Hey Friends,

Thanksgiving through New Year's is the tax season for people who work in churches.

If I’m honest, there are years when I start to feel a deep sense of dread right about now. I know exactly what's coming:

• The church calendar is already over-scheduled.
• Year-end giving matters, and the budget isn't caught up.
• The family has big travel plans, and you feel pressured to make it happen, even though it's the worst time of the year for a trip.

Have you ever felt like this before? 🙋‍♂️

I went through this cycle a few years ago. I remember spending two days after Christmas at a family member's house, sleeping nearly 20 hours a day. I was so exhausted I couldn't even eat.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Since we are almost hitting that holiday crunch, and you might be feeling worried, let me give you three quick strategies to avoid overextending yourself, lead well, and be fully present for your family and loved ones.

1. The 40-Day Brain Dump

This is the starting point for all productivity. You need to empty your mind and create space for positive, focused work.

Write down everything that is happening on a piece of paper. Don’t filter, don't group—just get it all down.

The key next step? Once you are brain-dumped, immediately schedule and block out all your family and travel time first.

2. Identify Your "Bare Minimum Week"

​In episode 78 of the podcast, I talked about three kinds of ministry weeks. We are going to use one of those ideas as the building block for your holiday strategy.

During the holidays, flexibility is lost because of addition. I’d estimate 25% more stuff hits my calendar. While the holidays aren't an "emergency," the approach for a "different" week applies here: you must establish what your bare minimum week looks like and stick to it. This simple building block will keep you anchored.

3. Build Out the Next 40 Days (Right Now)

Draw out a weekly plan for each week, from Thanksgiving through the first of the year (or even through January 10th).

• Put down the events.
• Block the time for additional message preparation.
• Still give yourself time for pastoral responsiveness.

Awareness is a superpower. Use the brain dump to make sure you have everything in there.

Crucial Warning: Don't add additional, non-holiday (or non-year-end business) tasks to this plan. Stay focused. Building this plan now creates the awareness and the on-ramp back into the New Year, ensuring you kick off January strong.

Healthy ministry through strategic productivity starts with awareness. These three strategies build that awareness and give you an operating dynamic for the next few weeks.

Chad

PS. My 2025 Planner Pack is full of templates specifically designed to help implement processes like this. The waitlist is open and the pack goes on sale on Thanksgiving Day. Sign up for the waitlist here.