I have had the great privilege of ready a wonderful and challenging book titled: Raising Kingdom Kids by Tony Evans. In this book it is clear that Evans understands that parenting is not easy, although it is rewarding over time, and it does come with its challenges.

No two children are the same even if they are in the same family, therefore, parents must be able to love, nurture, and train each child in the way of the Lord while at the same time helping them grow individually into mature, faithful adults. Often on the journey of parenting, fathers and mothers need encourage and perhaps, some advice on how to raise their children according to the Bible. It is this kind of practical help that Dr. Tony Evans gives in Raising Kingdom Kids.

Tony continues to discuss the biblical roles and responsibilities of parents and how they should not only raise their children to adulthood, but guide them along the way to successfully fulfill God’s plan and call for them.

Outside of this being just an incredible read packed with wonderful challenges, thoughts, and encouragement, one more item I want to make mention of before closing this review off is a not so often view the author takes. Unlike most Christian parenting books, this one is not aimed solely at a two-parent household. In several places, Evans makes a point of including single moms, dads, or even a blended family. I felt this was great due to the rapidly changing family structures. Again it was just another way Tony connects with his readers and allows you to feel he knows where you are, where you can be, and provides the suggested help to get there.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher Tyndale book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

Here is part 3 and the last one for “Ideas to make 2015 your most productive year yet.

7. CLUMP TASKS TO CREATE FLOW
Your more productive if you can stay in one task mind, instead of changing gears. Try to schedule your day around one activity; a day of networking, or a morning of writing and an afternoon of research. I work with all of my coaching students to create this type of theme with their days.

8. CREATE A LIST OF EASY TO-DOS
Carson Tate, author of Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Productivity Style, makes a list of tasks that can be done in 15 minutes or less. He suggests we keep this list with us at all times so we can convert those odd moments of time like waiting in line or waiting at the dentist’s office into productive microsegments of work. I enjoy using Todoist as my to-do app of preference.

9. CONSISTENTLY SELF-EVALUATE
Rigorous self-evaluation is the beginning, middle, and end of self-management. It is the essential habit of self-improvement.

Here is part 2.

4. STAND WHILE YOU WORK
This will be a newer habit for me. I have read, and been told of the benefit of doing this by so many people who I respect, that I must try this out. I am looking into getting a fitbit for myself as well to help remind me to stand.

I’m going to spend most of my afternoon from 2-4pm standing. This is the time that my body seems to naturally want to slow down and so I will use it as my standing time while I work on my emails, afternoon coaching times, and items like this.

5. SLOW DOWN AND REASSESS TO AVOID GETTING OVERWHELMED
“When you have more things to do than you can count,” says Scott Eblin, author of Overworked and Overwhelmed, “it can quickly throw you into a fight or flight state of overwhelm. If you feel yourself getting spun up like that, stop before you start to do anything else.” He instructs us to think of STOP as the acronym for Slow down, Take three deep breaths, Observe what needs to be done most, and then Proceed.

6. PRIORITIZE WHAT MATTERS
One of the secrets to feeling satisfied with your productivity is spending the majority of your time on the things that really matter to you—your priorities.

“When you’re clear on what you want to carry out and the actions that will get you there, it becomes easier to decide what needs to get done and what can either wait for later or not be done at all. Plus, and here’s where the real productivity comes in, we are much more motivated to work on things that truly matter and therefore able to get more done in a shorter period of time.”

I’ve taking some time toward the end of 2014 and the start of 2015 reflecting over years of my history, examining habits that helped me to be more productive and discarded habits that never benefited me the way I hoped they would. Next, I also looked at the lives of those I would say are very productive and again see what habits did they have that contributed towards their productivity. This post is the result of my examinations.

Here is part 1 of 3.

1. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PRODUCTIVE PEOPLE
I find that my productivity is maximized when I surround myself with productive people.

Working around productive people keeps me from browsing social media without purpose. I eat healthier, I don’t take long breaks. I semi-compete with them because they always look like they’re coming up with great ideas. I have also read and believe that you will end up like the sum of the 5 closest people you hang out with. If this is true, what does your lid of potential look like? Are you scared or encouraged?

2. VISUALIZE AND SET UP YOUR DAY THE NIGHT BEFORE
Before emotional intelligence expert and author of The Other Kind of Smart Harvey Deutschendorf goes to sleep, he says he makes some basic decisions about the next day like what he’ll wear, eat for lunch, and the route he plans on taking to work. “The less time and energy you take to focus on routine, everyday things, the more you will have to work on what is important,” he explains.

I think knowing your next day when you go to bed helps your mind sort through the day while you sleep. It gives you the sence of purpose from the moment you wake up. Make sure you know the top 3 things you want to carry out at the start of the day.

3. MAXIMIZE YOUR MOST CREATIVE TIME
I find that I think best in the mornings with fewer interruptions, so I do my best to keep that time open for brainstorming, writing, and meeting with others who inspire and challenge me. I save my necessary meetings for the afternoons, when I am energized from my morning productivity and excited to share my plans with my team and others.

