Adrenaline Addiction - Part 5

#5: 3 Ways to Combat "Adrenaline Addiction:"

As leaders, we are always going to be tempted to become addicted to the Adrenaline of Progress. I want to conclude this series of blogs with 3 ways to Combat it:

1. Protect your Sabbath. Taking a day off means shutting off the phone. No e-mail. No Voice-Mail. Saying No to Progress for 24 hours. This will be hard for some of us who are addicted to progress. God understood this and made the people of God trust Him as their source, not their own hard work or efforts for 1 whole day. Do it.

2. Ask yourself, "When was the last time we intentionally rested as an organization?" If you can't think SPECIFICALLY of the season or time period, then you didn't. Every church should plan in 3 times a year where the focus IS NOT growth.

3. Block out a half a day and be silent.

• You'll be amazed at what you'll hear.


• You'll be amazed at how loud God's voice gets.


• You'll be amazed at how tired you feel.


• You'll be amazed at what you think about.

Final Question: "What if God is just as Present in the stillness as He is in the Adrenaline?" How would that change the way we lead?

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Adrenaline Addiction - Part 3

#3: Progress can cause us to get out of Balance.

In continuing our conversation about Adrenaline Addiction, it's important to think through how the lust for Progress can cause us to get out of balance in our lives.

1. We get out of Balance with the Healthy Rhythm of Growth. Our organizations need to grow and rest in rhythm. The Adrenaline Addiction associated with Progress can cause us to push through seasons of rest, rather than take advantage of them and use them as necessary preparations for the future.

2. We get out of Balance with the True Identity of our Organization. If all we are concerned with is growth and progress, we'll compromise the true heart of our organization on the altar of More, More, More. Too many churches or organizations have lost their soul in the midst of gaining the world.

3. We get out of Balance with equal but less glamourous or adrenalized priorities. When we're addicted to adrenaline, we don't want to focus on stuff that doesn't feed our adrenaline need. Consequently, essential components of our organization don't get dealt with effectively, because we don't want to stop the progress long enough to think about them.

Man, we're diggin' in now aren't we?

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt

Adrenaline Addiction - Part 2

#2: Progress can become a Mistress.

If we're not careful, those of us who lead churches or other organizations can allow the Adrenaline that comes from progress to actually begin to steal our heart's loyalty from those who deserve it most.

1. Our Spouse. If you've ever seen the movie Fever Pitch with Drew Berrymore and Jimmy Fallon than you may remember this great line in there where Berrymore's character looks at Fallon's character, Ben, who is in love with the Red Sox and says something to the effect of, "What have the Red Sox ever done for you? They can't love you back, Ben!" As a Red Sox fan, that was hard for me to hear, but as a leader, that can be true as well! If we're not careful we can get tricked into thinking that our organizations "love us back."

Question: Who are you happier to see each day, your spouse or your parking space in front of your office?

2. Our kids. The mistress of progress can steal our attention away from our kids. For me it's a question of "Best Energy." Who gets my Best Energy today... my work, or my kids? It's my responsibility as a leader and a dad to make sure that I leave some gas in the tank for my kids when I get home each night. Here's the reality: If I don't monitor this, no one else will. Our kids don't know how to tell us, "Dad, you're not leaving enough emotional energy for us." We'll only find out, after it's too late.

3. Our life outside of work. The mistress of progress can rob us from a life outside of work. I went through a stretch for several months last year where I actually prayed everyday that God would give me a hobby. I needed something to give my attention to that didn't look anything like my life at work. I saw myself getting "sucked into" the adrenaline addiction of whatever I was doing at work. Thankfully, God answered my prayer in January and gave me a great hobby that is inexpensive and I love to do with my kids!

We can't let Progress at work become a mistress for us,

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt