Michael Hyatt says that before you begin a project start with understanding the big”whyâ€.
Why I’m writing and taking up the My500words Challenge.
1. First, writing is really important to my life’s work and purpose. I could use the motivation to be purposeful to complete the projects I have in my heart to do, and get better at writing. With the new job, I have been so busy that I just haven’t had the time or energy to focus on writing content. Since I took the new assignment my blog writing has been almost non-existent.
2. I like Jeff, he is good writing mentor. In fact I’ve produced his audio books “The In-Between”, “Wrecked” and “The Writers Studio.”
To focus on writing in community with other people will be very helpful to me. And I know some of the folks that are participating. I think it be good to be hanging with them in this common experience.
3. I have several writing projects that I want to make significant progress on this year 2014. These include a new Christmas season book, a free e-book to go with an upcoming Practical Theology of Worship course on Udemy, finish the book on Resurrection Power, and write a book proposal and draft for Worship Ministry Blueprint.
Challenges to Overcome
One problem is deciding what to focus my writing on. I have so many ideas for so many projects, it’s been very difficult for me to just focus on one and finish it. So I’m hoping this 31 day period will help me prioritize, focus, carve out the time in my schedule and get some projects finished.
Strategy
First part of my strategy is to simply “brain dump†and get everything that’s in my head out of there. I have done this in multiple lists, project planning and brainstorming activities, but I’m going to use this narrative approach to further process and refine my thinking and bring closure to some of the open loops in the various projects, goals and aspirations I have going on right now.
Problems I’m trying to solve.
One conflict I feel, and I’m trying to work on, is clarifying the purpose of my blog and the purpose really of my on line “platform”. One thing I’ve been learning and observing is that the best practices of a web-based platform is to serve the needs of a particular audience or tribe, to solve a particular problem or group of problems for a specific group of people.
My personal life mission is to “encourage wholehearted worship worldwide”. I do that in three primary modalities – through music, missions and ministry instruction. I lead worship in churches, I teach on short term missions projects, I write songs, I produce recordings, I develop instructional resources, I teach at conferences and workshops, I write devotional/inspirational articles. So far, my blog has been the central hub for all of that activity.
The main problem is someone who is interested in my Music may not necessarily be interested in my instructional resources on Theology of Worship. Or someone who’s interested in my Practical Advice or Shoptalk for Worship Leaders may not have any interest at all in hearing about or donating to my Missions trip’s.
But I write and talk about all of these things, as if I’m talking to the same group of people. I wonder if lumping everything together is causing my content to not be connected with any of these constituencies very well. At least that’s a concern I have.
I consider all of this (music, missions and instructional resources) to be very interrelated with what I’m all about, what my message is, and what my content needs to be about.
So I’m just not sure how to position and share these different areas of content in a way that adds value to and grows “my tribeâ€.
So, here at the start of a new year, with the possibilities that cone with a fresh beginning -Â I’m just not sure what to do. But this is the time to re-think and revamp my approach. More in the next writing session. (Today was 741 words)
