Procrastination
Procrastination is a condition of human life. We put things off that seem too arduous a task, things that we don't feel passionate about, or things that we feel would take longer than the short time span and attention we are willing to devote to a task. The longer we procrastinate, the harder the obstacle becomes. The task sits atop a molehill, which, given time, turns into a mountain. And suddenly the task is even more out of reach, thus perpetuating the procrastination even further. And the cycle continues.
I was honored to be invited to a seminar on Practicing the Preaching Life, which took place this morning. The alliteration in the title was just a happy addition to the invitation. Although I am not yet a pastor, I was invited as a candidate discerning ministry in the United Methodist Church. I was eager to see what I could learn about the habits, preparation, and ensuing task of preaching on a weekly/regular basis.
The seminar was very informative. For a pastor actively involved in a church, preaching is one of the main tasks of the job. The reason for the seminar is to assist clergy with creating healthy habits around writing sermons. And while it is not directly impactful in my life at the current moment, it gave me additional tools to add to my arsenal when the time comes where I have more opportunities to preach regularly.
One of the topics revolved around procrastination. Many preachers feel the "Saturday night crunch" in preparing a sermon for the following day. Procrastination has expressed itself through a creative block, and the sermon just isn't coming together. Forcing your way through it can often be the wrong approach, and leads to burn out as well as a lack luster message.
A remedy that was presented to us is to plan further in advance for the task. A pastor who preaches every Sunday knows that the deadline looms every week, roughly. Yet some still wait until Wednesday or later to plan the sermon for the next week. By planning out further ahead, even several weeks ahead, the task becomes less daunting and easier to manage.
The practice which I am encouraged to observe in my own life as a result of this seminar is to take a task in 15 minute segments. By only committing yourself to a task for 15 minutes, you allow time to work on it, but don't get bogged down by having to spend more time on it all at once. If you find yourself in a groove after that 15 minutes, allow yourself to keep plugging away. If not, move on to another task and come back to it later, the next day or at a scheduled time to think about it.
By taking a task in a small dose, the mountain of procrastination is chipped away in 15 minute boulders. Soon the task is easily approachable and the effort required to perform the task is less.
Positivity for the Day
Perhaps right now as you're reading this, there is something else that you really ought to be doing. A task list that never ends is a reality of life. Life keeps going on around us no matter the pace at which we approach it. If there is something that you are putting off, take time right now to put together a plan of attack. Put 15 minutes on your calendar to focus solely on that task. Let me know in the comments how your experience turns out. Maybe collectively we can be accountable to each other. After all, I probably have something better I should be doing right now, too.
Be blessed as you climb the mountain.
Peace,
Positively Pastoral Jessica
I was honored to be invited to a seminar on Practicing the Preaching Life, which took place this morning. The alliteration in the title was just a happy addition to the invitation. Although I am not yet a pastor, I was invited as a candidate discerning ministry in the United Methodist Church. I was eager to see what I could learn about the habits, preparation, and ensuing task of preaching on a weekly/regular basis.
The seminar was very informative. For a pastor actively involved in a church, preaching is one of the main tasks of the job. The reason for the seminar is to assist clergy with creating healthy habits around writing sermons. And while it is not directly impactful in my life at the current moment, it gave me additional tools to add to my arsenal when the time comes where I have more opportunities to preach regularly.
One of the topics revolved around procrastination. Many preachers feel the "Saturday night crunch" in preparing a sermon for the following day. Procrastination has expressed itself through a creative block, and the sermon just isn't coming together. Forcing your way through it can often be the wrong approach, and leads to burn out as well as a lack luster message.
A remedy that was presented to us is to plan further in advance for the task. A pastor who preaches every Sunday knows that the deadline looms every week, roughly. Yet some still wait until Wednesday or later to plan the sermon for the next week. By planning out further ahead, even several weeks ahead, the task becomes less daunting and easier to manage.
The practice which I am encouraged to observe in my own life as a result of this seminar is to take a task in 15 minute segments. By only committing yourself to a task for 15 minutes, you allow time to work on it, but don't get bogged down by having to spend more time on it all at once. If you find yourself in a groove after that 15 minutes, allow yourself to keep plugging away. If not, move on to another task and come back to it later, the next day or at a scheduled time to think about it.
By taking a task in a small dose, the mountain of procrastination is chipped away in 15 minute boulders. Soon the task is easily approachable and the effort required to perform the task is less.
Positivity for the Day
Perhaps right now as you're reading this, there is something else that you really ought to be doing. A task list that never ends is a reality of life. Life keeps going on around us no matter the pace at which we approach it. If there is something that you are putting off, take time right now to put together a plan of attack. Put 15 minutes on your calendar to focus solely on that task. Let me know in the comments how your experience turns out. Maybe collectively we can be accountable to each other. After all, I probably have something better I should be doing right now, too.
Be blessed as you climb the mountain.
Peace,
Positively Pastoral Jessica
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