Giving your best to achieve much requires focusing on one thing, meaning you should know how to say “no” to the other stuff. Less is more when you learn how to focus better. And this goes with your accountability while learning from failure.
From a Biblical perspective, the parable of the talents teaches about honing our skills to the very best of our ability and multiplying them; never forget to counterbalance everything God has entrusted to us.
This week, Sam’s Book Club features The ONE Thing written by Gary Keller, an entrepreneur and founder of Keller Williams, and co-authored by Jay Papasan, a former editor at HarperCollins Publishers in New York. This book shows people how to focus on one thing– busting the myth of multitasking.
Pastor Sam Neves, the Associate Director of Communications at the global headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, talks about discipline, focus and counterbalance relevant to digital evangelism leadership.
Looking Over Success Fallacies
In light of this book, Pastor Sam talks directly against the mottos and mantras you may have grown up with.
- “Everything Matters Equally” It is not useful to have checklists, thinking that you must get through all the items. As a leader, it is essential to be picky about when to say yes; it is necessary to understand what matters to you.
- “Multitasking” There is no such thing. If you do two things at once, you are not doing either of them well. The more you focus on one thing at a time, the more efficient you will be.
- “A Disciplined Life” Discipline is always better than having no control at all, but do not believe that by having a disciplined life you can accomplish everything.
- “Willpower is always on Will Call” You receive God-given cortisol early in the morning, the most crucial time when you have will power. So, always start doing the most important thing and not the other stuff.
- “A Balanced Life” You believe everything will work out if you have a balanced life, but it’s not true. If you want to be a leader, focus on your life altogether. Everything matters, but not equally. Counterbalance is all you might have.
- “Big is Bad” Manage your expectations carefully. Stick to that which is possible. But everything will be possible once it’s done. Look at the big picture; you can strategize with the steps to get there and leave the rest to God.
Accountability: Learning From Failure
When you try to learn how to say no and learn from failure, you are practicing accountability.
Pastor Sam has had his fair share of failures in life. The skills you learn from your failures are the exact skills you need for the future. With God there are no lost projects. God wastes no prior experience, as Karen said.
Finding Your One Thing
Is there anything in your life that you can do to make other things easier for you? Know what that one skill is that you do well. If you have mastery of that one skill, it will help you tremendously in the future. Decide and own it; recognize where God is calling you.
The parable of the talents reminds us not to bury a talent. You have a responsibility in God’s Kingdom. Use and find ways to increase your abilities, whether working on digital evangelism or in any field.
You are the one responsible for the mastery of your craft, as well as your success!
Saying Yes To One Thing Is Saying No To Others
Building a large army for digital evangelism is Pastor Sam’s one thing. He shares the testimony of his life and continues to fulfill what God directs him to do. For every one thing you say yes to, you have to defend it with a thousand noes. As leaders and digital evangelists, we have the responsibility to say “yes” to God.