CHECKLISTS AND ADD
Checklists are wonderful things. They let us know exactly what we need to do. They help us remember what's important. They put things in the order in which they need to be accomplished. They give us, not only the items that need to be accomplished, but also the dates by which they need to be completed.
Recently, our staff did what staffs often do...we retreated. We thought and prayed and strategized and planned and made lists and looked at calendars and drew flow charts and re-drew flow charts...all the stuff you do on retreats. That's often where it all ends. Right there. GREAT RETREAT! Now, it's back to business as normal. Six months later, someone...some over-achiever...asks "Didn't we decide to do such-and -such on the retreat last year?" Don't you just hate those guys?!
Not this year, Mr. Smarty-Pants. We wrote it down AND we wrote out Action Items AND we assigned people to each Action Item AND we gave a "Due By" (not Dubai...easy mistake) date for each item. Very organized. Very productive. Very professional.
I saw my list. I had an Anxiety Attack. It was overwhelming. In the immortal words of the great Peyton Manning, "I think I peed just a little in my pants". I started four things at once...simultaneously. Anxiety Attack #2 (& #3).
LESSON LEARNED: I'm ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)...(among other initials). I don't need a Post-It Note with 14 things on it. I need 14 Post-It Notes, each with one thing on them. Can I get an AMEN? Are there any brothers and sisters out there who feel my pain? OK, let's face it, if you are, you probably haven't read this far. You took one look and said, "Why does he write so much? It's too long. I can't do it."
Maybe that's why Jesus told Martha, "There's only one thing required". Maybe he meant just one thing at a time. Martha needed Post-It Notes.
Recently, our staff did what staffs often do...we retreated. We thought and prayed and strategized and planned and made lists and looked at calendars and drew flow charts and re-drew flow charts...all the stuff you do on retreats. That's often where it all ends. Right there. GREAT RETREAT! Now, it's back to business as normal. Six months later, someone...some over-achiever...asks "Didn't we decide to do such-and -such on the retreat last year?" Don't you just hate those guys?!
Not this year, Mr. Smarty-Pants. We wrote it down AND we wrote out Action Items AND we assigned people to each Action Item AND we gave a "Due By" (not Dubai...easy mistake) date for each item. Very organized. Very productive. Very professional.
I saw my list. I had an Anxiety Attack. It was overwhelming. In the immortal words of the great Peyton Manning, "I think I peed just a little in my pants". I started four things at once...simultaneously. Anxiety Attack #2 (& #3).
LESSON LEARNED: I'm ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)...(among other initials). I don't need a Post-It Note with 14 things on it. I need 14 Post-It Notes, each with one thing on them. Can I get an AMEN? Are there any brothers and sisters out there who feel my pain? OK, let's face it, if you are, you probably haven't read this far. You took one look and said, "Why does he write so much? It's too long. I can't do it."
Maybe that's why Jesus told Martha, "There's only one thing required". Maybe he meant just one thing at a time. Martha needed Post-It Notes.
Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks-Amy Wimberly