I am struck by how good some College Ministers are with students and yet how they are not very effective overall. Often, it comes down to a poor balance between being relational and task oriented. I believe if our ministry is to be of any size, we MUST be and do both. We must have a personal ministry (relational) and a larger ministry that we oversee and make happen (task). I once heard a person who worked for a national denominational entity asked to describe the College Ministers she knew. Her main description was "unorganized". I was insulted....yet, in many cases, I knew she was correct.
So, how can we be more organized or effective?
1. At the end of the day quickly jot down 2 or 3 things that need to be done the next day.
-That may be the normal day to do them or they didn't get done today. Then, you don't fall prey to simply what pops up first in the new day that might not be as important. You have started with a small plan.
2. Don't read email or Facebook messages before 11:00 a.m.
-They can often deter you from the plan you already had that day. This allows you to have already accomplished some key things that day. Don't ignore messages, but don't let them run your schedule totally. Your boss knows your phone number, if there is something pressing.
3. Respond to every email that is not junk mail.
-I don't mean each must get a long intensive response. A response can and often is "OK" or "Thanks". That way they know you got it. The information has been transferred and received. The only emails I try not to respond to are those which my response would be negative or argumentative. Those are often better left alone.
4. Don't spend so much time tweeting and retweeting about your ministry and other ministries that you aren't doing your ministry.
5. Remember that some tasks can be started or laid out and then handed over to someone else.
-You can become the bottleneck to your own ministry.
6. Have a certain day or morning or afternoon that you do certain on-going tasks.
-I once served as Chair of a national committee that had some on-going things to do and attend to. I made Tuesday morning the day those got done. That was freeing. When one of those issues or tasks came up, I put it in my Tuesday folder. I didn't feel guilty cause I knew it would get done. And, it got done not just laid on my desk and forgotten about.
Wonder what word others would use to describe you?
This is such great information! Today I began to implement Idea #2. I have long thought that this was a hindrance, yet was never able to get kick-started. And after day 1, I can already tell I've had a much more productive morning by NOT getting on social media till after 11am.
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