Constantly assess your own productivity, the quality of your work, and your behavior. We should continuously ask ourselves: “What can I do to get more work done faster?” “Should I revisit my priorities?” “Do I need to focus my time better?” “How can I cut time wasters?” “Do I need better task budgets?” and “Do you need to make better plans?”

Self-evaluation and self-improvement it’s a never-ending process because there is always room to improve. Have fun learning and growing.

Finishing Well, Finishing Strong was one of the books that I am privilege to read lately over being very purposeful on how we finish in this game we call life.

I am a 46-year-old man at the time that I am writing this and the thoughts of what kind of legacy am I going to leave when I go to be with Jesus are thoughts I have more of now than when I was 25. I started very strong and determined as a young man to be successful and as I got older I wanted to also be significant. Now I know I can do both and that is where this book along with others have helped encourage me to do just that.

I appreciated the attempt that Grassi made to end every chapter with a personal activity and mentor activity. The suggested activities are both helpful and can prove to be practical. I think this book would be a good read for a men’s small group or can be used by a mentor as he spends time and disciples some younger proteges.

The author, Jim Grassi made me think about what I do, and what I want to do to finish strong and well myself. This book was a short and easy read, and held my attention for the most part. The information was presented in a consistent and engaging way, making steps to the personal application easier. Grassi conveys Biblical truth in discussing certain people within the Bible.

Just because you start well and start strong, does not mean that you will finish well and finish strong. You must have a plan.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

At the time of this blog post going live, we are getting ready to enter 2015 in just one day. Goal setting is just a natural part of the thinking at this time but it should be an active part of our daily lives throughout the year.

I have 5 questions for each of us to think through as we set new goals that will help us make the goals and not just crowd up calendars with great ideas, journals with lofty thoughts, but a plan that if we work through these 5 questions with will help us to achieve results.

1. What is the specific work or effort required to achieve your goal?

2. What resources or dependencies do you need to help you succeed?

3. What is your action plan to achieve this goal?

4. What time investment is actually required? What should your schedule look like to support achieving this goal? (Can you really be a world champion bull rider if you only practice 5 minutes a day?)

5. What obstacles will you face and how will you respond?

As you can see, if you answer fully these questions, this process is incredibly revealing as to what it takes to achieve your goals.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent a fair bit of money on books, ebooks and course materials over the years.

You probably get a little giddy when you pick up a new book or sign up for an online course. You’re sure that you’re going to finally do something great.

The problem is, reading isn’t going to get you anywhere. You need to put what you read into action.

And that, for most of us, is the tough part.

Here’s how to put that learned information into practice:

#1: Keep a Reading Journal

When you finish a book, you probably put it straight back on the shelf. You might remember one or two key points, or recommend it to a friend – you might even re-read after a few months. But you don’t necessarily use what you’ve learned.

A reading journal gives you a space to reflect on books, while you’re reading them and after you’ve finished. You can use your journal to:

Jot down ideas that were new to you
Copy out any key sentences – especially any inspiring ones
Describe what you thought or felt about the book
Record any “aha” moments that occurred while reading

I enjoy using my Livescribe wifi pen because it allows me the extra help in remembering things by the physical art of writing and provides the tech side of syncing wirelessly to my Evernote. Evernote is my electronic brain.

#2: Decide on Action Items

Unless you’re engaged in academic study, you’re probably not reading for the sake of absorbing information. You’re reading because you want to do something.

Next time you finish a chapter of your book, or read a great blog post or magazine article, decide on one action that you could take as a result. Write it on your to-do list (I like todoist as my to do list builder) or move it to Evernote.

One small to-do item might not seem like anything worthwhile – but if you have one action per chapter, or one per article, then you’ll soon be making far faster progress than if you’d just read that material.

#3: Take a Real-Life Course

Online courses like those from Lynda.com are great for many reasons: they’re often cheap, you can take part from anywhere with an internet connection, and lessons will normally be recorded so that you don’t even have to show up at a particular time.

The drawback to this is that you may well find yourself signing up for courses, attending one lesson, and then drifting away.

#4: Form a Group

If you’ve got a couple of friends who’re working on a similar goal to you, get together with them and form a mastermind group. Get hold of copies of a good book/e-book/self-study course, and agree to read a certain amount each week.

Every week (or every couple of weeks), get together – face-to-face or on a video conference – and discuss what you’ve read. Make sure that every member states a specific action that they’re going to take during the next week.

When you meet again, start with a check-in so that members can report back on whether they achieved the goals that they set for themselves.

Having the support of like-minded friends – and a sense of accountability to them – will help you meet your goals faster.

Having kids has truly been a joy and one of the best adventures I get to take part in. Saying all that I want to list 3 things that having kids has taught me.

