50 energy sins of leaders / pastors; how to sort it it.Behavioral health Intelligence for ministers of the gospel on the cutting edge
50 energy sins of leaders and pastors and how to sort them out; Behavioral health Intelligence for ministers of the gospel on the cutting edge
21st century challenge of ministers & personal energy regimes
Preamble
Ministry is by no means a hundred meters’ dash. Everything you do and fail to do revolve round your personal 5energy level. Energy is the fuel of life! A good car without fuel will not move. You need enough fuel to go far in life as a minister. The need for adequate and conscious energy management cannot be overemphasized. Leaders and pastors could be so passionate about their mandate and run off the mills to fulfill their vision. Many a time, they break certain energy protocols unknowingly in an attempt to hit certain deadlines and meet expectations. Many factors contribute to the overall impact in ministry for which personal energy plays a vital role. As a minister of the gospel, how you manage your spiritual, mental, emotional and physical wellness giving your various energy regimes is fundamental to your overall achievement in life and ministry.
. How to build our energy reserves as leaders and Pastors
Typically, everything we do either builds or takes away from our energy reserves. Effective usage depends on looking after multiple sources of energy. These include – physical energy, emotional energy and mental energy and spiritual energy
Physical energy
Eat well- plenty of vegetables and fruit, be light on the fats and sugars. Make sure you are hydrated by drinking sufficient water. Don’t skip breakfast. Sleep well – we need sleep to build our stamina and function properly. Most adults need 7-8 hours a night. Exercise at least 3 or 4 times a week. Manage physical stress levels with recovery time.
Emotional energy
Good relationships - Cultivate good relations with those you live and work with. (Constant conflict just drains us of energy).Learn to forgive, don’t hold grudges and move on … otherwise it will ‘eat’ you up and consume your energy and time. Chill out - Don’t be a worrier … worry sucks the energy out of us. Live your values - Stick to your values and principles, and keep a clear conscious. Manage emotional stress levels with recover time
Mental energy
Careful what you feed your mind – negative thinking and worry drains you. Take time to enjoy your mind Find things that engage your mind .Manage mental stress levels with recovery time. Learn to switch off from work [However, this may not be a problem for many of us].
Spiritual energy
For what purpose are you alive? And how do you constantly feed on that focus. Why are you doing what you are engaged in? Where is faith in God and how do you nourish the same? What are your daily rituals and certain observances that keep you hale and hearty? How do you charge your spiritual antenna and ministerial batteries? Your relationship with men is best fueled by your relationship with God.
Questions to consider about your energy
What drains you of your energy? (For example – some relationships, poor habits, some obligations)
When are you most alert? Do you make the most of this time?
When are you least alert? What can you do with this time?
50 energy sins of leaders and Pastors; behavioral intelligence tips for the ministers of the gospel on personal energy
1. As you burn energy through what you do and undo, make conscious effort to build it as well. Many leaders burn energy vigorously without definite plans to build it.
2. Build consciously and deliberately. It is easy to burn energy freely but building it requires commitment.
3. Avoid energy overdraft. Over a long period of time, many are in the habit of burning personal energy more than they build and are caught in the trap of energy overdraft. They simply utilize the energy they don’t generate. It is by no means a behavioral wisdom to keep on unguardedly when energy expenditure is higher than generation
4. Build energy robustly and roundly. Due to sheer ignorance (and ignore by the few who know), they build energy in a lopsided manner. They miss out on one or more of the fundamental energy indicators. The spiritual energy, emotional, mental and physical energy must all be nourished.
5. Know that energy overdraft is poisonous. Borrowing energy from space when the energy reserve is wantonly depleted is dangerous. It is an unprocessed energy that could cause certain havoc to one’s behavioral realities.
6. Keep energy level safe and simply as you engage in the 80/20 Pareto rule on energy. Meaning that you utilize 20% of your energy to generate 80% of your result. In so doing, you conserve 80% for emergencies and interruptions to your normal energy curve
7. Shun frequent energy/body abuse. This is self-sabotage. Aside from limiting your results, you block your energy flow when you deny your body the necessary care and attention.
8. Frequent body denials include:
Poor dietary pattern
Poor sleep regime
Poor exercise culture
Poor organization
Bloated programmes and agenda among others
9. Inability to separate between one’s situation and the personal definition. Ministers must know that personality is different from activity. We are human beings and not human doings. Learn to separate your entity from activity
10. In your stretch for higher level of accomplishment, keep within your energy limits. Breaking your stretch protocol would attract emotional and mental consequence which would eventually tell on your body and affect your composure.
