Welcome to 2018! It’s a brand new year, packed full of possibility. By now, you’ve probably had time to recover from the holidays, and your schedule is beginning to normalize. As you move into the new year, this is a great moment to reflect on the past year while you prepare for the future, no matter your role.
It’s a clean slate, albeit already dotted with upcoming plans and priorities. For many, it’s starting the process all over again. For example, Easter is on the way, and soon afterward summer camps and VBS. Then, before your know it, Christmas! Christmas? Alas, it’s a never ending cycle.
The great news is just because it’s a repeating cycle doesn’t mean you have to do things the same way. It’s a whole new chance to explore all that is possible. However, before we march off into 2018, let’s take a few minutes to look back over 2017.
Looking Back
Take out your 2017 calendar and start pawing through the weeks. What do you see? You may find it surprising as you look through it. Can you believe all you accomplished last year?
Stop for a moment and recognize each of these efforts. If you’re like most people, you’ve probably forgotten much of it. Worship nights, special services, themed weekends, and more. Despite not really knowing how it would turn out, you made it through all of these moments.
There are things that went well. You’ll probably want to do those again this year. Then, there are things that could have gone better. Can you recall why? Perhaps the vision exceeded the resources. That happens. Maybe it was communication gaps within the team. That’s not unusual either. In any case, there’s much that can be learned from looking back.
Make a list with two columns. In the first column, note all the things that went well. List the people involved and the reasons why it succeeded. (That “people” column will be super important in a moment.)
In the second column, list what you’d like to do better this year, even if it mostly went well. Be specific about the moments that went wrong, why you feel it went wrong, and how you’d approach it next time. Maybe you don’t recall much at all, good or bad. That’s okay, just keep moving through the calendar until you’ve made it through the whole year.
Great! By now, you’ve probably got an interesting list going, and hopefully, you’ve already started identifying some patterns, positive changes you can implement, and perhaps even some fun, new ideas for 2018.
While you have your 2017 calendar handy, open your 2018 calendar and start plugging in dates of events from 2017 you already know you’ll repeat in 2018. A great way to visualize your year is to use a Year-at-a-Glance calendar that shows each day, week, and month of the year on a single screen or page.
Use different colors on your calendar to identify important dates – rehearsals, special events, training, conferences, equipment maintenance, building projects, and so forth. Don’t forget to add important personal dates as well – vacations, birthdays, and anniversaries. You’ll want to avoid complicating your life by attempting to keep these dates clear of your other activities as much as possible.
Now, you have a roadmap taking shape for the year, and can probably start to tell where the schedule will tighten up as well as where you have space to breathe and regroup. Be sure to make time for that! This new roadmap will help you plan resources ahead of time to avoid unnecessary stress both on you and the rest of the team.
Looking Forward
Okay, so now it’s time to put away 2017 – all the good, the bad, and the CRaZY! So, what’s next? Take a look at your calendar. Maybe it’s your next service or perhaps it’s an upcoming special event. Close your eyes and imagine it all happening. What do you see? How will it begin and end? Who all is there? What do they need? What’s missing?
As your mind makes its way through the scene, write down your observations. Using your list from 2017, make note of the people involved as well as a list of new tools needed. If you need the same tools more than once throughout the year, no need to write them down twice, just put a check next to the item. This will help you prioritize your needs list for the year. By the way, a great place to find tools such as music gear and helpful advice on technology solutions is Sweetwater.com.
Now, back to that people column. This is probably the most crucial column on your list. For most of us, our work is about connecting to and engaging with people. For many reasons, this list is likely more important than anything else. These are the people you’ll work alongside throughout this year.
Make a plan to connect with each person on your list at some point over the next several weeks. It could be a handwritten note, maybe coffee or lunch, just something to let them know how much you appreciate their contributions in the past year. Investing time with them let’s them know that you appreciate them and can build meaningful relationship equity. These are the people you’ll do life with in 2018. Be sure to make a place for them in your calendar.
Whether you are in a position of leadership or just trying to improve your personal skills, it’s also important to make an investment in learning this year. Look for a handful of conferences or training sessions that speak directly to what you have laid out on your calendar. It’s also a great reason to get away from the normal rhythm of life for a few days. Get some things on your calendar!
Perhaps it’s something practical for the whole team. Maybe the band could benefit from some ear training, or perhaps the volunteers on the tech team could get some best practices on production. There are tons of options available around the country throughout the year in addition to practical online courses and one-on-one mentoring. It also is a great way to build relationship with your team. Reserve some time on your calendar. Don’t forget, you can always find helpful information at Sweetwater.com/insync/.
What’s Next
Now, you’ve likely got a solid roadmap for the year. Stop for a moment and pat yourself on the back. You’ve taken a great step towards an effective and organized new year. Capturing this information has the added benefit of freeing up some mental space to better process other matters. Good for you!
So, what’s next? That’s the question to keep asking yourself the rest of this year. One of the best ways to keep your year moving along smoothly is to regularly anticipate what’s coming next, to consider the resources and people who will be involved, and work backwards from the deadlines on your calendar. It might be helpful to put a small sign above your workstation that simply says, “What’s Next?”
Keep in mind, it’s a good idea to do some regular maintenance on your calendar. Plans can change, dates move, and priorities shift as the year goes along. Revisit your annual calendar regularly, perhaps quarterly makes the most sense for you. Keep it up to date and it will serve you well this year. And don’t forget to make some time for the people on your list!
From all of us at Sweetwater, have a great year!