The first draft is not your final draft, even if your first draft has great ideas in it. I recently visited the first draft of Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. It was four pages, so lots of pieces got cut out of it as it made its way through being ratified by the colonies. It […]
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Tasks: Hospital Sheets
Sometimes what causes burnout is not the task itself. It’s how we perceive it. Because burnout happens, at its core, when there’s disconnection. When you feel disconnected from the mission of the organization or you feel disconnected from your coworkers or disconnected from the clients you serve. I had the joyous occasion of being in […]
Church Council: A Cautionary Tale
I coach a lot of church people, and every church has a church council. It’s like a board of directors – that guiding group that every non-profit has. At one of my client’s churches, the same people cycle on and off of the church council all the time. It’s a three year term, then they’re […]
It’s a girl!
“Other Duties As Assigned”
My friend Mark goes on these rants on social media. A recent rant was about stores that go way outside their stated type of goal to sell unrelated items. “I’m not going to the grocery store to buy a shirt! What makes it even worse is that your avocados have gone bad while you spent […]
Let’s be clear
When you start a new project, you often need to open a new document or set aside an afternoon or clear the table. There’s something about clearing space, whether that’s electronic, calendar, or physical space. You’re telling yourself that something new is about to begin. Clearing space can almost be a sacred moment. And sometimes […]
Doing a new thing takes courage
“Our community is changing and I have an idea for a new spiritual center.” “I want to start a non-profit using what I learned in my last career.” “I can’t keep working like this. Something’s got to give.” Stepping into the unknown takes actual courage. We so often just keep trying to cope with our […]
Letting go of expectations from the unseen set of eyes
I coached a pastor who was making 150 slides for every Sunday service. He personally was making them. I asked why they needed so many slides. He said someone complained early in the pandemic that they wanted every word on the slides, not just “ … Lord in your mercy, Hear our Prayer.” He couldn’t […]
This is community.
This is community. While I love the one-off, occasional friends with whom I get together, humans also have a need for ongoing, sustained, consistent community. So I’ve been building it through weekly cookouts and picnics. It ebbs and flows a bit, but I love that it’s not about me at the center, but the web […]
Great day at the Great Minnesota Get Together!
Great day at the Great Minnesota Get Together! So fun to introduce NYC friends to the wonders of The Fair. Even though I moved to NYC 19 years ago, I do all I can to make it to the Minnesota State Fair. I really like having traditions beyond major holidays. They mark time, add some […]