11. Know your limits. i.e. energy limits but never limit your knowledge. The more you read, the better you lead. The more you learn, the better you can earn more energy. Many fail to know that they cannot do everything alone
12. As a necessary investment, raise the game of your personal energy portfolio upward. Make it a point of duty not to miss out on any exercise that brings you profit. Make provision for the extra oil (energy) always.
13. Keep your energy protocol in place and in shape at all times. The ratio of expenditure to generation must not be negative. As you burn energy also builds it back.
14. Energy blocs operate in regimes. It is that seasonal chunk of energy at your disposal given a certain age group or structure. The more one grows in age; the tendency is for personal energy to begin its free fall. Never overthrow your personal energy regime per season. Let it be in charge through grace
15. Eating healthy and not just lightly is a strange language to some pastors. Energy building foods; meals and diets should be taken when not fasting. Eggs, some other vitamins, vegetables, Fish, grains etc you don’t eat as you like but you eat as required! Many leaders don’t know about balanced diets
16. Know and reconcile your behavioral health statistics from time to time with reality you. While you walk in faith, take observation of yourself. Take your Behavioral Health Articulation Training (BHAT) seriously and not for granted. When you ignore, then you are ready to cut trouble.
17. Sleeping less than 5 hours is dangerous to the medical and behavioral health. It is an injury to your lifespan. Avoid it.
18. Watch out for energy zappers and vampires that can drain your energy or blog them. Avoid unproductive activities that constantly drain your energy.
19. Practice time fragmentation in your daily to do list. To fragment your time means you break down your activities You need to distinguish between the urgent and important
Know your key and critical factors and separate from irrelevances and other undue encroachments
20. Never ignore the ‘warning signals’ and the red alerts beaming on your emotional dashboards as you run your schedules. When you throw caution to the wind, then you are ready to be stopped. Many leaders cannot “read” their bodies
21. To breakdown is to break your behavioral limits. Frequent breaches leads to frequent stress and fatigue
Death by installment is real; frequent breach of energy protocols (energy/vibrations) is death by installment outright
22. Don’t wait to be thirsty to drink water. Practice water therapy as a culture. One litre per day is good. 45 minutes before eating in the morning would aid positive works within and without.
23. Understand your defining moments and cash in on opportunities presented. This habit conserves your energy
As a mark of respect in personal authority, let all your vibrations be mostly around your energy generation in personal authority. Doing things outside your key areas of calling and mandate is suicidal in the long run
24. As you wield authority be mindful and sensitive to everyone who hears or receive from you. Make impact, create relevance. Be deliberate and organized.
25. Solve problems, create interventions, provide solutions, and utilize your gifts for other people’s lifts. Engage your talents and devolve your competences
26. Never ignore constant and consistent studying. Reading, learning and updating your knowledge is a fundamental investment in your calling and assignment.
27. You must know that critical connection through appropriate mentoring conserves energy and boost output. Seek a mentor and engage in mentoring activities.
28. What some call “my weakness” is a direct opening up your life to an attack. Handle things practically and seek behavioral supports.
29. Avoid the walk into health maladies through ignorance. High blood pressure, stress disorder among others could result. Diabetes and others do not respect anyone who is flouting her rule.
30. 30. Lack of alignment. Many pastors and leaders lack the alignment in their common day realities. Their abilities are not matching up or showing up in their activities. We have copycats and people who per chance are bottled up in their potentials. SABA Clinics potential pull out would assist to bring out leaders from the inner radiance. Stress and struggle amidst resources abound.
31. 31. Stop gap measures that are mere palliatives meeting temporary needs and not targeting the bigger picture are common with pastors. They lack the needed patience to keep their focus on fundamental issues. Living for survival is not the same as living for significance.
32. 32. Energy loss due to wrong strategy. They take real energy and apply on the wrong grounds or the being on the right grounds for the wrong reasons. Energy must always match with strategies otherwise the wrong harvest results in the process.
33. The blame game is also rampart among some leaders. Blaming people or circumstances for non- performance or low performance is a most common phenomenon with some leaders. Low energy breeds low output in both sight and sounds.
