Adrenaline Addiction – Part 2

#2: Progress can become a Mistress.

If we’re not careful, those of us who lead churches or other organizations can allow the Adrenaline that comes from progress to actually begin to steal our heart’s loyalty from those who deserve it most.

1. Our Spouse. If you’ve ever seen the movie Fever Pitch with Drew Berrymore and Jimmy Fallon than you may remember this great line in there where Berrymore’s character looks at Fallon’s character, Ben, who is in love with the Red Sox and says something to the effect of, “What have the Red Sox ever done for you? They can’t love you back, Ben!” As a Red Sox fan, that was hard for me to hear, but as a leader, that can be true as well! If we’re not careful we can get tricked into thinking that our organizations “love us back.”

Question: Who are you happier to see each day, your spouse or your parking space in front of your office?

2. Our kids. The mistress of progress can steal our attention away from our kids. For me it’s a question of “Best Energy.” Who gets my Best Energy today… my work, or my kids? It’s my responsibility as a leader and a dad to make sure that I leave some gas in the tank for my kids when I get home each night. Here’s the reality: If I don’t monitor this, no one else will. Our kids don’t know how to tell us, “Dad, you’re not leaving enough emotional energy for us.” We’ll only find out, after it’s too late.

3. Our life outside of work. The mistress of progress can rob us from a life outside of work. I went through a stretch for several months last year where I actually prayed everyday that God would give me a hobby. I needed something to give my attention to that didn’t look anything like my life at work. I saw myself getting “sucked into” the adrenaline addiction of whatever I was doing at work. Thankfully, God answered my prayer in January and gave me a great hobby that is inexpensive and I love to do with my kids!

We can’t let Progress at work become a mistress for us,

Just a bloggish thought,

Matt