Today I present the seven ways to have a great day at your church office.

1. Plan your day the night before. A great day at work starts the night before. I used to think that planning what I was going to do before I went to bed would cause me to mull those things over in my head and not get a good night of sleep. What I have found is that the opposite is true…clearing my head and getting my day planned actually brings peace of mind and a restful night. I enter the day rested and ready to go.

2. Knock off the most important task of the day, first. Their is something energizing about knowing that, if you got nothing else done, at least the single most important thing you needed to do got done. And if you finish it quickly, you get a rush to tackle other important tasks. Ask yourself as you plan your tomorrow, “If I could only get one thing done tomorrow, what would that be?” And then get that done first!

3. Knock off the task you dread the most, second. In the same way that getting the most important task done energizes, so does doing the task you dread the most. Having something you are not looking forward to in the back of your mind gnaws at you all day and is a demotivating behavior. Get it done and you will feel great. Make that call, write that letter, file that small stack of papers.

4. Act in your health’s best interest. Get up and walk around, eat well, limit your caffeine, and drink water. These things will help you have energy all day and keep you mentally sharp. In the same vein, get a good amount of sleep the night before and do your best to maintain a consistent schedule of rising for the day and retiring at night.

5. Extend grace where it is not expected. Of course we all have to visit people who are in the hospital, but we do not have to write an encouragement card to a long time Sunday school teacher or tell your associate pastor how much you appreciate him or her. Giving grace energizes both you and the person who will receive it. It is true, we receive life when we give it away.

6. Engage in personal development. Read a book, watch your sermon on video and see how you can improve, meet with a mentor or spiritual director…do something to better yourself. If you improve yourself as a part of your daily routine, you will feel better about the direction of your life and God’s ability to use you.

7. Straighten up your office before you go home. It is well established that most people work best in a clean and organized work environment. Take three minutes before you leave to clean up. Staying on top of your work space well help your peace of mind and help you to be productive. If you do this daily, it will keep the task from being daunting. Also, cleaning up might remind you of a to-do that would have slipped through the cracks otherwise.

While I can’t promise that every day will be a good day, do these seven things and I can promise they will be better.