Monthly Archives: November 2011

Best Practices, Personal Leadership, Resources, Self-Leadership

Clean Out

I’m spending a little time on the Black Friday to clean up and clear out my office up at the church building. The space where I work is often (most often) cluttered with notepads filled with ideas, post-it notes with reminders, articles I haven’t read yet, forms I have to filled out, catalogs, cups, pens, and other miscellaneous office-like things.

One of my favorite ministry management books is Youth Ministry Management Tools by Olsen, Elliot, and Work. I have consistently  come back to this book over and over in ministry in order to draft forms or plan events. The whole first half of the book is dedicated to Getting Organized so I am cleaning out the office based on some of their suggestions and tips. Here’s what I’m doing:

1) Sort the stuff in your office
Quickly sort everything into 4 boxes
  • Stuff to FILE: Fill this box with forms, old pictures, personal notes, archives, anything “paper-ish” that you need.
  • Stuff to READ: Fill it with magazines, catalogs, brochures, fliers, event posters, conference brochures,  curriculum samples, and general ministry mail
  • Stuff to GIVE AWAY: In this box sort all your miscellaneous items, free stuff you’ll never read or use, old stufff you’ll never really need, pens, desk junk
  • Stuff to THROW AWAY: Anything you can’t put in the other 3 boxes. Ask, “Can I get this information somewhere else if I throw it away?”
2) Go through the boxes
  • FILE: label each item in the box with a Post-It note giving the name of the folder in which the item belongs. Then invite you assistant or a volunteer to file each one.
  • READ: Use Post-It Notes to identify any article you wish to save. Ask your assistant or a volunteer to rip out or photocopy necessary articles, toss the rest of the magazine, and then file the article.
  • GIVE AWAY: Give yourself 1 week to find  home for all your “good junk.” Then toss it in box 4!
  • THROW AWAY: Give it to the Trash gods ASAP!

In a little over 2 hours I was able to tame the chaos and regain control over my work space.

My next step will be to clear out and organize my file cabinet so that I can actually file the important things that I have uncovered today by cleaning my desk area. My hope to also utilize Evernote to digitally file everything where it is easily accessible and searchable.

I hope you found some of these tips helpful. Having a clean and usable work space is key to getting stuff done. We all have important work to do. Clear the clutter and get back to work! People are counting on us!

Books, Remarkable, Technology

Huger Than Huge

I just got around to catching up on some news articles, tweets, and emails that I saved from last week. One thing that I was very much looking forward to reading was an info-graphic on The World of Amazon that Michael Hyatt linked to last week.

I hope you are sitting at your computer as you read this. The stats presented here are incredible!

I was at my local Borders just days before they closed up shop and I overheard one of the customers bemoaning the fact that the store was shutting down. He said, “I hope this doesn’t start a trend (of brick and mortar book stores closing).”

I thought to myself, “This isn’t the start of the trend, buddy. You’re right smack dab in the middle.” These stats bare that out. The old paradigm of browsing the local bookstore changed drastically even before Borders was forced to shut down and will continue to change due almost exclusively to Jeff Bezos and Amazon.

I browse Amazon daily- for book deals, mp3s, and movies. I have almost made the full jump to reading exclusively on my Kindle. I never thought that would happen but it has.

Amazon has literally built an empire. Don’t believe me? Check out the graphic below.

Amazon Infographic

Source: Frugaldad.com

Personal Leadership, Randomness, Thanksgiving

5 Things for Thanksgiving Break

I am very much looking forward to the next 5 days celebrating and being with family and friends over the Thanksgiving break. I am excited to hang with my sister for a few days and I’m preparing to cook the world’s greatest turkey dinner for Thursday. This will be an EPIC week!

I am also excited about getting to catch up on some things that I haven’t had time for over the past few weeks. In fact I have Five Things I Want to Do Over Thanksgiving Break.

  1. Listen to the new Switchfoot Album- Switchfoot put out a brand-new album back at the end of September. September!!! It has been sitting in my iTunes since then and I haven’t listened to one track yet because I wanted to sit and listen to it all the way through. This week, I will have some time to strap on the headphones and finally listen to Vice Verses.
  2. Make a big dent in Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson- I also have yet to dive deep into the biography to end all biographies. I have read reviews, reflections, and opinions on it but I have only read a couple of chapters. This week I want to really burn through a good part of the book.
  3. Organize my Office- Actually I want to organize my office at work and clean my office at home. Loose notes,stacks of paper, and old magazines- you’re on notice.
  4. Catch up on some podcasts- I have a handful of podcasts that I haven’t gotten around to listening to. Sometimes I hate listening to them in the car because I don’t want to drive and take notes in my Moleskin. Call me crazy, but if I’m taking notes on living and leading more effectively than wrapping my car around a tree seems counter productive.
  5. Rest- Vacation is all about spending time with the ones you love and just being present. I want to spend some time just being over the next few days.

Enjoy your break and enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Bible Study, Ethos, Thanksgiving

What I’m Thankful For Right Now

As I was studying this morning, God hit me upside the head with Colossians 3:15-17. Paul says,

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

I was struck by how PEACE and THANKFULNESS seem to go hand in hand.

Too often our focus on what we DON’T HAVE or what we DESPERATELY WANT or what SOMEONE ELSE HAS keeps us in a state of discontent and turmoil. Cultivating a heart that is THANKFUL will help us keep our focus on God and not on lesser things.

When I spend more time THANKING God for ALL that he has done on my behalf and ALL that he has blessed me with the less time I have to spend worrying about all that other stuff. Thankfulness paves the way to peace.

I made a quick list of just some of the things I am thankful for right now…

I am thankful that Jesus saved/saves me! (Titus 3:4-7; 1 John 1:7)

I am thankful for my smoking’ hot WIFE who cares for me, encourages me, keeps me in check, and puts up with ALL of my junk. She takes care of our home and is an incredible mother! (Proverbs 31: 10-12; 26-31 really sums it all up)

I am thankful for my incredible SON who is a constant reminder to me what pure joy looks like. That kid PLAYS hard and LOVES deeply. I LOVE THAT KID!!!

I am thankful that we have another BABY on the way that is due in May! Right now, everything looks healthy and progressing the way it should. We had an ultrasound earlier this week and the little guy or girl gave us a great big wave “Hello!” Very, very thankful!

I am thankful for OUR CHURCH and that I have the opportunity to serve, teach, care for, and lead this group of people week in and week out.

I am thankful that I have a TEAMMATE in ministry that I get to work alongside. I love sharing an office with someone who shares my vision for ministry and is excited about what God is doing in and through this community.

I am thankful for the ability to READ and LEARN. This is no small thing. I am often struck by how incredibly blessed I am to have- not just the opportunity to read- the ABILITY to read and comprehend things. I don’t know where I’d be without the gift of learning.

I am thankful for MUSIC. Again, no small thing. I never want to take for granted some of the pleasures that God has given me. I love listening to, talking about, and pretty much everything else about music. Thank you for U2 and Fender and iPods and bass and Beats by Dre headphones and guitar licks and lyrics and iTunes and … you get the point.

So here’s the challenge for you… Make your own list. Take some time today to tell God “thank you” for the gifts and blessings in your life.