34. Energy must be utilized to create new waves and generate new ecosystems on an emotional note. We are creatures of values and must be ready to condition the environment giving our initiatives as leaders. We must use our initiative to create what we want to see and harvest. Seek behavioral treatment and invent certain possibility.
34. Energy usage for the surface and the cosmetic; Ministry calls for deeper dimension and value creation. We must use energy to deepen content and create concepts that would impact a people and a generation. How exposed are you as a leader? What new waves are we prepared to make giving our energy levels?
35. Workaholics are close to alcoholics at least by pronunciation. Many pastors ignore rest in the proper sense of it and work round the clock. They have no breathing space at all. They say rest is only possible at death. God rested on the seventh day having finished all his works. Not resting is energy in depletion
36. “I can still manage on syndrome” Having to wait until when the chips are down is somewhat energy sapping and counterproductive. Some pastors and leaders carry on even when the statement of their health is a nosedive. They simple pull along in hope that things would get better. They begin to attack the effect through prayers and confession of faith while leaving the cause unaddressed.
37. Waiting for curatives at all cost as against preventive measures also pose a dangerous threat to leaders. Pastors and leaders who wait for the bubble to burst are doing disservice to mankind and abusing their energy regimes. A stitch in time still saves nine. Why must I wait to become almost helpless before I speak up and out?
38. Leadership sickness could be more obvious than medical sickness. Many are medically sound but behaviorally sick. It is not enough to say I am well; others around you must attest to your charm, wellness and character. Do you feel down emotionally and are trapped in moody circumstances?
39. Many preachers assume or presume a lot. They muddle up faith with presumption and hate to reckon with statistical analysis. God is the first analyst and so the Psalmist by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit said…”so teach us to number our days..that we may apply our heart to wisdom”..Psm 90:12. The behavioral health and energy dimensions can be monitored and measured.
40. “God is in charge syndrome” Failure to take responsibility where it matters is also common among many leaders and pastors. Do your best and leave the rest is a common maxim. Carelessness is fatal and indifference to the energy factor is suicidal.
41. Fasting protocols and poor self- management is rampart. Pastors a times are bent on getting results. They run the fast ( dry on many occasions), working still with bloated schedules. They sleep less and pray all through the night. They feed on junks and expect to continue in vibrant energy. This is error.
42. No provision for medical and behavioral checkup. They say it is not necessary. They tell you….”you are simply faithless”. They suppress symptoms and ignore certain indications of the energy requirement. Wellness test offered by SABA Clinics almost free is never their taste.
43. Sheer neglect of the preventive and curative, the assertive and the demonstrative are simply neglected. They are lopsided and bent towards just a simple end. Life is a holistic process and comprehensive procedure
44. Certain observable trends give the enemy a foothold in the area of our personal energy as ministers. We do not seek help or divulge information over critical matters. Some even prefer to die in silence. This is not strength but a weakness that deadens energy
45. Competition is energy in confusion. You simply take your cues from the outside and run based on external impulses and not energy vibration. In so doing, sincere leaders have broken their personal energy protocols on many occasions.
46. The King’s business requires haste- Many a time we have seen ministers explain things away just because they want to shy away from the relevant fact and realities. They prefer to jump protocols and ignore procedures. Energy is left to suffer the consequence
47. Engaging extra biblical principle and strategies to drive home their results. Many result oriented leaders and preachers are not careful. They want the result by all means. Witch crafty and herbalism have taken over many pulpits and the sheep are left to haggle with serious challenges. When you pollute your spiritual energy, you lose your authority.
48. Unguarded testimonies and “graduated pride”-“ Oh for the past 35 years I have not taking a drug”! Good testimonies there. We must know that the energy level and regimes differ from one person to another. Many are sick and weak in the church. The behavioral causes are unknown. We only take to many prayers.
49. Little or no behavioral health talks and conferences in the churches shield away the flock from the basic truth and realities confronting everyone. Many pastors and leaders are ignorant about their own energy protocols let alone guiding the sheep through informed knowledge. Many are walking into serious behavioral health tragedies like hypertension, high blood pressure and diabetes unknowingly. We are losing both pastors and church members today to kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, stroke and many other preventable ailments. Oh God, help your church. Deliver from ignore and deliver from stark ignorance.
