Routine Check-up

Depending on your perspective, the word 'routine' can sound like a curse or a blessing. A routine can provide stability and direction so that you can get things done efficiently. Being in a routine, however, can keep you from being able to experience anything new and chain you to the way things have always been done.

Routine isn't bad, in fact, I like having a routine. It helps me to work better and to know what's coming next. But when the routine supercedes the work, the it becomes counter-productive. This is true for your basic work-a-day life as well as for organizations. If your church is in a routine that doesn't allow for change, then what you have is a weight holding you down rather than a structure building you up.

Check your routine to see if it's working for you or against you.

• Is your routine flexible enough to incorporate change? 
• Do you have margin in your routine for the unexpected?
• Does your routine keep you focused on the important and help you avoid the trivial?
• Does your routine provide rest?
• Can you articulate your routine (i.e. is it explicit rather than implicit)?

What makes a routine work for you?