Your First Step Toward Reducing Stress and Overwhelm in the New Year
Ever feel stressed, even overwhelmed by the daily challenges of life and leadership?
Sometimes, the obstacles facing us can appear immovable and insurmountable. We don’t see a way forward.
Other times, prosperity and success can create that same exact sense of overwhelm! As your church or organization grows and as the opportunities abound, so do the challenges, pressures and list of tasks to be done.
Either way, I’ve discovered one great way to get on top of my stress at the beginning of the year and I would like to share it with you.
I’ll start with the fact that I’ve just returned from a two-week trip over the recent Christmas holidays. Mostly, we visited family.
However, as we usually do at year’s end, Bud and I took a couple of extra days to get away (this time to a small mountain cabin) where we relaxed and hiked but also mapped out our business and personal vision, goals and strategies for the coming year.
Why spend valuable time on that kind of reflection, discussion and frankly, to some extent, just plain work?
I’ve found refocusing on my vision and mission and setting clear goals and strategies for the coming year serve as an indispensable first step in defeating stress and overwhelm for the remainder of the year! (By the way, I am presenting this as my personal method but it’s easily adaptable to a team process.)
My Three Step Process for Planning My Year
You may have a process that you already use (either personally or with your team) for this kind of strategic planning. If you do, I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below!
Resources exist to help churches and individuals with setting their goals and strategies. However, here’s my own very simple process. If you don’t have your own method, perhaps this will supply a model for you to consider.
First, I Look Back
I write answers to questions like the ones below. The lists can be pretty long!
What did I accomplish last year?
Where did I fail last year?
What did I learn last year?
I make it a point to celebrate my big wins from last year! This part of the process can be fun and gets my juices flowing to plan out next year’s big goals!
Secondly, I Look Inside
My deepest and best motivations and commitments will carry me through the challenges of the coming year! So I reflect on topics like these.
I review my mission and vision.
I review my “Big Why”: my true purpose, the values that lie deep in my heart and soul.
I ask myself “The Miracle Question”: without any consideration of the constraints or obstacles, what accomplishments would I absolutely LOVE to achieve next year?
This year, for example, I imagined coming back to the same mountain cabin next year, sitting on the same porch and reflecting on my 2020 achievements and blessings (all with God’s help, of course!).
Finally, I Look Forward
Management guru Peter Drucker reportedly stated, “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.” I know that’s true. So, fired up and inspired by what happened the year before and what’s possible in the year ahead, I lay the foundation of the hard work that must come.
I list the projects that I want to accomplish.
I break those projects into smaller tasks. (Frankly, my list is often long. Then my overwhelm picks up again!
So, I prioritize: what if we could only accomplish a few items? What would the highest impact, game changing, needle moving projects be?
I review my weekly schedule and routines and revise them as needed.
When I’m done, the process has reduced my sense of overwhelm and heightened my enthusiasm! The priorities ahead seem clear and doable. Now I can relax!
Is It Really that Simple?
Yes, I find the hours I spend on the process above pay rewarding benefits as the next year unfolds. Of course, as needed I also ask other questions such as the ones below. In essence, though, the three step process above is all I need.
What financial resources or staffing needs do these goals create?
What are our strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities?
What are we doing now that we can eliminate?
What can we delegate?
Great leaders help their organizations achieve clarity of purpose. Clarity reduces overwhelm for everyone and helps staff and volunteers to engage, focus and produce more. That’s a win for everyone!
So, if you don’t have a process for setting your own personal priorities for the year ahead, I invite you to use and modify mine!
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