Leadership Journal

As we slipped into the booth for lunch, the young pastor of a growing ministry dumped his frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I feel buried by all the stuff of ministry. I went into ministry to teach the Word—that's my passion—but I'm not getting to my sermon prep until Friday at best, sometimes Saturday. I never seem to have time to plan ahead, meet with my key leaders, or envision our next steps."

God was blessing this man's efforts, but he was frustrated, not fulfilled. His Sundays were exciting, but Monday through Friday he juggled appointments, counseling sessions, phone calls, and administration. His inboxes overflowed with e-mail and voice mail. His week flew by before he knew what had happened. He was experiencing the downside of success. Success can kill you.

Every leader must learn the art of juggling, and it begins by choosing carefully what you juggle—and when. The best jugglers may toss handkerchiefs, batons, or torches, but they never juggle everything people throw their way. Likewise, healthy leaders learn to juggle selectively.

I group all my activities into four major categories. By setting aside time for each one, I can better keep my work balanced with my family and my spiritual life. Fewer things get dropped. I call the categories my "Four R's":

1. Rest time—focusing on my spiritual and marital health.
2. Results time—focusing on the main things God has for me personally in advancing his mission.
3. Response time—focusing on "stuff," administration and follow up with others who need my input.
4. Refocus time—focusing on evaluating what my priorities should be.

When a juggler gets in the rhythm, he stays there for a while, concentrating on his routine until it flows naturally. He would never think of taking a phone call or checking his e-mail while flipping knives over his head. Likewise, I focus on one objective at a time and allow enough time to do it well.

I plan my week in large chunks of time, full or half-day units, each devoted to one of the four R's. When I try to fit more than one of these needs into one block of time, I experience frustration and defeat. My stress goes up and my productivity goes down.

When I rest, I really, truly rest. When I'm in results mode, I don't let distractions intrude on the time I've dedicated to my primary mission. When it's response time, I give myself away as a humble servant. And when I go away to refocus, I allow myself time to listen to God, reflect, and rethink how to approach the future.

People sometimes encourage you to rest, they certainly demand results, and they regularly cry out for response, but they seldom think of a leader's need to refocus. In fact, we rarely think of it ourselves.

Refocusing is working on the ministry, not just in the ministry—time to assess, adjust, and innovate for the future. Even if the organization appears stable, the world all around is in flux. ...