Daniel Im

Pastor + Author

leadership

Why Micro Goals Are Better than Resolutions

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Stop setting New Year’s resolutions. They’re too vague, too lofty, too idealistic, and nearly impossible to accomplish.

In fact, studies have shown that after 30 days, less than 25% of people stay committed to them, while only 8% will actually accomplish them.

So what’s the better way? What do you need to do to make this next year a year of progress, development, growth, and impact? The answer is to abandon your resolutions and adopt micro goals instead.

Abandon your resolutions and adopt micro goals.
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I’m not talking about S.M.A.R.T. goals, which if you’re not aware of the topic, I’d highly recommend you listen to this episode to learn more and download the template.

I’m talking about micro goals, where you break your S.M.A.R.T. goals down into small and immediately actionable tasks. This is the only sure-fire way to accomplish your greatest dreams.

Let me give you two examples: working out and writing a book.

1. Working Out

After moving back to Canada last year, the one thing that I knew I had to change was my exercise routine. For my entire adult life, I’ve never been able to figure out how to work out more than twice a week—if I even went at all. And with my metabolism slowing down (and love for food increasing), I had to crack this code.

Enter: Micro Goals.

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Whose Responsibility is it to Recruit?

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A few weekends ago I met one of our volunteers who was operating the stage camera.

As I got to know him, I was surprised that it was his first time serving at Beulah—after attending for 23 years!

Oftentimes because of the pace of ministry, and a lack of contributors, leaders, coaches, and ministry catalysts, we end up doing ministry, rather than equipping our church to do the work of ministry. We do this because it’s easy. We know how to get things done. We have the responsibility for the ministry and it’s sometimes just faster to get it done ourselves.

However, here’s the catch-22. The more we do the ministry, the less time we’re going to have to equip our church to do the work of ministry, which then unintentionally creates a culture of professionalism where our church doesn’t think there’s a place for them to serve!

The more we do the work of ministry, the less time we have to equip.
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The responsibility of recruiting volunteers is NOT all on you.

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Best Resources on Transition

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Are you praying about making a move? Trying to discern God’s will, but not sure how to decide?

Change is the one thing that’s constant in life. And as I recently outlined in my last two articles, Christina and I have gone through a lot of change!

So, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite resources on transition to help you discern your next step in life and leadership:

1. Bible and Journaling

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate guide. So the best way to position yourself to hear from God is by spending time reading and praying through the Bible. Although I haven’t always been the biggest fan of journaling, I’ve actually found that it’s helped me focus and process what’s going on. After all, moving and changing jobs is one of the most stressful transitions that no one talks about.

And here’s a #protip for journaling: Journaling isn’t about you and the journal. Journaling is about you and God. So when you journal, write down your prayers to God and process what’s going on as a prayer to God.

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What Mazda Can Teach You About Core Values

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With so many options out there, how do you choose?

I remember the first time I went grocery shopping without my parents and feeling paralyzed by all the different options for salad dressing. I only had one job—to buy salad dressing—yet I couldn’t make the decision.

Do I go for classic ranch or caesar? What about garlic caesar? And why are some cheaper than others? Raspberry vinaigrette sounds good too, but balsamic vinaigrette is the safer option.

And now with Amazon and online shopping, it’s even worse. There are over 8,000 results for “salad dressing” on Amazon!

Well, fast forward several years later, I felt the same way when shopping for a new car…

…but this time, I saw the leadership lesson underneath the surface.

Did you know that clay is still used to design cars? No, I’m not referring to a small lump of clay or Play Doh that you model into a miniature car. I’m referring to full life sized models of cars made out of clay!

Okay, to be honest, I didn’t know that clay was ever used to design cars, but it makes sense as a medium…of the past. From 1927 to the end of the 1950s, Harley Earl of General Motors used clay to design cars. But that was then! These days, car companies have 3D printers, design software, and virtual reality at their disposal, so why would they still use such an archaic method for design?

I didn’t understand why, until I came across this one particular Mazda commercial.

Now, is Mazda the only car company using clay to design their vehicles? By no means! Yet, that commercial helped me see Mazda cars as sculptures of art, rather than hunks of metal or utilitarian modes of transportation.

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Authenticity vs. Excellence

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If you had to choose one, which would you choose?

If you were only known for one of these values, which would you prefer?

If your team could be marked by either authenticity or excellence, which would you rather?

Unless you wrestle through black and white polarizing questions like these ones, you’ll never uncover your true bias.

After all, most leaders would publicly choose both, but when push comes to shove, often lean in one direction or the other. So which direction is that for you?

And that’s the thing. It really is a direction. Authenticity and excellence are not opposites. I’ve been a part of worship services that have been both authentic and excellent—in mega, medium, and micro churches. The same is true for concerts, small groups, staff meetings, service projects, and block parties. All of those gatherings can be simultaneously authentic and excellent, but they often lack one or the other—or both.

Authenticity and excellence are not opposites.

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So if you had to choose one, which would you choose? Or better yet, if authenticity and excellence were on the opposite ends of a spectrum—even though they’re technically not in opposition to one another—where would you mark yourself?

If you had to choose one, which would you choose?

Let’s explore the implications of both choices for the teams that you’re on and the teams that you lead.

1. Choosing excellence over authenticity

Teams that are led with a bias toward excellence over authenticity are often high pressure. Workaholics thrive on teams like this. Enneagram 3s and 8s would be attracted to these environments. Projects are prioritized over people. Hard growth metrics are more important than emotional health. You are judged solely on your public persona—as long as you keep your private life private.

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