By jimwideman on
12/7/2010 3:47 AM
I'm flying home today and heading back to work tomorrow. So I'm going to be bringing this series to a close. Here the final post on Keeping Life Simple Revisited...
13. Don’t ever quit or make big decisions during the madness. Major decisions and crazy times don’t go together. This is a key rule to remember.
14. Don’t make people decisions when time is limited. When it concerns someone else, take your time and consider things from every angle. Always treat others the way you would want them to treat you or your kids. Don’t let the shortness of the hour keep you from making a wise decision, slow things down and think it through when it affects people.
15. Develop a plan to make next year better. Learn from your experiences. As soon as an event is over I ask my team what did we learn? How can we make it better? What do we need to simplify? Do this while it’s fresh on your mind, go ahead and start next year’s file.
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By jimwideman on
12/5/2010 3:29 AM
9. Be open to change in your lifestyle. Different results require different actions.
Don’t despise change. Change is not a four-letter word it’s a six-letter word and can be your friend. (Which is also a six-letter word.) When I have to change something that I know is not a permanent change I remind myself this is only for a short while and I can do this! As with anything else guard your thoughts and your tongue and line them both up with scripture.
10. Do your homework and see what others do in hectic times. I love to study busy people. I check up on busy people by calling, emailing, read their books and blogs, network at conferences or on facebook. I look for new places to learn all the time.
While I'm here in New York I made plans to connect with 3 different Children's Pastors. I love learning from others. I will have more questions for these CP's than they will have for me. Who are you learning from? What is the most signifigant thing you have learned today?
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By jimwideman on
12/3/2010 2:57 AM
7.Get creative with your family time. I try to take a family member with me every chance I get. I also try to combine my family time with something else. I go walking with Julie, cycling with Julie, sushi eating with Whitney, tennis with Yancy and Julie, movies with my son-in-law and shopping with them all. Because I was flying out to NYC this week I rode with Whitney to take my Mom home Sunday. To have 3 hours by my self with my grown daughter is a real treat. I look for every hour possible to hang with my family. In turn they are a real stress reliever for me as well. In my book "Connect With Your Kids" I go into detail of ways to get creative with your family time with your spouse and your kids. Checkout my web store for a special deal I have going on, on these books, want to buy them in more bulk? Contact Dustin @ 615-962-1713.
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By jimwideman on
12/1/2010 2:40 AM
3. Delegate to others those things that they can do for you even if it’s short term.
When you’re out of time use someone else’s. There are times I need to delegate something long term there are times I do it for a season. Make a list of everything you are doing that someone else can do. I hear you saying “but they can do it as well as me.” I know, I’ve been there. This is why you use checklist and job descriptions as well as special assignments to get them to do it your way. If you have not identified where you need help and what you need to stop doing you’ll just keep doing what you’ve always done and have the same results.
4. Use time saving tools. Every job goes smoother when you use the right tools. Here are the tools I rely on to help me keep my life simpler: My iphone, a timer (There's one of those on my iphone as well! I use it to stay on time and end meetings, phone calls and sermons at the time I have allotted.) My most valuable tool is my calendar. You can’t manage time without a day planning system. I use ical on my laptop, iphone, ipad & mobile me, because I had reached a place where my calendar system was a time waster. How did you know that, Jim? Because I have developed a habit that saves my bacon on a regular basis, I account for my time daily as I spend it. Another wonderful tool is voice mail. It can eliminate some memos and even a meeting or two. A tip to remember is when you can leave details instead of needing a call back. Next is a tool that is where my master calendar is kept it's my computer. I use a laptop because it helps me keep life simple everywhere. (Have you seen the new thin macbook air?) By having a computer or my ipad with me everywhere I am it helps me meet deadlines, network and brainstorm with others, do things once rather than constantly redo. I depend on a computer so much I have a spare just in case I need it. Other tools I use include email groups and drafts so things I say over and over I can send without retyping and those people I send to a lot I make a group.
The problem with email is knowing when to talk and not type, it’s all about keeping life simple. I’m also a big fan of two other tools blogging and websites. Both can be huge assets in communicating with key leaders, workers and parents. Both can become time wasters as well. You have to decide!
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By jimwideman on
11/29/2010 3:28 AM
Jesus is the master of simplifying life. The laws of the Old Testament were many and complex but Jesus made it very easy to follow them (Matthew 22:36-40) 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Jesus’ answers concerning life are always simple even though it may not always be easy to carry them out. Paul too had a quest to keep life simple in 2Corinthians 1:12, he writes, “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. Paul had a heart for following the Lord. He patterned his life after the example of Jesus (see 2Corinthians 11:3) The devil tried to complicate God’s simple instructions to Adam and Eve. He still tries today to complicate our lives by injecting thoughts into our minds.
We must choose to keep life simple! It’s our choice when things get crazy.
Sometimes our responsibilities and the pressures of life affect us in a negative way.
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By jimwideman on
11/27/2010 8:51 PM
Many of you might have noticed I have taken a break from blogging. For the last two months my blogging has not a regular part of my life. Back in early September my High School Student Pastor resigned and I not only began a world wide search for his replacement I physically took over his job and started filling the pulpit. As the weeks have turned into months I've started making changes and running the youth ministry like I was going to be the long term youth pastor. When I find my self taking on things that where unplaned or unforseen the first thing I start looking at is what can I do to simplify my life. Back in January of this year I started a blog that had 23 parts. One of the trends I see in Children's Ministry that bothers me is that it seems there are more people blogging about what they think than what they do. I promise I will never do that!
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By jimwideman on
6/14/2010 8:41 AM
Time and how you manage it is the difference between whether you are able to accomplish the things that you need to do or not. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting what you need to get done, done. One question I’m asked more than any other question is, “How many hours do you work each week?” Let’s go ahead and answer this question.
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By jimwideman on
6/14/2010 8:41 AM
Time and how you manage it is the difference between whether you are able to accomplish the things that you need to do or not. At the end of the day, it’s all about getting what you need to get done, done. One question I’m asked more than any other question is, “How many hours do you work each week?” Let’s go ahead and answer this question.
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By jimwideman on
4/1/2010 12:51 AM
Being the son of a jokester, April 1st has always meant one thing and that was; let's have some fun! My Mom is 80 years old and still plays jokes and pranks on her family and friends. I will get a thanksgiving greeting card in the mail today from her or a crazy call left on my voice mail before the day is over. That's just how I was raised. And guess what, I'll do the same thing, I'll call my three girls and mess with them as well before the day is out. In my family we just look for every excuse possible to laugh.
In doing a little research I learned that the history of April Fool's Day (as known in the US) is the subject of debate, but most experts agree the origins date back to 1582 in France with the reform of the calendar under Charles IX.
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By jimwideman on
1/30/2010 12:15 AM
If you are serious about mastering the art of simplifying life you must master the habit of evaluating constantly. Listen to your spouse. Ask the timeless question…”Where’s the beef?” Examine and inspect fruit, gains, and losses. Evaluate efficiency and look for ways to build systems and streamline efforts.
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