Why Just-in-Time Learning Will Save Your Sanity (and Multiply Your Impact)
I love learning.
There, I said it.
Give me a 3-hour podcast, a well-footnoted blog post, a spicy Twitter thread, or an obscure book on 16th-century revival movements and I’m all in.
Bonus points if it includes an outdated chart or the phrase "hermeneutical lens."
Ironically, this very obsession with rabbit holes and research is what birthed the newsletter you're reading.
So yes, it's been a productivity-killer at times—but also a calling-clarifier.
There’s the redemptive arc.
But here’s the thing: most of that content—maybe 90% of what I consumed back then—went absolutely nowhere.
I used to think that stockpiling knowledge was the same thing as growth.
It’s not.
It's more like hoarding canned goods in the basement and never cooking anything.
Enter: Just-in-Time Learning.
The Productivity Shift That Saved My Schedule
This one mindset shift rescued my calendar, cleared my mental bandwidth, and restored my focus.
And no, that’s not an exaggeration.
Here’s how it works:
If I’m not going to use the thing I’m learning within the next week, I don’t consume it.
Period.
That’s the filter.
That’s the rule.
That’s the sanity-saver.
Why Most Learning Is Just Procrastination With a Halo
Pastor, let’s be honest.
You’re not just called to learn.
You’re called to lead.
There’s a huge difference between scrolling through "Top 5 Ways to Lead Difficult People" and actually sitting down with Sister Agnes The Interrupter after Wednesday night prayer meeting and applying one of them.
We tell ourselves we’re preparing.
What we’re really doing is stalling.
And it feels good because you get a little dopamine bump.
You feel smart. Equipped.
Slightly superior to your fellow mortals.
But then three days pass and you can’t remember what any of it was.
My Learning Addiction Almost Killed My Impact
I’m a research hog.
A forager of frameworks.
A collector of credentials I never paid for.
I used to justify it all by saying, "I might use this someday."
Nope.
What I ended up with was a mental attic full of dusty ideas I couldn’t find when I needed them, and a to-do list that never moved.
(And after 40, the attic started getting smaller.)
But when I started learning only what I could implement immediately (within 7 days)... everything changed.
- Retention shot up.
- Application became automatic.
- Impact multiplied.
A Real-World Example
Volunteer conflict?
That’s the moment to read the article, call the mentor, maybe even watch the mini-course on healthy confrontation.
Why?
Because you’re about to use it in real life.
Not in a future "maybe" meeting.
Not in a hypothetical.
This week.
Learn it.
Apply it.
Lock it in.
Move on.
The New Spiritual Discipline?
I think Just-in-Time Learning is a kind of spiritual discipline for the 21st-century leader.
It honors the season you’re in.
It respects the work God has placed in your hands now.
It guards you from the illusion of progress that comes with collecting theological baseball cards you never trade.
And it’s a non-negotiable if you’re serious about optimization...
Because whether or not you implement this one discipline will directly impact your sum total ministry output.
Bottom Line
You don’t need more knowledge.
You need timely knowledge you’ll actually use.
So the next time you're tempted to click on that fascinating article or buy that $497 course...
Ask yourself:
"Will I use this in the next 7 days?"
If not?
Skip it.
Archive it.
Let it go.
Your focus will thank you.
Your calendar will breathe.
And your ministry will actually move forward.
Learn when it matters.
Forget the rest.
And go lead.
(Unless it’s a deep dive on obscure revival movements featuring outdated charts... In that case, email it to me. For research. 😉)
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
