“A cancelled meeting is a windfall,” my wise friend told me yesterday.  Create a pending folder to place items that are important, lack a specific deadline, and can’t be handled within two minutes. When that meeting is cancelled open your pending folder, select a task and work on it.  You’ve taken a task and made it an opportunity.  It took you maybe 5 or 10 seconds to make that decision.  You’ve already scheduled your day to accomplish the things you do best.  Stick with your plan for the day and use your windfall to accomplish or make progress on one more task in your pending folder.

By the way it’s a reminder to regularly review your Pending Folder.  By reviewing your folder on a weekly basis two good things will be accomplished. You’re being responsible about your pending items and experience peace of mind about those tasks.

I use OmniFocus to manage my projects and tasks. OmniFocus is simple to use and syncs with my phone, iPad and computer instantly.  My roles give me context for projects and tasks.  I’ve assigned all of them to either to Personal, Partner (Becky’s husband), Parent, Pastor, and Pilgrim.

OmniFocus also reminds me where to work on these tasks it could be my office, at my computer, any context that I choose.  For instance I’m approaching Kroger the program on my phone reminds me to stop and buy milk and cereal for breakfast.  My family is happy and so I am I.

Google also has a great set of tools to use as well.  Gmail has a great tasks app built it. This link will give you a helpful introduction.   http://goo.gl/FPrhF 

There are some things I can’t delegate. It’s what I bring to those roles that I’m positioned and gifted to accomplish.  The same is true of you!  Today, my staff had the opportunity to tell me once again what they uniquely bring to Woodland Church.  They know themselves and their gifts well.  Their challenge and yours and mine is to identify and enlist people who they can share ministry with.  Release them to make  those important contributions to our ministry at Woodland; leaving them free to do what they uniquely do well!  I’m blessed with a loyal, talented and godly staff.  They are beloved partners in ministry!

Peace and Joy!