As each new year approaches, I try to set aside time to sit down and think about the upcoming year. Where are areas in which I hope to improve? Where do I need to make changes? What are my goals?
Then, on a monthly basis, I take time to sit down and review those thoughts and gauge my progress.
However, after having done this for several years, I’ve realized that setting goals is actually the easy part. But implementing a process to actually help achieve those goals? That’s what’s hard.
Progress on purpose
What we tend to forget is that growth in any area isn’t an accident. It’s the culmination of many steps taken intentionally on a journey over time. And while setting goals is great (and necessary), it’s even more important to implement a daily or weekly process that will help me achieve those goals.
I can want and hope to memorize the book of Leviticus all I want to, but without having a process of taking baby steps towards that goal, I’ll never actually attain it.
...growth in any area isn’t an accident. It’s the culmination of many steps taken intentionally on a journey over time.
As the end of the year is upon us, our calendars will race towards (and past) Christmas, and another new year will be here before we know it.
So instead of focusing on specific goals to set in 2020, let’s take a look at some areas of our lives where we need to focus on implementing healthy habits.
1-Spiritual
There is no area of our lives where daily discipline is more important than this one. Again, we can have goals of “growing closer to God” or “having a stronger walk,” but what do those mean, and how do we get there?
If I want different results out of my life, I have to be willing to do things differently.
And even though it’s a valuable goal to “read the Bible and pray every day,” how do we actually make that happen?
If I want different results out of my life, I have to be willing to do things differently. I can’t expect to keep the same routines and priorities and get a different result.
So what are the daily changes I need to make? Waking up at a different time so there’s margin to spend time in the Word? Turning on Christian music on the ride to work so I can have some worship time to prep for my day? Or maybe even turning OFF the music so I can spend time in prayer.
Do I need to implement a routine of fasting a meal during the week and spending that time praying for my ministry and my team? Should I schedule a regular chat with a pastor on staff who can provide encouragement, support and accountability?
I can’t give what I don’t have, and I’ll never be able to invest in others effectively if I’m not first investing in myself spiritually.
Again, it’s not just about having goals, but about implementing regular habits that will help us get there.
Even though we may see ourselves as “just” technicians, we are spiritual beings first and foremost. And regardless of the area of ministry in which we serve, our primary focus is to develop and pastor people.
I can’t give what I don’t have, and I’ll never be able to invest in others effectively if I’m not first investing in myself spiritually. Staying connected to the Source of life and hope is vital in order to serve well in ministry.
2-Personal
Personal habits are critical as well, because if I’m not healthy and growing as an individual I can’t expect to build a healthy and growing team. Those I lead will never grow beyond my capacity to lead them, and if I’m not taking care of myself then I not only set a bad example for my team, I also lose the right to expect them to do more than I myself am doing.
This is essentially the part of my life where I’m taking care of myself.
Those I lead will never grow beyond my capacity to lead them....
I may want to live a healthier lifestyle, but am I managing daily disciplines to get there? Do I have set routines of when to go to bed and wake up, or is my sleep schedule inconsistent because of bingeing on Netflix? Do I have a routine process of eating regular or healthy meals? Do I have the willpower to limit or restrict the amount of caffeine or sugar I’m ingesting each day?
What about finding time to recharge with activities that are fun and relaxing? Do I make wise use of my off time and engage with healthy relationships or pursue hobbies that refresh and energize me?
Better yet, am I committed to setting boundaries between my personal and professional life so that I’m actually committed to off days?
Better yet, am I committed to setting boundaries between my personal and professional life so that I’m actually committed to off days? Am I committed to putting my phone and laptop down when I get home so I’m not tempted to answer emails or work on projects?
Again, I can have great goals of resting more and working less. But if I’m not taking action each day to implement and protect healthy habits and boundaries, I’ll never find the work/life balance I’m hoping for.
3-Relational
For those of us who are introverted, this may be one of the hardest things to work towards. I tend to recharge through solitude, and being around others for extended periods can be draining.
