Hey Friend -

Over the next few weeks, I want to help you understand the unique way we are wired to do ministry. I talk with pastors all the time about how each day brings a new sort of challenge. We all know Matthew 25:23, but sometimes we might wrap up a work day and repeat “well done, good and faithful servant” after having to pivot and deal with insurance or other frustrating issues all day.

So let me ask you two questions.

What fills you? What drains you?

Do your favorite parts of ministry leave you wanting more, staying focused for hours?

And what about the least favorite thing, and you feel like doing it for one hour is equal to a 12-hour workday?

I had the conversation just yesterday with a pastor friend about ministry being a fulfilling job, but we have to sometimes work to make it that way. Yes, I think there is an intentional design behind our working life that can either make it better or worse.

Today, I want to teach you what I call the 3D framework.

Draining | Dealing | Developing

I introduced this WAY BACK in the first episode of the podcast, and I still go back to it all the time.

In fact, over the last few weeks, I have gone back to the idea as I’ve been on an intentional journey to reorient myself to my current reality of ministry work.

This isn’t about listing what you like and what you don’t like, but developing an energy-forward approach to ministry work.

Draining tasks are those things you can do, but have a significant energy drain on you. It might be “busy work” or even crucial ministry tasks such as counseling others and leading meetings. A draining task doesn’t mean it isn’t important; it just takes a different cognitive load.

Tiago Forte, in his book Building a Second Brain, talks about how the cognitive demands of life grow every year, but our brain doesn’t grow alongside them. Dynamic Stabilization, a theory from my current sociology crush Hartmut Rosa, describes this feeling as well.

Draining tasks drain us of energy in a significant way.

Dealing tasks are those things that keep us at our current level of energy. They neither contribute or detract. Essentially neutral, you must manage these things throughout the day. I find that dealing with tasks is the necessary fuel to keep things burning.

Developing tasks are energy positives. They make us more excited, more alive, and have this weird ability to take us out of a slump and get gas back in the tank. We all have unique developers, and what might be draining for me is developing for you.

The better we get a handle on our personal 3D’s, the easier it is to design a daily and weekly approach to ministry which doesn’t have us wrecked at the end of the week.

Action Step

In my course Becoming Productive, I give away a worksheet on listing out your own 3D’s. You can grab the first module and the worksheet for free.

So get out your calendar or journal from last week, and start looking at how you spent your time. Reflect back on the things that might not have been on it. Print out that 3D framework worksheet. Start listing each ministry task or action item within the categories. If you know you typically do something, but it didn’t happen that week, add it to the list as well.

Once you get done, circle a couple that might surprise you. Or, you might have a task that got filtered in a surprising way.

This simple clarity exercise can be surprising.

Action Reflection

What’s one draining task you can delegate, delay, or change how you approach?

Here is a truth I believe in 100%.

Knowing what drains or fuels you isn’t selfish - it’s stewardship.

Next week, I’ll be back to talk about how we can understand our time inside the 3D framework.

Chad

PS. If keeping track of things seems like a chore, try my most recent Day Sheet. It’s the tool I’ve used for over 15 years to plan my day and stay on track.

​2024v2 Day Sheet.pdf​

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My latest YouTube video where I talk about my favorite way to track new visitors and create a visitor integration system.