Putting it into practice

In the last few weeks I have realised that I have begun to put into practice some of the components from the Arrow Leadership programme. There have been a few days when something has cropped up in my week which maybe 6 months ago would have had me stressing or even making me work more than was necessary.

One of the principles that struck a cord with me was organising my week to plan for emergencies or the unseen meetings and appointments of your week. Obviously, by their nature you don't know when they will happen, how long they will take and what follow up will be required. The theory presented to us on Arrow was that you can build time in to allow for such events. Of course, this takes discipline and planning. Two things for which I am not renowned. However, I have begun to see the beginnings of development in these areas. It has taken time and a lot of wiilingness on my part but I am beginning to see the benifits for my self but also the church I lead.

For example: Today Katherine has had to be dropped off back with me from the Childminders because she has suspected chicken pox. Because of how I plan my week I know that I can afford to drop everything, take her home and spend time with her and take her to the doctors. All my tasks I need to get done are relatively sorted and the things I need to do can wait until she is in bed. I even have time to blog!

In leadership it is necessary to be flexible and prepared for the unexpected. I remember James Lawrence saying " you know emergencies will happen , so plan for them." My diary is less full than this time last year. I block time out and stick to it, if I have time spare I use it to focus on long term stuff rather than little jobs. In leadership, you know and accept that you will have things to do, people to support, places to go and responsibilities to fulfil but ultimately how you plan and use that time is the individuals responsibility.

If you find your self with to little time to do things in and do them well, then do less.

Matt

Busy Busy Busy

I was with a bunch of church leaders today and was presented with the classic first question: "Are you busy!" Maybe in the past I would have responded with a yes or tried to ignore or deflect the question but this time I went for the brave answer. I said "no, busy is over-rated." I was met with a shy laugh and then silence. I have a few frustrations I need to share:

• Why is it that people assume that busy means we are doing the right things? We get caught up in a world that says the more we do the better and more valuable we are. Just because we are busy doesn't always mean we are getting things done and done well. I have been quilty in the past of doing lots of stuff but doing few of them really well. I want to do less but do them better.
• Why do we value busy people more than those that consitently and quietly go about their work at a healthy pace? Maybe it boils down to the fact we are jeleous of those who have slower paced, calmer and more blended lives. For many of us we have many presures that compound this issue that are out of our control but there are many things that are.
• Why can't we ask better questions about each other? At no point did anyone ask how my marraige was, how being a father is going or if I need any prayers! I have to be honest and say that I didn't ask them any of these questions. I should have and will try to next time.

Of course the danger of being less busy is we slip into a place of comfort or even worse, an attitude of complacency. This will be just as damaging as being too busy. But we are only doing ourselves a dis-service if we don't get thie sorted.

Matt

Busy Busy Busy (how to beat the busyness)

After raising the issue of being busy, I thought I would share some thoughts on how to deal with it. The reality for me has been that saying you'll make time for your family, be more organised and create more time for the tasks you don't like has and is still a difficult thing to work out. But I have improved the rhythm of my week to give appropriate/quality time for my family (not only on my day off), spending time in preparing my self for the coming week/month/year and managing my time efficiently so that I do what needs to be done. It is still a work in progress but here are some suggestions:


1: Put it in the diary - If you are going to have an afternoon off (on top of you day off), out it in the diary as an item, just like any other appointment. Put some time in you diary that is for an emergency. Obviously, the emergency will not happen at that point but you have space to catch up or benefit from. If you have an open diary system in an office then put it in code and stick to it! If an emergency crops up, reschedule your time immediately, don't say "I'll do it later."

2: Get a mentor - You need someone to hold you to account of your time. They can help you ensure that you are not in danger of either burning out or becoming lethargic and lazy. This must be someone you trust, respect and will listen to, even if it hurts.

3: Get active - No one can work productivity for long without an outlet. For me, I need to do something physical (running, football, digging at the allotment, walking to the office etc). It helps release stress, it keeps you body health and you get to meet people that you wouldn't necessary connect with. This is something I still need to work on and place higher on the agenda during my week.

4: Chill Out - You are allowed to stop and do nothing. Do not feel guilty about having you day off, taking all your holiday and making the most of quiet periods. These are God given moments when you can relax. Use your time to chill out as preparation before an event/busy period rather than recuperation after it because as soon as you feel you have caught up and feeling ready to go, you will be word out again. I have tried to think of my day off (usually Saturday) as preparing for Sunday and the week ahead rather than rest after a busy/long/pressured week.

The thing I am trying to do is be more silent (for those that know me this will probably make you smile) in my life. It is a lot easier to speak than to listen to God but how will I hear if I don't keep quiet.

Matt