“Writing is a journey, but a book is a goal.”
As a Christian Entrepreneur, writing a book to grow your business seems like a no-brainer. Many business owners utilize books to create a passive source of income, as lead generators within their sales funnel, to establish credibility and position themselves as an expert on a specific subject matter, or even to leverage their books as a tool to land paid speaking engagements. The possibilities are endless for Christian Entrepreneurs who write books.
And, if God has specifically called you to write a book, at times, the weight of responsibility can feel more like a burden than a blessing. It’s one thing if you desire to write a book just to grow your business. It’s something altogether different when you’re called by God to write a book. Yes! – you know you have a story to tell, or some vital information that can add value to all who read your book, but let’s be honest – balancing writing, business, and faith is not for the faint of heart.
The everyday tasks of running, sustaining, and scaling a business can already be daunting. Not to mention, the fact that you’re a CHRISTIAN Entrepreneur adds a new level of duty as you know that each and every day, your purpose is bigger than your business plan. And whether your company identifies as a faith-based business or not, the fact that you’re a Christian, and an entrepreneur, requires you to operate in a level of excellence, tenacity, and grace that we may not see in other day-to-day businesses.
Entrepreneurship for every business owner is a faith walk. For Christian Entrepreneurs, we just know to put our faith in God and His abilities and not our own. Whether you’re called by God to write a book, or you’ve personally decided to write it for one reason or another, below are some tips that’ll help you balance writing, business, and faith!
- Keep God First.
I know, I know. This seems obvious, right? But, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve gotten so caught up in my plans, timelines, responsibilities, and circumstances that I didn’t take the time to consult with God. I became stressed out, overwhelmed, anxious, and unproductive because my priorities didn’t align with His. Matthew 6:33 (NKJV) reads, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” In this chapter, we find Jesus teaching His disciples. Many refer to this text as “The Sermon on the Mount.” Just before we get to verse 33, Jesus is instructing His disciples by saying “do not worry about your life.” Not about where you’ll live, not about what you’ll eat, nor about what you’ll wear. Essentially, what Jesus was saying is that what we have need of, God will supply.
It’s funny. Often in life, when we’re “moving too fast, or “just don’t have the time”, or “have so much on our plates” it’s due to the fact that we’re doing the complete opposite of what Jesus was commanding us to do. We’re worried about our lives, so we work harder. We have bills to pay, groceries to buy, deadlines to meet, meetings to host, employees to manage, family to prioritize, and friendships that sometimes get neglected.
In returning back to Matthew 6:33, we find the formula to a successful life. “But seek FIRST the kingdom of God (that’s His presence) and His righteousness (which is His right way of doing things; i.e. His instructions), and all these things (everything that you have need of) shall be added to you.”
So, what do I do? I wake up early in the morning (Ps 63) just to spend time with God. I pray, I worship, I journal, I stretch, and I read my Bible. And the best part, in just seeking God for God…seeking His face and not His hand…He gives me what I have need of. I’ve found that when I wake up while my house is still sleeping, and the son has yet to rise, I hear God most clearly. During this 1-on-1 time, I not only receive the refreshment I need to enter into the day rejoicing and with a positive perspective, God gives me His instructions on what He wants me to prioritize for that day. When I seek and keep God first, I no longer find myself “grinding” throughout the day. Instead, I let His grace guide me. When I chase after things, I can miss God. But, when I seek God, all those things chase after me.
2. Change your Perspective.
You may find yourself wondering, “Why in the world is God calling me to write a book now? Does He plan on adding more hours to the day or something?” Simply put, the reason God is calling you to write your book now is because – you can handle it.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spoken to a Christian Entrepreneur and they’ve said these exact words: “I know God is calling me to write a book. Just not right now. I don’t have the time.” This statement has an “impossible” undertone. And, it hurts my heart every time I hear those words because there is no better time than right now to do what God is calling you to do.
In both Matthew 19 and Luke 1, we learn that with God all things are possible. God isn’t calling you to write this book on your own. He doesn’t want you to lean to your own understanding in trying to figure out, “When will I have the time to write a book?” God has already worked those details out. He just wants you to say, “Yes!”
I bet when you first started your business, your mind was flooded with much uncertainty and so many unanswered questions. But, look at you now. You did it!
Much like in your business – God wants to partner with you.
3. Deadlines matter.
Let’s circle back to our opening quote: “Writing is a journey, but a book is a goal.”
Practically, you can balance your writing, business, and faith by creating a schedule and managing your time wisely. For starters, set a realistic (but not overly comfortable) timeline. Create both long-term goals and short-term plans for your book-writing journey. Always remember, deadlines are important.
1) When is your target completion date? (this is the date you desire to be finished writing; your long-term goal)
2) Next, take this long-term goal and break it up into short-term actionable plans.
Example:
a. Long-term Goal: My Target Completion Date is 6 months from now, on June 30th, 20xx.
b. Short-term Plans:
Month 1 –
i. To create outline
ii. Write Introduction
iii. Complete Chapter 1
iv. In order to accomplish my Month 1 Plans, I commit to writing x-amount of words every day. OR, x-amount of days every week
Month 2 – …
3) Lastly, set a timer!
These tips won’t work unless you do. For some, setting a daily word count isn’t suitable. Some people work better by scheduling their writing sessions into their day.
1. Place a block of time on your calendar, just like you would when scheduling a business meeting.
2. During this time, set your timer! I suggest initially committing to 15-minutes a day until you’ve built the habit of writing.
3. While writing, you are NOT allowed to check emails, text, talk on the phone, scroll on social media, etc. Turn all notifications OFF! (or at the very least, silence them). Your writing time should be treated with respect. Similar to that of your uninterrupted 1-on-1 devotion time with God.
4. Accountability Matters.
Writing a book while balancing your faith and business is much easier when you’re not walking along the journey to Authorpreneurship alone. Having a Christian Book Writing Coach or Mentor and an accountability community filled with other like-minded Christian Entrepreneurs is the secret sauce to how many successful entrepreneurs birth their books so quickly. If you’re looking for a program where you can get the tools to write your book in 90 days while receiving the support, resources, and accountability you need to obey God and COMPLETE YOUR BOOK, click here!
