Every Lent, as I looked toward ministry after Easter—right before the summer craziness would begin—I would tell myself, “This will be the spring where I get ahead. The summer where I fine tune. So that the fall we can hit the ground running.”
Then Easter would arrive. Sacramental season would stack up. Camp logistics would take over.
If I’m honest, there were years when it was difficult to even plan something simple to appreciate my volunteers.
When I look back at those busy seasons, I can see it clearly: I wasn’t doing the ministry I felt called to do. I was doing tasks. I was managing logistics. I was maintaining momentum.
The better years were different. Not because there was less to do—but because I had clarity. I knew what was mine to carry. What needed to be shared. What could be simplified. What needed to stop.
That clarity rarely comes naturally. It requires a reset.
Here is one you can do in 20 minutes.
You do not need a new strategy.
You need a load limit.
Take a blank page and write three headings across the top:
1. Everything I’m Currently Responsible For
2. Only I Can Do This
3. Could Be Shared, Simplified, or Stopped
Then begin.
Write down every recurring responsibility:
Do not evaluate yet. Just list.
Most leaders are surprised at how long this column becomes.
Now look at that list and ask:
What truly requires my presence, authority, or relational investment?
Often this includes:
These are not easily transferable. These likely stay.
Everything else is up for review.
Look at the remaining items and ask:
Not everything in this column must disappear. But much of it can change form.
And change of form reduces load.
Once you’ve completed the three columns, ask yourself:
These questions are not about shrinking ministry.
They are about protecting your ability to lead it.
Clarity should not stay private.
If you complete this audit, consider bringing one sentence into your next check-in:
“I’ve reviewed my ministry load and would appreciate clarity on the top 2–3 priorities you most want protected this season so we can lead sustainably.”
This does not mean you are giving up. It means you are taking ownership. It communicates that you want focus, not expansion. Sustainability, not exhaustion.
Overload rarely comes out of the blue. It’s a slow build and accumulates over time.
You say yes because you care.
You absorb because you’re capable.
You keep going because it feels faithful.
But over time, unexamined responsibility crowds out the ministry you actually feel called to lead.
A 20-minute reset won’t solve everything.
But it can surface what has been silently expanding.
And sometimes clarity is enough to change the next season. If you need assistance reaching out, don’t hesitate to set up a free call with us HERE.