dial it back next year. Gonna try to scale back to 24 days. And I'm not scheduling anything for 2010 until 2009. I think I made the mistake of over-committing myself too early this past year. Again, excited about the opportunities. But I think I'll be more effective if I'm a little more selective.
What I'm trying to say is this: I'm really bad at saying no! But I have to get better at it and I have to say it more often.
Sometimes more is less and less is more. If I can create more margin I think I'll be far more effective as a pastor, writer, husband, and father. It'll take a while to turn the ship. In fact, I have trips to Canada and Germany in the next two weeks. And 2009 is already booked. But the decisions I'm making now will pay off one year from now.
Here's a simple question: what do you need to stop doing?
Just DON'T do it.
My new motto!
18 Comments:
Glad to hear it Mark - feels just right.
"No" can be an extremely liberating word. Use it whenever appropriate.
I am passionate in my teaching and writing about this very thing. Jesus came to earth to do ONLY what the Father told Him to...nothing else. When He ascended, there were still sick, lonely, undiscipled people left behind. We should all be about saying yes to God things only and not every good thing that comes along. Go for it!
Yeah man, great to hear. Pastor burnout is a terrible thing.
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Clarity.
Make "no" the default answer to everyone but God, and let Him show you His purpose through it before saying "yes".
They may never hear "no", but you will have to first hear "yes" for them to. What is God doing through you , and how does THIS "yes" contribute. Next year, you'll have 24 exceptions to the "no" default, and each one will have an extremely justifiable reason.
Love ya, Man!
ridiculously graced...
-mike
(theSanAntonioStone.com)
The hardest word I've ever attempted to spell: BALANCE.
Great insight.
INC ARTICLE OF VALUE:
http://www.inc.com/magazine/19971001/1342.html
Peace,
Jason Harper
www.jasonharper.cc
Hey Mark,
I doubt most pastors have read the book 'The Four Hour Workweek' by Tim Ferriss, but I'd recommend it to you highly! Tim talks all about simplifying, scaling back, and why email will destroy your life (stats included!) Start with this article, as it ties to your post... http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/08/16/the-not-to-do-list-9-habits-to-stop-now/
Be blessed this week Mark...sorry to add to your to-do list!
I recently asked a guy who's absolutely consumed in ministries that seem to form a fractal rather than a laser beam of focus: how do you determine what you do and don't say yes to? What's the framework for evaluation?
His modus operandi of "positive chaos" was contrarian to this post-modern student of leadership axioms: the Father's initiative. He quite humbly said, I take everything presented to me and realize the Father has a plan for it - but am I the instrument? If he doesn't feel the Spirit discerning that this is his to be hands/feet for, he prays, blesses it and continues with the plate already full. If God nudges him to say yes to something bigger than his plate can afford, he then assumes God is calling him to rally the resources it WOULD take to do. But either way, he was trying to live by the "Jesus Model" of opportunity capitalization..."I do all things by the Father's initiative..."
Interesting by very difficult MO to work by...
I'm glad to hear you're being so missional about guarding your time, Mark.
@ Mike Sharrow...
Great to see you in the blogosphere!
y'know, Jesus didn't keep a calendar. He had the greatest PURPOSE in History, without a day-to-day agenda. Led, by the Spirit, listening to the Father, and clear about WHO He was, His ministry was lived out with a very wide margin!
When we realize WHO we are in Christ, our job becomes living according to identity, not agenda. What a great grace!
-mike.
Mark, I hope you can get some buddies or people you trust at church to hold you accountable for not over-doing it in 2009. I think you said something similar about a year ago and as a frequent reader of your blog, I often stop and ask, "How does he do ALL of this?"
I can definitely identify. When I read Good to Great a few years ago I thought the stop doing list was one of the greatest ideas I had heard in a while. I never put it into practice and I still can't seem to say no. I will be praying for you so let us know how your stop doing list progresses.
Mark, back when I had a high-email ministry position, I discovered two simple ways to deal with it.
#1 - filters. I filter by type of email (I have one folder for newsletters from this ministry or that, and I only look at it once a week. I have another folder marked "Family" where their emails get directed and replied to quickest. Another for people asking just for information. Another for the press. And so on)
#2 - stock replies. Create a collection of stock answers to frequently-asked questions, and simply insert, customize, and go on. I think gmail lets you do that easily now - and I'm sure there's a script or plug-in that'll do it in other services.
Hope that helps! :)
What do I need to stop doing? I need to stop failing to plan my day. As pastors of a small church in a small town, my hubby and I tend to get pulled this way and that, going places with people. If I plan out what I'm doing when, how, with whom, and where in advance I'll save tons more time (not to mention gasoline!)
Suggest reading The Hampster Revolution. Great book about how to get email under control. Easy to read in a few hours. Written in business fable format.
Mark - Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have also struggled with the difficulty of saying "no" It is empowering to make the decision to take on no new commitments until a particular time. I have to remind myself that every time I say yes to something I am saying to no to something else.
Andrew Conard
Hey Mark,
I know what you are saying about taking on too much and not saying no. Just a desire and drive to do all you can to bring the message to those who need.
But that being said, thanks so much for saying yes to Willow Creek and doing the conference because I loved what you and Heather shared. It was a definite highlight for me!!
So thanks for not saying no!! LOL
Tom
thanks for your honesty
all of us need to say no better
but we need to accept no as an answer as adults too and not guilt trip our friends and families.
Just some thoughts.
I look forward to attended NCC this wknd for the first time! YAY :-)
Dana
I just read "the way you speed up is by slowing down" :)
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