50. Wrong priorities- Many leaders and pastors fail to note that ministry and its diverse demands begin from what they do with their bodies. As much as you place emphasis on the spirit, you also need to make provision for the soul and the body that houses both the spirit and soul. Self –sabotage results when you abuse, deny, maltreat and suppress the body under the guise of doing ministry.
Leadership responsibilities to the fact of the 50 behavioral sins (Exercise)
1. Tick which of these that is common to you as a person
2. Take drastic measure to addressing them promptly
3. Seek behavioral supports from the School of Articulation
4. Set up a meeting to addressing these 50 issues around you
5. Reconcile your dates with ours in the School for seminars etc
CANDID ADVICE AND SUPPORT FOR EVERY LEADER FROM THE SCHOOL OF ARTICULATION AND BEHAVIORAL ALIGNMENT CLINICS (AKA SABA CLINICS)
Depression is multiplying in many assemblies and churches today; so prevalent among leaders and pastors as well. Prayer and sentiment is not enough. We must shift the behavioral health game upward through the following steps;
1. First, the searchlight must be turned inward on a personal note! As a minister, what do I know about my personal energy and where am I failing?
2. How versed am I as a leader in the issue of behavioral health and its 4 fundamentals? Viz…Personal Authority, Personal Sensitivity, Personal Productivity and Entrenched Longevity?
3. To what extent have I fully discovered, develop and deploy myself towards the full realization of these basic fundamentals?
4. To what extent have I allowed pep talks, behavioral health conferences alongside with other normal church conferences?
5. Despite the frequent deaths and preventable behavioral health disasters and collapses, do we have time for behavioral health and of course medical health programmes and run same at least twice in our annual programmes as a church? A few only run the medical week or few talks on selected area of the medical health.
6. Do we have behavioral health marshals in our assemblies and congregations who are behavioral watchers of people in terms of their physical, emotional, spiritual and mental realities?
7. What have been your responses as a leader to the question of behaviors and how to tap fully into them from the professional angle?
8. What about your approaches towards bad habits, attitude thing and issues around juvenile delinquencies and adult discrepancies
9. How have you considered and showed concern for the common day depression, tension and emotional management?
10. Do you give attention to the pivotal place of personal identity discovery and recovery for the youths and adolescents and teenagers in default mode life?
11. The cases of addiction of all sorts are rampart in our days; drug. sex, habitual cigar and alcoholism; what approaches have you considered aside from prayer and the ministry of the word?
12. Everywhere is replete with behavioral challenges, how often do we look for behavioral problems in order to solve them either in the individuals, family unit, schools, religious bodies or organization.
13. Do you know when your spirit, soul and body agree and how do you handle disagreement professionally on a permanent note? When they align or agree you vibrate and bubble in sound health behaviorally and when opposite, you are trapped in behavioral ill-health.
14. Check these four types of attitudes we always get in our effort to assist leaders through the School of articulation materials and resources……where do you belong as a leader?...
1. The HOOPS-They read our piece and are not encouraged by the presentation of even fault our deliveries. They see no sense at all in it.
2. The HYPES-They read or watch the videos and are excited about it but no definite plan of action for the behavioral skill set
3. The HOPEFUL- They commend our works and are encouraged by our deliveries in real and practical terms-
4. THE HELPFUL- After encouraging us, they go ahead to slate behavioral programmes with the School in order to convey procedures and works as helpful resources for others around them for their benefit and behavioral wellness
15. How ready are you now to know and cooperate with your behavioral health fundamental statistical records? Are you willing to take the simple test on the behavioral health assessment test and see your position? Then go to the attached test and assess yourself. Submit your objective assessment. For every score you finally make, there are 10 interpretation from the School of Articulation and Behavioral Alignment Clinics.(The SABA Clinics) Request for this immediately. Congratulations.
Warning signals for Behavioral Health Challenges Needing Behavioral Check ups
? Undue struggle and erratic Behaviour
? Frequent Exigencies beyond your control
? Urgencies and not always meeting deadlines
? Copying people or emulating others, loosing originality
? General unexplained weakness and confusion
? Overstretching oneself – not sleeping enough
? Pressure and Bad stress
? Sleeping less than 6 hours per day
? Loss of appetite
? Loss of direction
? Frequent loss of focus or confusion
? Disorganization and retardation
? Memory loss
? Slight headaches frequent
? Mood swings
? Unexplained body and joint pains
? Always waiting to be thirsty before drinking water
? Frequent failure of prayer therapy over health matters….and many others…………….