Monday, March 10, 2014

Day 1: Writing Goals

The day 1 doldrums.  Is this like starting a new work-out routine?  I'm excited about my 30 day challenge, but I don't want to write!  It's nap time at our house.  Though the 2 year old is attempting a nap-time boycott, she's still confined to her room.  I would love to be napping myself.  Or reading.  I actually picked up a book, read 2 pages, and then remembered that I needed to blog.  I guess the public accountability is working... otherwise I'd be reading myself to sleep.

Let's start with ministry.  Eric and I have been working on creating 2014 goals, and a 5 year dream document.  Yes, we're a tad tardy, but there's no better time to start than right now.  Our thinking, praying, and conversing on the subject has been healthy.  We hope to have our 2014 goals written this week and we'll save the 5 year dream document for another day.

Writing our goals has helped us focus our energy.  It gives us a clear picture of where our time and efforts should be spent.  It will help us communicate more clearly and succinctly what we are (attempting) to do.  And, perhaps most importantly, keeps us on the same page as a team members and co-workers.  Eric and I have not worked together before this venture as missionaries.  What we're discovering, especially during this period of having a newborn (and 90% of my energy being focused on child-rearing), is that it's easy for me to feel like Eric's working and I'm sitting at home.  But I am still very much part of this team!  I think we'll end up with a couple goals we can work on together, a few Eric will pursue individually, and 1 or 2 I will pursue on my own.

Any other couples out there with a living together/working together relationship?  Any tips to share with us newbies?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Absolutely no tips to share... but know that your work is essential for your family, your husband, and for your joint mission! It was so hard for me when Joe and his fam or my dad would go work on the new house... and I was home watching the kids. I was contributing, but not in the way I wanted to (physically and mentally). There was no way for us to bring the kids into the fold during the electricity part of the renovation... but we brought them (and me) eventually - and then leaned on people to watch the kids so I could 'work' when we could.
You'll get there, as the kids get older and better able to play with each other!!

Emily Haynes said...

I totally understand where you are. I have always desired to share our ministry together... equally. When Story was born, I began to realize, that for this season, things would still be shared, but not in proportions that I would have ideally desired. I had to do things for Story that Caleb couldn't and he had to pick up slack in areas that I no longer could contribute. It is a season, but it is extremely important to have REALLY GOOD communication during this time of how you are feeling both personally and in your shared ministry. You will be able to support each other better until this season changes into something more "ideal" for you both.