Let’s begin:

1.Thinking time is the most precious resource

I have a new-found appreciation for the times when I have time and can collect my thoughts. I never knew how much I took this for granted until every minute of every waking hour (and a few half asleep ones too) was suddenly invaded. Now if all truth is told my wife is the one who may have suffered more with this because she is a stay at home mom, but boy she did great with it.

We simply cannot do good thinking when we’re being distracted all the time. Try writing a grocery list or type up a word document while a small child asks repeatedly “Can I get a drink yet?” and you might find yourself signing off “in that document with:
…”Until we meet again, Yes you can get a drink, I will get you some juice”

Equally, making space for thinking time in my work helps me to do my best work, handle curve balls and even have fun doing it.

Measure your work by impact, not hours

A parent I was counseling once in task management asked me, “how can I compete in business with other people who have more time?”

The answer is, in the same way that niche brands can take on the big boys. By being distinctive, selective and ruthless. Play on your strengths and leverage what you do well. Be incredibly focused on what has the most impact and creates the most value. Truly find what your Pareto principles lies. Don’t be all things to all people.

If I measure the work I do by the hours I put in, it may not look like much. But if I look at what I actually get done in that time, and crucially, the impact of my actions and not the amount of activity, I recognize my successes much more accurately.

My mind gets calibrated to what works well, and not what keeps me busy, and I measure my productivity by what creates value, and not what fills time.

2. Saying “No” gets easier with practice and a little creativity

Saying no is like exercising a muscle. The more you do it, the easier it gets. When you find yourself saying “no, you can’t have chocolate for breakfast” and “no it’s not time to open the Christmas gifts yet” all before 7am, you get a lot of regular practice at saying no.

You also find creative ways to say no.

If you tell a child not to run, the negative is harder to process, so “Don’t run!” becomes “Run!” Instead, when you say “Walk please!” their focus is pointed towards walking and not running.

Telling someone what they can do or have, can be much more compelling than telling them what they can’t.

In other words, say yes on your own terms:

“Yes, you can have chocolate after your dinner.”

“Yes, I’d love to help. I’ve got half an hour at 2pm. Shall we grab a coffee and talk then?”

“I can give you the quick and dirty version today or the polished product wrapped up by Friday next week. Which would you prefer?”

3. Margin is your best friend

Margin is the space between our load and our limits. It gives us flexibility to deal with work that overspills, technical glitches and emergency firefighting.

Margin is like air. You don’t miss it until it’s not there. When there’s less time available, it’s tempting to try to cram as much in as possible. But then it doesn’t take much — a phone call, a spilt drink on the floor or couch, a missing shoe right before you leave the house, — for everything to spiral out of control.

And it’s not just a survival tactic. It also gives us space to explore opportunities we could never have planned for, to be captivated by a perfect sunset or a child’s first step. Margin makes life richer.

There are the 3 lessons having kids have taught me. These 3 are great lessons to help in life as well. Have you had any specific lessons learned from any season of your life?

Create leaders not followers with the leader-leader approach.

David Marquet redefines leadership for the modern leader who wants to create empowering environments for their people. Read more: Turn the Ship Around!

Guest post by Dawn Farris who is the Director of Children’s Ministries at New Testament Christian Church, Keokuk, IA. You can find out more about her at her blog www.whosthefarris.com or follow her on twitter @whosthefarris

I put a new “Scentsy” wax cube in the warmer in my office today. I hadn’t used one for quite a while, but the cold weather and gray skies made me want to warm up my space and my attitude. A sweet mix of peppermint and a little left over something or other was noticed by everyone who came by.

“Hmmmm. Something smells nice.”

“Oh, wow! Your office smells great.”

“What smells so good?”

The aroma in my office was sending some good vibrations throughout the church for sure, for sure.

Then a little later in the day I was Skyping with my friends Todd and Andy. We were chatting about blogging and we got on the topic of the attitudes and how we need to always be careful that we are conveying an attitude encouragement, humility and equipping rather than complaining, criticism or negativity.

As I got ready to head home for the day, I went to turn my warmer off and realized that our attitudes, and the attitudes of our teams, need to be a bit like that Scentsy.

A great attitude is like a pleasant aroma. It can literally change the atmosphere in a room–or a ministry.
How does that happen? A “scent-sational” kidmin team comes from individual “scent-sational” attitudes and efforts–from each member choosing daily to have attitudes like. . .

joy
faithfulness
encouragement
initiative
servanthood
grace
kindness
forgiveness
laughter
fun
patience

. . . regardless of our circumstances.

When we live out these types of attitudes, individually and collectively, people will take notice, they will be drawn to us and we will be a “pleasing aroma” not only to others, but to the Lord. We will not only be a “scent-sational” team member, but a “scent-sational” team.

So let’s get praying, let’s get choosing and let’s get using God’s power to permeate the space around us with the attitudes of Jesus as we serve together to be not just “scent-sational,” but sensational kidmin teams as we share Jesus with the children around us.