But that doesn’t mean that it’s any less important.
Relational progress can’t be made from a distance. Instead, I need to be in regular, close proximity to others in order to strengthen our relationship and for me to deepen my level of influence with and trust from that person.
[My volunteers will never] buy into my vision for the team if they’re not close enough to me personally to first buy into me as a person.
So, I must be intentional each day and each week about where I invest my relational time and energy. My volunteers will never grow their skill level or leadership ability if I’m not committed to regularly investing in them. They’ll never buy into my vision for the team if they’re not close enough to me personally to first buy into me as a person.
Likewise, if I want to grow in influence on my ministry staff, I won’t be in a position to speak into church processes or other teams if I’m not making time in my schedule to build relationships with key influencers. Am I taking the time to pursue conversations with other department leaders so they know I care about their areas and their vision? Am I proactively communicating with others to reinforce the idea that I’m attentive to detail and they can trust me to follow through, or are others forced to track me down?
Am I proactively communicating with others to reinforce the idea that I’m attentive to detail and they can trust me to follow through, or are others forced to track me down?
Even intertwining the personal and professional side of relationships, have I prioritized time to spend around people who can encourage and support me--and hold me accountable in my growth? And do I intentionally seek out others (whether on my team or others’) who I can invest in myself?
Do I have healthy relationships with peers in other ministries or organizations who can encourage me through challenges, provide feedback during problems, and give perspective on new opportunities?
God never intended us to do life alone, and we are capable of doing more as part of a team than we could ever do solo.
God never intended us to do life alone, and we are capable of doing more as part of a team than we could ever do solo. We need to be invested in others in order to reach the full potential He has for us.
4-Professional
When it comes to setting goals and implementing new habits or routines, this is probably the area we gravitate to first. After all, we probably see ourselves primarily as technicians or creatives, so it’s easy to think our greatest contribution to the organization (and thus the main area in which we should focus our growth) is in our skill.
However, I’ll never become the greatest version of myself if I neglect developing healthy habits in the other three areas first.
I’ll never become a great ministry leader if I’m not growing spiritually and staying connected to the Source that fuels me.
I’ll never become a great ministry leader if I’m not growing spiritually and staying connected to the Source that fuels me. I’ll never be great at work if I’m not great away from work and am in touch with habits that keep me healthy. I’ll never reach my full potential as a professional if I think I can do everything on my own and don’t need to be strongly connected to other people.
However, if I'm also not developing my skill, then I run the risk of limiting the organization’s ability to grow. If I’m not regularly researching new ideas or learning new concepts, then I may not be fully prepared for new opportunities that come my way.
As John Maxwell once said, “When opportunity knocks, it’s too late to prepare.” And this is especially true in the technical world, where it sometimes takes weeks of preparation in order to achieve a certain outcome.
As John Maxwell once said, “When opportunity knocks, it’s too late to prepare.”
Beyond just setting goals of what I want to improve at or accomplish, I need to be able to whittle those down into manageable steps I can tackle each day. After all, it’s extremely rare that somebody could walk into a Dante or CTS certification exam and pass without having ever studied.
Every week I need to be setting aside time to grow myself in my skill. This could be through books, blogs, podcasts, manuals, or magazines; watching online church services, awards shows, TV shows, or concert videos; networking with peers, attending conferences/tradeshows/workshops, or talking with vendors/manufacturer reps/integrators.
Exactly what I do isn’t important. What’s important is that I have a process of regularly learning new information that is pertinent to my role.
At the end of the day, achieving a goal is really an accumulation of all of the baby steps I’ve taken over a period of time. It’s not about crossing a destination off a list, but about how I was able to plan out a journey to get there.
What’s important is that I have a process of regularly learning new information that is pertinent to my role.
Goals are great, but once they are achieved, we tend to move on to something else. Habits, though, are critical. Because if we’re able to implement the right ones that form new, healthy behaviors, those will end up paying dividends for the rest of our lives.
