I love to plan. There’s nothing quite like pulling out a clean sheet of paper (or opening a new document) and planning the year/month/week/day ahead! If you’re in ministry, you would have done much of your planning for the year ahead because as soon as December 31 moves to January 1, the year starts all over again!
As most of us have experienced, it’s one thing to have a plan, it’s quite another to stick to your plan and monitor your progress throughout the year. Last month I devised a detailed for our outdoor carols service. It included details on what had to happen when, and who would do it. I got off to a great start, but two weeks in I’d stopped reviewing the plan, and only looked at it again after the event.
The internet has some great sites for setting individual goals (things like losing weight, exercising more, reducing credit card debt etc). One of the benefits of using these web-based applications is the online community who can encourage you and keep you accountable to your goals. It’s easy to communicate with, and be motivated by others who want to stop smoking, or learn to play the clarinet – and they don’t have to live in the same country as you. Here are five tools you might like to check out:
These tools can also be used for ministry. Here are some of the benefits of using these tools:
- Break up your goals into manageable tasks (less overwhelming and a greater sense of achievement),
- Send yourself (automatic) reminders of things you should be doing,
- View graphs and charts (if you’re so inclined!),
- Collaborate with others who have a role in the goal/project,
- Track and update your progress via your mobile phone! (not for everyone, but great to have the option).
I like the look of No Kahuna, but it’s a bit simple for my liking (e.g. you can’t assign dates to tasks). Basecamp is regarded as one of, if not, the best, but it’s not cheap. Basecamp works best if everyone in your ministry team is using it. I tried to sign-up for Mecanbe but they’re currently not accepting new users. For my money (or lack thereof) I recommend Lifetick. I’ve had fun playing with Lifetick and they even have a short tour you can watch to see if it’s for you. It has a slick interface, and you can have four goals for free. I also liked this question and answer in their FAQs (frequently asked questions):
What is a fortnight?
For our American friends, a fortnight means two weeks. Therefore, if you set a fortnightly email reminder it will come every two weeks.
I had no idea that fortnights don’t exist in the US!
If you have tried (or are about to start trying) to use web-based applications to set goals and monitor your progress, let the rest of us know. It’d be great to hear of what works and what doesn’t.
Handing over regrets
Speaking of the new year (note the subtle segue!), Igniter Media Group have developed a great video for the end of one year, and the beginning of another. The end of the year is often an opportunity to be filled with regrets. This video is an encouragement to hand those regrets over to God. You can watch the video below:
Regrets from Igniter Media on Vimeo.
