How to Get Things Done as a Church Leader
The key is finding a method in the madness to build a logical plan and a step-by-step route of how to get there. Keep reading for 7 task management tips to help you complete jobs, and take your organization to the next level.
1. Differentiate Short and Long-Term Goals
Long-term goals are essential. They keep our heads up and urge us to look forward to the future. But as they say – Rome wasn’t built in a day. Using separate lists to differentiate between overarching plans and daily tasks gives us a clearer view of what we need to do.
Remember that the achievement of your long-term goals happens in your day-to-day actions. Breaking your tasks down into digestible bite-sized chunks makes even the impossible seem doable. Ask yourself: what can I achieve this week to support my goal for next year?
2. Divide Tasks Into Relevant Groups
Once you have written your long list of digestible tasks, it is time to categorize them. How you decide to split them up is entirely up to you, as you are the only person it needs to make sense to. One of the easiest ways is to differentiate between different ministries or projects.
Visualize your day by deciding the way you will complete tasks. Put jobs related to children’s ministry in one list, tasks related to volunteers in another, and obligations to the community elsewhere. Color-coding is a highly effective way of helping your brain shift between different work areas.
3. Decide the Priority of Each Task
Some items on your to-do list will be urgent and non-negotiable. For example, if a kids’ ministry session is about to begin, updating the children’s ministry curriculum will be a top priority, while event planning can take a back seat. But if the event is tomorrow, planning it suddenly becomes number one on your list.
Working through your tasks to choose priority is a task that will happen regularly, at least once a week. If you struggle with this, use the Eisenhower matrix to help you out. Comparing importance against priority will help you to do, decide, delegate, or delete a task.
4. Display Your To-Do-List in Your Workspace
This only works if your task lists are concise and to the point. Write your daily task list the night before so it is fresh in your mind, and keep it displayed in your workplace to keep you on track. If you change location frequently, have it stuck to your laptop or notebook.
Doing this means that whenever you lose focus or get caught up with a menial task, you have a visual of your to-do list ready to snap your attention back. Stick up your jobs for the entire week if you prefer to work on a weekly schedule, but try not to go beyond that. Standard calendars help us track the month already!
5. Don’t Look at Your Phone Unnecessarily
It's no wonder giving our attention to something for long periods is a challenge. With our phones beeping and vibrating at us at all hours of the day, keeping concentration where it needs to be is almost impossible.
So set your phone to ‘do not disturb’ when you know you need to focus. The messages will still be there in a few hours when you are ready to read them, but falling off track with your work can set you behind for hours.
6. Dedicate Your Focus to One Task at a Time
One of the top task management tips out there is to dedicate your full attention to every task. Switching your phone off is one thing, but what about the other hundred tabs you have open on your laptop? Are they all there to help you complete tasks or distract you?
If they don't serve a useful purpose – close them. Clear your desk, clear your computer screen, and clear your mind before starting a new task. Flitting between different projects will slow you down, causing you to get nothing done while adding stress to your mind.
7. Daily Task List Template for Work
Incorporate a daily task list template for work into your daily life to make creating your to-do lists a breeze. Try out one of these free excel-compatible templates to transform how you tackle tasks at work. When you list every job in a place you can see, you will feel a weight lifted from your shoulders. So take a deep breath, and write that project management tasks list.
Becoming more organized and efficient with your work doesn’t happen overnight. It takes restructuring your life to make space for your new habits and doing them daily to make them stick. If you feel disheartened with how your personal transformation is going, try some of these tips to make long-lasting changes.
Ministry leaders have a huge amount on their plates. Trying to juggle the different church ministries while being there for the community and providing a good influence gets a bit too much at times.
But, to complete tasks efficiently, all you need is to manage your to-do list effectively. Feel empowered when you write your jobs down – it makes each project that little bit more manageable, helping you get things done.