The year is half over—as hard as that is to believe.
Now is a good time to review your goals and the progress you’ve made toward them.
I like to work in 90-day increments, so I set goals to be achieved within a 90-day period. (I also have long term goals I’m reaching for.) This 90-day period is much more achievable and acceptable to my brain and how the brain works.
After I determine my goal (or goals) for that period, I then break it down to specific tasks to be completed within that 90 days. This gives my weekly work greater focus. You might consider reading Brian P. Moran’s book The 12 Week Year
I reviewed my goals a couple of weeks ago, but haven’t yet set new goals for the next 90 days. I didn’t accomplish everything I had set to do for April through June. But I did examine why and can now make adjustments for July through September.
Are you staying focused?
This is a tough one for me, which is why the 90-day plan works better. It’s very structure promotes focus—as long as I am reviewing my plan!
My biggest difficulty in the last 90 days was battling negative thoughts.
When you write faith-based material, you can expect a spiritual battle, which makes having a prayer team an important part of your business. My team consists of 3 ladies. I send regular updates and prayer needs to them, and I say “thank you” in tangible ways for their prayers on my behalf.
If you don’t have a prayer team…
- Reach out to several people you trust and who know the Word.
- Tell them you are building a prayer team and
- Ask if they would consider being a part of it.
Not all you reach out to will agree, but that’s okay. What’s important is that you have others praying for you.
In battling negative thoughts, I struggled a lot with motivation. On a weekly basis (and sometimes daily) I called out to God for His help, asking for a word of encouragement.
He answered in various ways.
- Sometimes it was message that came through my daily devotional reading.
- Sometimes through verses in my Bible reading.
- Once it was through an email from a reader who received Abba’s Promise in her God’s Glory Box, saying how much the book had blessed her and that she was passing the book on to others who needed encouragement.
One day during my quiet time, I realized what I was fighting was spiritual—the thoughts were unrelenting and condemning. I prayed Matthew 18:18, and bound the spirit of discouragement and received immediate relief. That’s not to say I haven’t had it come back, but I take those thoughts captive and speak God’s truth—He desires that I prosper body, soul, and spirit (see 3 John 1:2). I also informed my prayer team concerning this battle.
The act of writing is solitary, but don’t isolate yourself, especially if you are single like me. Connect with other writers via writers groups online or face to face by joining a local group. In addition to your prayer team, these are people who can encourage and motivate you.
Stand strong in writing the message God has given you.
For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for Him and how you have shown your love to Him by caring for other believers….God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. (Hebrews 6:10, 18, 19 NLT)
Do you need some encouragement? Leave a comment so I can add you to my prayers, or email me with your specific request. It is a privilege to pray for you.