You need a writing habit

Everything starts with writing. Writing you say? That seems like a pretty far off topic from worship production. I want to show you how writing is actually one of the most important things you can do. As my friend Sean McCabe says:

It all starts with writing.
– Sean McCabe

Making a course?
Filming a video?
Training your team?

Each of those starts with writing.

I’ve had a daily writing habit for around a year now and it has completely changed my work. I spend a lot of time writing on The Production Pastor for blog posts and the weekly newsletter, but writing has also dramatically impacted the daily work at my church.

Writing every day (just for 20 minutes) gives me clarity about what I should be working on and has sparked many new ideas. Here are a few examples: This entire site? I planned out the details in my daily writing. Writing trainings for my team at Third? Through my daily writing. The idea to launch the Technical Arts Apprenticeship at our church? Through my daily writing. Planning projects and prioritizing new ideas? Through my writing.

It all starts with writing.

When I look back on The Production Pastor, my ministry work and even my own personal growth, the single habit that has dramatically changed the work I do is my writing habit. The best thing I can encourage you to do is create a daily writing habit.

Build a writing habit

To build a writing habit, start by setting aside 20 minutes every day to write. Plan this time in your schedule and commit to doing it for 30 days.

Each day when you sit down to write, start by removing any and all distractions, set a timer for 20 minutes and write. Don’t worry about what to say, just write anything and everything that comes to mind.

The first few days might seem a little odd and new, but keep up your daily writing habit. Over time, you’ll begin to see how beneficial writing is for giving you clarity, focus and new ideas.

If you’re looking for a great resource to get you started, I can’t recommend 30 Days to Better Writing enough. This course is what I used to build my own writing habit and is something I revisit regularly. You could even ask your church to pay for the course as a leadership development tool.

Go write

Right now, go to your calendar and mark off 20 minutes each day to write. If you’re worried about what to write, how this writing habit thing works, or if you’re not sure if you want to try it, write that down. Anything that comes to mind gets written down.

As you write, remember, the goal isn’t to write amazing things, the goal is to build a writing habit. You succeed if you show up and write for 20 minutes – that’s all that matters. Go write and begin to see all the benefits that come from a daily writing habit.