How To Have Your Best Year Ever

Yesterday our parish had it’s annual offsite staff day.  It’s an exercise going back years to help us get on the same page to create an amazing year of message series, programs and ministry.  In a way it’s our most important day as staff.

Courtesy of Paxson Woelber/Creative Commons License

Whether you follow an academic or calendar year it’s important to spend time with the team to plan your best year ever.  But, it’s not as simple as gathering around a table and asking the question, “How are we going to do this?”  You need to make sure you:

TAKE SIGNIFICANT TIME TO DEFINE YOURSELF

In the course of a year it’s easy to get so busy that you lose your way.  That’s why it’s important to take time to look at your vision, mission and values.  It’s during that time that you answer the important questions:

• Why do we exist?

• How do we behave?

• What do we do?

• How will we succeed?

• What is most important–right now?

• Who must do what?

When you know the why, what, how and who of your team then you’ll be able to focus on what God has asked you to do.  For more on these 6 questions and defining your organization check out The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni.

GO AS FAR OUT IN THE YEAR AS POSSIBLE

It’s sometimes difficult to get ahead because you lack margin.  One of the best ways to build margin is to create a calendar for the year.  It will help you:

• Address any conflicts or competing systems far enough in advance.

• Plan accordingly by creating a pace to get tasks done.

• Build and generate a buzz for upcoming milestones.

While you might not have exact dates getting it down on a physical calendar will start moving you forward.  It will help you rally together as a team and create tangible goals.

CREATE CLEAR AND INSPIRING GOALS

As you define who you are as an organization you’ll start discovering specific initiatives that need to be reached.  Maybe it’s growing your attendance, or developing leaders in your ministry.  Whatever the goal it’s important to make sure they are clear.

Michael Hyatt has been a huge resource in helping me set, follow through and develop goals.  I would recommend his resource 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever.  No matter the tool or resources you use make sure you are:

• Writing them down

• Making them effective

• Sharing them with people who can hold you accountable

• Reviewing them regularly

If you create clear and inspiring goal you’ll find your ministry team moving forward and hitting new levels of growth.

MOTIVATE THE CROWD THAT SURROUNDS YOU

As a leader you need to lead and feed your team.  You need to make sure that you celebrate what you’ve accomplished and where you are going to go.  To motivate your team make sure you are:

• Casting the vision.

• Sharing with them wins from the year. (More on WINS go HERE)

• Reminding them of God’s role in their calling.

Make sure that when you motivate your team that you know what you are going to say and that it comes from the heart.  Remind them of why they matter and what happens when they take time to focus on the year ahead.

It’s possible to have the best year ever, you just need to plan for it.  Before summer gets into full motion take your team aside to discover what God has in store.