As a leader, I need to make sure I spend my time on the “right” things because my personal attention economy has a limited supply.
It’s basic mathematics. The things I let into my life control the trajectory of my influence and my relationships. Much like the shifting of the tectonic plates—it’s unnoticeable to the naked eye, but it is definitely happening—and the results often cause disasters.
What if we approached our days with more intentionality? What if we chose the best things to give our attention to and filtered out the flotsam jetsam with greater precision? What if we chose something better than busy and unapologetically dropped unnecessary tasks? What if we spent our time and attention on the things that have the most value?
Here’s my suggestion. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, burned out and unproductive, why not evaluate your daily habits? Is it possible that you could actually accomplish more by doing less?
In Timothy Ferris’ book, The Four Hour Work Week, he poses a powerful time-management question: If you could only work two hours a day, what would you need to accomplish? OK, now, let me add a spin to it—if you only had two hours to work, what would God want you to accomplish?
So many meetings, phone calls, emails and social media interactions can clog up the day and take us away from the core essentials of life and ministry. What are the most important tasks, relationships, objectives that you need to complete on a given day or week? If you don’t know the answer to that question—find it.
What would it look like if you governed your personal attention economy with more wisdom and, well, attention? What would happen if you checked your email less, stayed clear of unnecessary distractions and started every day with a clear sense of the core objectives you needed to accomplish? Now, think about the impact of that life pattern over weeks and months—what would happen to your ministry and to your relationships? Chances are, your efficiency in ministry and your relationships would both benefit—not to mention the time and attention you’ve freed up for unhurried prayer.
Nobody likes hanging out with the leader who’s always distracted, highly anxious and looks like he or she doesn’t have time. Trust me, you don’t want to be the “busy” leader. This is especially true in ministry.
However, in our culture, one that values “busy” over productive, it’s a daily battle—sometimes more with our egos than actual tasks.
So, curate the things you give your attention to with greater precision. Don’t let the wrong things control your life. Be awesome at the right things. You just might find out that your leadership is recharged and the margins you create allow God to work in surprising and powerful ways.
Because it’s true—what captures your attention controls your life.
