“Security is defined by ones ability to produce.”
General Douglas MacArthur
Do you feel like you have a lot of responsibility and need to organize it? How do you keep yourself on track and prioritize? You might have your own systems in place for keeping all that you do in check – but in the case that you don’t, check out this system I picked up along the way starting with Brett McKay’s version and adding processes along the way.
I feel like I’m drinking from a fire hose often so to keep track of it all I do a Weekly Planning Session at the start of each week. I’ll get a cup of coffee and lay out my agenda and priorities for the week. This format is best done digitally but you could certainly do it on paper too, just with a little more writing. Evernote is my favorite tool for storing all my notes and creating a log. I have years of workflow now logged with dates. I carry over from the previous week on a new page, copy & paste from the last, and delete the completed/redundant/consciously-low-priority items.
I’ll share my personal session and format below with notes in red as commentary. I’ve streamlined my lists to the basics below…
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Weekly Planning Session 7/25/22
Big Rocks – These are the biggest projects on my horizon. I keep them at the forefront because it reminds me every day of what’s ahead and how to prioritize. See my “big rocks vs little rocks” article for more here. Big Rocks get their own planning pages.
Stage Curtain Project – imminent
Building / Basement Project – on-going
YouCon – August 5-6, 2022 – imminent
Iron Ore – August 26-27 – short and ready
Brave IV – October 21-23 – medium and started
HS Spring Retreat – March 24-26 – long
YouCon II – August – distant
Daily Freshers – I leave things here that are inspiring and challenging me to stay sharp. I need that in front of my eyes.
Victory.
- How to make a victory?
- What goals do we/I need to focus on to obtain victory for?
- Art Williams
- What’s the big dream/vision?
- Gotta have an edge – better at something than everyone else. What is that?
- Positivity – 98% of winning is being excited. Be positive, aggressive, enthusiastic
- Stay disciplined
- How do we get on the street? Main street and Spot/Starbucks
- Out & Abouts
- Relational Ministry – Tacos, coffees
Mind dump – This is where the magic happens. No matter what comes to mind, this is your dumping ground so you don’t lose track of tasks and ideas. All is fair game here from the mundane (get staples to “MAN, I just came up with an incredible idea to change the world!”). This becomes an active workspace over the week as you prioritize and scratch them off
Righteous-Discipline for 2022 – I’ve incorporated an exercise from a mastermind group here, a word or phrase to filter life/labor through for the year
Order lightsOrder banners- Order memory cards
- Admin
- Submit receipts – ASAP
- Reimbursements from personal CC
- Call Stella
- Needs help with YA ministry
- YA population: 10-15 people (17-18 mostly, 20’s and 30’s missing). Has relationships with 3-4 of them.
- Urban setting, Eastside
- Neighborhood has young adults
Call back Brian – wants to be added to list- Call Jesse from Good Shepard after connecting with Sara post-YouCon. Prolife ideas
- Get back to Rachel about insurance
- Tell AM / FL about Mark Hart insurance
- Life Teen subscription to pay Sept 1?
Kaitlyn settled email from Typa- Post Coffee Talks
- Amped incoming, Ukraine roundup!
If needed, I’ll further filter my priorities. Not all things are created in your to-do. Say “yes” to what needs to be said yes to but let “no” be something you’re not afraid of.
Urgent & Important
Splash youth ministry day
Call Joe Zambon Called 11:15am
secure help
Training catechists next Thursday at 7pm
Get dates to Fr. Leon about calendar and Encounter
Submit my hours and sick day – Due Monday 6/6[x]
Get the receipts and monthly credit card statement turned in.
Urgent & Unimportant
Fill out the request for Ramseys
I’m told to kick rocks
Not Urgent & Important
Place new contacts in the system from the sign ins and permission slips
Get the receipt from the pizza night and submit the payment from 21 teens and 3 chaperones
Plan out productivity
Focus Seek – January 1-5 in TX
Not Urgent & Unimportant
Order SGYM jackets
Go through the Life Teen materials
Cookie Dough with the ladies – need eggs
Sell concessions at the sports games next year?
Brothers of Mercy campus- in need of servers – part time 3:30-7:30pm
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I’ll track other things below that, like an update on financials and further organizational processes, you can tailor from here. Maybe you’ll find this one helpful but I’d love to hear what you do to get your dreaming and doing done! Thanks to Evernote, I can access this on any device and on the go. It acts as my personal dashboard and keeps my workflow in front of me – has been essential as I lead on many fronts.
This article is from Righteous Co.’s weekly newsletter, The Climb. If you want to see content like this and more, subscribe here to get The Climb right in your email box, every Righteous Wednesday. You can also follow along on Instagram @righteousco.
adam jarosz 