One
important aspect of finding happiness is to be productive. However, it is not just
happiness that is desired; but to be fruitful, to matter, to make a difference,
and to find meaning in productivity. Leaders are productive people, by their
very nature a good leader is and must be
productive. Productivity always comes first, but remember, productivity is part
of the journey as well as the final destination.
1. Productive people accept the pressures of chronic
discontent.
Productive
people are willing to be somewhat chronically dissatisfied. In a productive
ministry, business, or charity, one
continually feels the pressure of not doing enough or getting
it exactly right. In life,
it is much easier to lower ones standards and to settle for lower levels
of productivity. But in a situation where someone is happy with the way things
are, nothing is likely to change. For leaders to be visionaries they must be discontent
with where they are in order to desire going somewhere else. Discontentment is based on a comparison of what an
individual’s life is at any point in time as it relates to the vision that God
has given him.
2. Productive people have specific visions
and goals.
Many
people have visions and goals, but productive people have very specific and
defined visions broke down into specific steps, behaviors, and goals so that their work accomplishes their vision.
Vision
generates productivity when two things happen.
·
First; When they are made specific
·
Second; When they
are connected to action
3. Productive people fast before
feasting
Here
is a concept that is lost on the world.
Delayed gratification is a lost art these days. The idea of work first
and celebrate or reward second, does not happen very often. But productive
people know how to have delayed
gratification. This is a Biblical principal, it simply means that one has to
work hard and be productive for now, and maybe do some things he really does
not want to do, to see the bigger reward later.
· There is no
achievement in the ministry or business that occurs without pain. This means
hard work, sacrifice, deprivation – things one would like to avoid.
4. Productive people tell themselves
good news
They
understand the Biblical value of a positive thought life
“Whatever things are true, whatever
things a noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever
things are lovely, whatever things are of good report…..think on these
things.. Philippians 4:8
Proverbs
says; As a man thinketh in his heart,
so is he.
Now
I’m not saying you should lie to yourself; if you fail at something, get bad
news, or something just didn’t work out,
recognize it for what it was and move on. But don’t dwell on the bad, move
past it quickly…
5. Productive people hold themselves
accountable.
Productive
leaders take responsibility for results and outcomes. They understand that what
they do makes a difference. Non-Productive leaders seem to see everything as being in God’s hands
and suggest that, if it’s God’s will it will turn out right, if it’s not God’s
will then it won’t. They leave it all to God. That is just another way of
avoiding accountability and responsibility for their part of the equation.
God
is Sovereign, but He expects you to do your part as He has given you the authority.
Productive people hold themselves responsible for everything leading to the
moment when God takes over and , by His Holy Spirit, achieves the results.
6. Productive people ignore unfair
criticism
This
is HUGE. To be a productive leader, do not wear your feelings on your sleeve. You
are going to get darts shot at you when you’re on top because you make an easy
target, expect criticism and ignore it. When
you pursue the vision that God has given you, you will most likely rub some
people the wrong way.
Remember, there is a strong principal both in Scripture and
psychology that productive people frequently cut against the grain of less
productive people. Their dreams are beyond the dreams of normal people, their
self confidence will be mis-understood, and their discontent will be
unsettling. So they draw criticism.
7.
Productive people keep a tight focus..
Productive
leaders are not easily distracted from the basic core of their work. The
ability of a man or woman to get a single minded, godly purpose generates
tremendous power. Highly effective leaders understand that they cannot do
everything, so they focus on the basic theme or core of God’s work in their
lives, and delegate the rest. Highly effective people are many times described
as obsessive.
8. Productive people find and join a
conspiracy of mutual support
I
like to call this Master Mind Groups.
·
Find like minded
people that you admire and look up to
·
People you want
to learn from
·
Start a group
that meets regularly to discuss topics
Develop
a mastermind group of about 5 people other than yourself. The first one may be
hard to find, but keep trying. Find positive upbeat people that will keep you
and everyone else uplifted. The last thing you want is someone that dumps a load of trash on you all the time.
Leaders
and ministers need to find and be around people who will believe in them and
team with them in a mutual conspiracy for good works.
Know This: If you want to
know where you will be five years from now, look at the people you hang around
with the most. The influence of their lives will bring you up or down.
9. Productive people don’t sweat the
small stuff
This
is another way of saying, keep the big stuff in mind. It does not mean ignore the details, it means
to keep clearly in mind what it is your working toward. Productive people are
able to keep the big picture in mind of what they are doing for God, while at
the same time not be carried off by the grand design and lose focus. It’s like
the saying, you can’t see the forest for the trees. Get a handle on the small things, delegate
them, or forget them. But manage them correctly and keep on track toward the
main goal.
10. Productive People take time to
recharge the battery, get some rest, and enjoy the trip
God
does not want the leader’s life to be all drudgery, all obsessive focus, all
work. God engineered man to need rest, to relax, and to have recreation. No job
on the “to do list” is so important that God wants you to neglect your family. You
must find balance in your life. Good
time management skills and sitting priorities are vital. Yes the mission is important, but not at the cost of your health or the health
of your family unit.
QUESTION: What experience have you had with productivity issues and how have you overcome them ? Leave us a comment so that others can be involved..
Copy Right 2012 Darren Dake and Darren Dake Ministries
