17 Tips for Staying Productive In Ministry

10. Avoid situations that might tempt you to procrastinate.

Avoid places or situations that distract you. That’s why I don’t do any of my sermon study at the office. The walls are really thin there and I can hear everybody having a good time outside and I’m a party animal. I want to have fun! I don’t want to be sitting and studying. I want to be out there with people. So I have to study at home to keep myself from having a great time with all these people I love at the office. And they appreciate it too!

11. Know your energy patterns and take advantage of peak times.

Some of you are morning people. Some of you are night people. Have you learned that at some points in the day, you are brighter than at other times? You’re more alert, you have more energy. There are times when you’re habitually at your best. The only people who are at their best all the time are mediocre people.

12. Recognize when indecision is creating inertia.

A lot of procrastination is not really procrastination, it’s indecision. A lot of pastors have to deal with this. Identify your choices and choose one. Don’t let it set around.

13. Use visible reminders.

I like to use Post-It Notes to remind me of things I’ve got to do. I collect anti-procrastination slogans, such as…

• Tomorrow is too late.
• Do the worst first.
• Doing gets it done.
• Tomorrow is never.
• Make the day count.
• Doing beats stewing.
• In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday.
• Do it anyway.
• Get the Now habit.
• Get a “round tuit.”
• Be a doer not a dawdler.
• Why wait?
• If not today, when?
• You don’t find the time, you make time.
• Make it happen.
• If you have to do it, do it now.
• Do it or ditch it.
• Only turkeys procrastinate
• Lead-time is the gift only I can give myself.
• Beginning is half done.
• Move ahead or move aside
• Winners don’t wait
• Choose this day to use this day.

14. Give yourself the right to make mistakes.

Don’t demand perfection. Perfectionism produces procrastination. Perfectionism paralyzes us. If it’s worth doing, do it whether you do it perfectly or not. There are very few things in this world that are perfect.

15. Don’t set goals you don’t expect to reach.

There is absolutely no motivation in a fake goal.

16. Enlist a partner.

If you’ve got a big task and it’s up to you, you’ll probably procrastinate. But if you’ve got somebody else and can say, “We’re going to meet and get this thing going”, you’re more likely to get it done.

17. Read books that increase your skills.

If you have a hard time recruiting people to your ministry, go get a book on recruitment and read it. If you’re having a hard time delegating responsibility, get a book. If you’re having a hard time speaking in a Bible study, get a book on public communication.

Now, what have you been putting off that you need to get motivated and get accomplished?