To get more energy, reduce your frustrations
14/06/10 19:45 Filed in: Eliminate
frustrations | Protocols
You know it takes energy. You know
it takes energy to ride your bike to church. You know
it takes energy to buy bananas at the store and to
lead a Bible study on Romans 12. And you know it
takes energy to write an email to your donors about
Sachi’s baptism and to talk with Thomas and Kim about
the culture shock they’re experiencing.
You’re wishing you had more energy—10% more, 5% more, even 1% more. Just more energy. If you had more energy, you could work on balancing your personal/professional life, developing relationships with 3 neighbors, and translating training materials on house churches.
While it’s true that if you had more energy you’d be able to work on these goals, maybe the issue isn’t having more energy. Maybe you have all the energy you need, but some of your energy is being sapped by frustrations.
Maybe your energy is getting sapped by frustrations you have with email. You’re frustrated that your thinking keeps getting interrupted by the sound email makes when downloading. You’re frustrated that you don’t have big blocks of time to work because you have to attend to email throughout the day. You’re so frustrated about email that you use energy to talk with others about your frustration and to listen to their frustrations.
Instead of using your energy to tolerate your energy-sapping frustrations, use your energy to reduce your frustrations. For example, use your energy to turn the sound off for downloading email and to schedule doing email twice a day.
Question: What can you do to reduce one or more energy-sapping frustrations?
Remember, reducing your energy-sapping frustrations frees up energy you can use to pursue God’s calling. Reduce one frustration. Today.
Want to empower others to reduce their frustrations? Ask questions that provoke reflection, for example:
You’re wishing you had more energy—10% more, 5% more, even 1% more. Just more energy. If you had more energy, you could work on balancing your personal/professional life, developing relationships with 3 neighbors, and translating training materials on house churches.
While it’s true that if you had more energy you’d be able to work on these goals, maybe the issue isn’t having more energy. Maybe you have all the energy you need, but some of your energy is being sapped by frustrations.
Maybe your energy is getting sapped by frustrations you have with email. You’re frustrated that your thinking keeps getting interrupted by the sound email makes when downloading. You’re frustrated that you don’t have big blocks of time to work because you have to attend to email throughout the day. You’re so frustrated about email that you use energy to talk with others about your frustration and to listen to their frustrations.
Instead of using your energy to tolerate your energy-sapping frustrations, use your energy to reduce your frustrations. For example, use your energy to turn the sound off for downloading email and to schedule doing email twice a day.
Question: What can you do to reduce one or more energy-sapping frustrations?
Remember, reducing your energy-sapping frustrations frees up energy you can use to pursue God’s calling. Reduce one frustration. Today.
Want to empower others to reduce their frustrations? Ask questions that provoke reflection, for example:
- What are 5 frustrations you have?
- How do you feel when these frustrations are present/not present?
- How would you feel if you could reduce 1 or more of these 5 frustrations?
- How would reducing 1 or more frustrations impact your ministry?
- If you reduced all 5 frustrations, what might happen?
- What helps you reduce your frustrations? What hinders you?
- What’s 1 frustration you want to reduce?
- What can you do to reduce that frustration?
- What will you do?