It's a Balancing Act

Balancing, juggling… these sound more like terms fit for a circus than for our ministry work. Yet juggling all the priorities of ministry, business, family, and personal faith journey is a full-time job. And achieving balance…it is a never ending challenge.

When I was younger…much younger…I used to try to balance on one of those boards on a large pipe-like roller. And juggle. I took a lot of spills in the effort. And when I did accomplish this feat, I could never relax. It took constant effort to maintain balance.

The same is true in our lives, particularly as leaders in ministry. It is a constant effort if we are to maintain a healthy balance between work…even if it is ministry…and the rest of our lives.

Ben Case, of Case Consulting Services, has a daily blog on fundraising. He often gleans from guest writers, as he did recently. Robyn Mendez has some good reminders on things we can do to maintain our perspective in the daily struggle for balance.

1. Schedule a no-meeting day – time spent in meetings can kill productivity during the workday. Block out a day each week when no meetings take place.

2. Learn to say “No” … or “Not Right Now” – the world is full of great ideas. As a leader, the additional work or projects that you approve often falls on the shoulders of those who report to you.

3. Define a consistent time that you will leave the office – by establishing a consistent time to head home, you are giving yourself time in the evening to live your life. You also are telling your staff that it’s OK for them to head home in the evenings.

4. Take your vacation time – this seems so straightforward but in 2014, 40% of Americans forfeited vacation time. You’ve earned this, so take it.

5. Guard your time at home – don’t allow work to creep in. Create at least a two-hour work-free zone where you have to focus on family time together.

Most of these suggestions we have heard before. The challenge comes in implementing them in our weekly routine.

And about the actual juggling and balancing I did so many years ago…that’s another reason I’m glad we didn’t have You Tube back then!