The enthusiasm is gone. At the beginning of the year it’s easy to get motivated and say, “I’m going to change.” And if will power was all that we needed life would be easier.
Unfortunately, life happens and all those goals we’ve set for our ministry begin to fade away. So, do you just give up?
Recently I read an article by James Clear called “How the ‘Seinfeld Strategy’ Can Help You Stop Procrastinating (Read it HERE). In short it talks about how the famous comedian Jerry Seinfeld was successful due to his consistency in production.
He wasn’t consistent in quality (Although it’s hard to find anything bad that he did), but consistent in production. Bottom line, whenever we slip up on the way to achieving our goals we need to get back up and keep moving forward.
But the disruptions to our progress can be debilitating and that’s why I would add these three tips to the ‘Seinfeld Strategy’:
DESIGNATE TIME TO DREAM OF A BETTER MINISTRY
Your goals need to be something that excite you. Sometimes that easier to do with personal goals because you imagine yourself:
- In better clothes if you want to lose weight
- Living more comfortably if it’s to save money
- Enjoying your kitchen if you want to complete that as a house project
In ministry it’s hard to imagine it because we rarely spend time dreaming about it. I tell my clients they should have at least 1 hour every week when they are dreaming about the ministry.
And it’s not just sitting in a chair thinking, “Oh this would be great!” It’s writing down your ideas, creating a narrative about their ideal ministry and producing a bigger picture.
Thinking about the bigger picture will also help you prepare to take on some of the bigger obstacles that come your way. Put it into your schedule now and don’t make it an afterthought.
SHARE YOUR GOALS WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
This is something I learned from leadership guru, Michael Hyatt. I had been sharing my goals with anyone or no one but never with the right people. That means people who:
- Know you well enough to call you out if a goal is to crazy or not big enough
- Have the means, resources or abilities to help you reach those goals
- Will check in on you and ask you if you are making progress
- Celebrate you along the way and cheer you up if you fail
When you surround yourself with people who care about you they are going to do what it takes to help you succeed. As you set goals take a moment to think about 3-5 people you can share them with so that you are not tackling them alone.
CELEBRATE EACH MILESTONE
If you were driving down a road with no signs or GPS you’d wonder, “How far am I from my destination?” You’d eventually get frustrated, lose hope and wonder if you are even moving in the right direction.
Goals are the same way, they need milemarkers. Breakdown your goals into smaller ones and when you hit those markers celebrate. For example:
- If you want to recruit 100 leaders in a year, celebrate every time you hit 10.
- If you want to raise $5000 so you can take all your teens on a mission trip, celebrate everytime someone drops in a donation.
Get excited, celebrate with those around you and keep the enthusiasm high. The more you get closer to your goals the more momentum will build. It’ll help you through those rough spots so you can stay productive.
Which one of these steps do you need to work on the most?
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