As a 6-month old church and the first full-time paid staff member, my plate can become really full, really quick. Not only am I leading and overseeing the worship, but I also oversee and develop anything creative: production, media, design and communications. I absolutely love the wide array of opportunity I get; there really is never a dull moment and always something new to do! In ministry, and in life in general, it seems we are always in a juggling act. The question is how well are we juggling? With that being said, I wanted to share with you just 3 simple ways I juggle it all and not go crazy.

1. Prioritize: For me, this means at the beginning of the week making a to-do list for each day. I list out all the task that need to be accomplished that week starting with what is due first. Then, I go in and place them on each day (Monday – Saturday) in order of most important/urgent to least. This way, at the end of the day, if I need to roll over a task, it isn’t the end of the world. I also create a separate column of general to-do’s such as upcoming projects that I can be working on in my “spare time”. Because I am so “Type A” and future oriented, making the daily list helps me to focus on one day at a time, instead of looking at a sea of tasks that can be overwhelming.

2. Develop People: Be on constant lookout for people you can raise up and empower. I keep a list in my journal of the areas I am currently overseeing or solely responsible for that eventually I would like to hand off to someone else (a volunteer) and a goal of a time I want to have it done by. This list acts as an accountability sheet and reminder to me that I need to be constantly looking and developing people. Don’t misunderstand me; I am not just developing people to fill a spot or get a task done. I am wanting to develop people because I know I can’t do it all by myself and it’s important to get the right people in the right seats on the bus.

3. Take a Breather: Relax. Everything is seasonal. I’ve learned that some weeks are harder than others, some days even harder than others and visa versa. However, remembering that any problem I face is temporary, helps keeps things in perspective. There is always a solution and worrying won’t change the outcome. If you make your Sabbath time a priority, you will have a better chance of getting through the difficult moments because you won’t be trying to go full throttle on an empty tank. Also, don’t forget to have a little fun! Let’s not get so caught up in the daily grind that we forget to enjoy life and enjoy time with the people God has put in our lives.

Happy Juggling!