Ever feel like a professional starter as a pastor?
- New sermon series.
- New church initiative.
- New fitness plan.
- New diet.
- New productivity hack.
Often that's just part of the calling.
But when it comes personal optimization there's often a different experience.
We get motivated. Identify needed change.
Then...
Just as quickly as we start… we stop.
Only to start over.
And over.
And over again.
It’s like living in a spiritual version of Groundhog Day.
But instead of Bill Murray waking up to "I Got You Babe" every morning, you’re stuck restarting your exercise program again and again.
The Problem Isn’t You
Here’s the good news:
You’re not lazy.
The bad news?
The systems you are attempting are broken.
They lack a key ingredient: Sustainability.
Effort without sustainability is like preaching a 65-minute sermon and calling it “short.”
It sounds good in theory, but nobody’s buying it, bro.
Unsustainable Systems = Guaranteed Failure
- Fitness example
Haven’t exercised in months?
Hitting the gym 7 days a week won’t make your routine holy. It’ll make you sore, depleted—and then absent.
Going to the gym is a great idea, but only if you remember you have a life.
- Diet example:
Deciding to eat “nothing but kale and grilled chicken” is noble.
Until the Martha drops her lemon cake by the church office and you baptize yourself in glaze.
Hey, you had no fight left in you.
- Productivity example:
Mapping every 15 minutes of your day in a color-coded planner sounds efficient.
Until the first hospital call blows your rainbow blocks to pieces.
Your system didn't even include a recalibration plan.
In every case, the problem isn’t desire.
The problem is sustainability.
What Actually Works
Sustainable systems.
Period.
The kind you can do today, tomorrow, and next month... without breaking down.
- Fitness: 3 solid workouts a week + a walk on the off days. Simple. Achievable. Repeatable.
- Diet: Cut sodas this week. Replace cheap carbs with high-fat wholesome treats next week. Small wins compound.
- Productivity: Write down 3 must-do tasks each morning. Win the day by winning the big three.
That’s it.
No strained overhauls.
No grand gestures.
Just systems small enough to sustain, and strong enough to matter.
Ministry Application
Pastoral ministry is not a sprint.
It’s a marathon run in wingtips.
And the pace you set today is the pace you’ll be expected to maintain tomorrow.
As I've written about before...
If you improve by 1% every day for a year, you’re 37 times better at the end of the year.
Even a sustainable system that generates a consistent 1% improvement accomplishes exponentially more than a 70% overhaul that winds 100% reversed.
Final Word
So stop overcompensating for past failures.
So stop overextending hoping for future wins.
Stop pretending intensity will save you.
Instead, design systems that give you margin, health, and longevity.
Systems you'll still be using 10 days from now, 10 months from now, and maybe even 10 years from now.
Because the hidden reason you keep starting over…
is that you never built something you could actually keep doing.
Remember: Your goal isn't to relive yesterday's good faith starts, but to build a tomorrow you can sustain.
And THAT is possible.
How do I know?
Two reasons:
Because you have the Holy Spirit living inside you.
And I don't think Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this time.
More Resources To Help You Optimize
🥤Momentum Shake: The Complete Longevity Shake for Optimal Health
🎥 Sermon Shots: Repurpose Sermons Into Clips & Other Engaging Content in Minutes
💊 My (Scott's) full supplement regimen