Lifestyle or Event? continued

When I first began processing the concept of Lifestyle versus Event management, I had no idea how many applications there were. Let me catch you up to speed with a couple of quick definitions.

Lifestyle management:  A method of management which involves a consistent, habitual approach to maintaining areas of life. It can apply to cleaning, finances, relationships, business, shopping. Examples:  

• Tidying the house a little every day.
• Balancing the checkbook every week.
• Shopping all year long to acquire gifts for Christmas or birthdays.
• Filing paperwork for 15 minutes every Friday at the end of the work week.
• Checking in with the teenager after school a couple times a week to get a feel for their level of stress, physical needs, relational health, upcoming school schedule, etc.
• Reminding the kids every time when they forget to do a chore.
• Changing the oil in the car every 5,000 miles.

Event management: A method of management which involves a single, planned time to maintain life. It can involve more than one person, specialized tools or action which require a coordinated juncture of elements to complete a goal. Examples:

• Pressure washing the deck--requires a window of time, cooperative weather conditions, possibly help of another individual, maybe rental of a pressure washer.
• Cleaning the house on Saturday.
• Balancing the checkbook once a month (It takes a little longer, becoming more of an event).
• Filing paperwork when you can't see the end of your desk anymore. It takes all day.
• Waiting until one more incident makes you come unglued, then the list of all the forgotten chores, lack of communication, and all the infractions, disappointments, needs come pouring out at once into a big confrontation scene with the teenager.
• Waiting until the red light comes on before getting an oil change.

(I realize my examples are a little rough. You're in on the front end of my processing stage of this whole concept. Please allow some grace to me as I chew on this concept and offer it to you. However, I feel there is some power of "aha" for all of us, even in the baby stages of processing.)

When you are able to recognize how you respond to situations with either turning them into Events or treating them as Lifestyles, something changes. You realize you have the power to change your management style. I have watched myself since The Sock revelation (previous blog), and have seen how I manage some areas of life very poorly, relying on Event management simply because I dread confrontation.

Observe people and institutions around you. Evaluate whether or not they function with more of an Event or Lifestyle approach. It is fascinating to see how a teacher operates better teaching from event to event, while others are great at satisfying the day-to-day needs of educating. There are even churches which are characteristically known for their foundational teachings and ministry to the fundamentals of Christian life, while other churches are geared more towards the next conference, retreat, series, etc. It's all about how we function best according to our wiring. It has nothing to do with right or wrong approaches.

Check it out. Watch your behavior this week and see which management styles you utilize. Ask yourself why. You have the opportunity to learn some new management skills, and learn more about how you're wired, if you're willing.

(c) 2010 Sheri Smith Bertolini