The age-old question: would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or a hundred duck-sized horses?
We often think giant problems are what cause burnout, but we forget that a hundred tiny problems can be just as impactful, if not more.
Which songs should we do this week?
Should we lower the key?!
Acoustic intro or full band?!!
Repeat the bridge?!!!
Who’s available to serve?!!!!
Should we add another chorus?!!!!!
Do we end big or bring it down?!!!!!!
One problem feels doable, but every time another gets added things feel more and more frantic. All of this is causing your brain to be on marathon mode week after week after week. Our brains were not designed for this.
I’m fighting the horse-sized duck. Giant problems are a pain, yes, but at least they allow you to focus on one thing, and once that one thing is solved you get to take a rest. A hundred little problems allow far less focus or respite. Thankfully, there are ways to keep those problems from piling up. Let’s get into it.
Tiny Decisions Add Up
Decision fatigue is exactly what it sounds like. The more choices you make, the harder it becomes to make good ones. Think about how many decisions you make before rehearsal even begins:
- You’re planning a set list.
- Choosing keys.
- Editing charts.
- Coordinating schedules.
- Listening to recordings.
- Sending emails.
- Updating Planning Center.
- Answering texts.
- Making sure everyone has what they need.
By the time rehearsal starts, you’re already mentally tired. Then you spend two hours making even more decisions. No wonder Monday feels exhausting. And truth is, you’re probably even more exhausted than you realize.
Create Systems, Not More Willpower
Many worship leaders respond by trying to work harder, but that’s backwards. The goal isn’t becoming better at making endless decisions. It’s reducing how many decisions you need to make in the first place.
Systems are one of the greatest gifts you can give your future self. You’ll have to come up with your own systems based on your situation and personality, but they may look something like:
- Your team always rehearses songs in the same order.
- You always schedule volunteers six weeks in advance.
- You create a list of songs that work well in each key instead of starting from scratch every week.
- Every rehearsal follows the same predictable rhythm.
None of these systems are flashy, but they are freeing. Every decision you eliminate is mental energy you get back.
Standardize the Small Stuff
Not every decision deserves fresh debate.
Do you always use the same microphone? Great. Stop thinking about it.
Do you already have a preferred arrangement of a song? Stick with it unless there’s a good reason to change.
Do your rehearsals always begin with prayer and end by running transitions? Perfect!
Consistency is efficiency. Some things should stay the same week after week. You only have so much mental capacity and creativity to spend; save them for the moments that actually require them.
Let the Important Stuff Flourish
Some people worry that systems will make worship feel mechanical, but the opposite is often true. When your team doesn’t have to spend rehearsal deciding what comes next, they’re free to focus on worship, musical excellence, and listening to one another.
Systems create a space where everyone knows what is expected of them. This locks everyone in from the get-go. Nobody is wasting brainpower wondering what song is next or where they’re supposed to come in. That mental energy can now be spent on playing well, listening well, and leading people well.
The goal isn’t to eliminate creativity. It’s to stop spending creativity on problems you’ve already solved.
Build a Better Sunday on Monday
If every Sunday feels mentally draining, don’t just look at Sunday. Look at Monday. Look at Tuesday. Look at all the tiny decisions that slowly pile up throughout the week. Ask yourself one simple question: what decision am I making every week that could become a system instead?
You probably won’t eliminate every decision (ministry is simply too dynamic for that), but if you can remove ten unnecessary decisions every week, that’s over five hundred decisions your brain no longer has to make this year.
Your mind was never designed to juggle a hundred tiny decisions every week. Give it fewer decisions. You’ll have more energy for the ones that actually matter.
