Retreat to Write
Write on Retreat
When’s the last time you retreated:
- got away from it all,
- shifted gears,
- shifted focus,
- took care of yourself,
- wrote or worked?
Write Purposefully
There are so many wonderful reasons to retreat:
- Retreat to Pray (Psalm 42:1-2 – When your soul thirsts for the Lord, you can retreat to meet Him!)
- Retreat to Reconnect (Song of Solomon 2:10 – Rise up, my love, and come away…)
- Retreat to Rest (Psalm 62:5 – Find rest in God)
- Retreat to Restore and Refresh and Renew (Psalm 23:1-6 – verse 3 says, “He restores my soul!”)
- Retreat to Reflect and Remember (John 14:26 – The Holy Spirit brings God’s comforting words to our remembrance.)
- Retreat to Celebrate (Genesis 1:1-31 – every time God created something, He observed it and declared that it was good!)
- Retreat to Write and Work (Proverbs 16:3 – “Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”)
You could probably help me double this list!
Plan to Write
My first Writing Retreat was with Shelley Hitz of Author Audience Academy in beautiful Colorado. I trusted her expertise and followed her instructions “to a T!” She told us to come with a pretty solid outline, and I did! She encouraged us to stick to the structured schedule we would use for writing during the weekend, and I did! She encouraged us to write a rough draft and leave the heavy research for later, and I did!
I have attended a Writing Retreat at least once a year since that time and have been able to complete writing a book or program every time! I’ve held my own writing retreats and guided others through the same structured and successful process.
Write Strategically
I read the book the 12 week year by Brian Moran. It was a game changer for me. In it he encourages you to plan for 12 weeks instead of 12 months and focus on those 12 weeks to complete Your work. He suggests blocking off portions of time during your week:
- Buffer Blocks of time are best scheduled for about 30 minutes at a time throughout the week. They are set aside to take care of time consuming tasks that will help you really buckle down and get the bulk of your work done during the week-cleaning off your desk, catching up on answering emails, setting appointments.
- Breakout Blocks of time are usually about three or four hours. He suggests scheduling one of these blocks of time every week right in the middle of your work week-take a break, go to a movie, or meet a friend for lunch; do anything that breaks up a structured and scheduled work week and gives you a recharge.
- Strategic Blocks of time are my favorite! They are two or three hour blocks of time set aside strategically throughout your week where are you get rid of all distractions and focus on one strategic task at a time that will truly grow your business and ministry endeavors.
Write the Pomodoro Way
Pomodoro timed processes work best for me. In the National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs, we block off strategic blocks of 2 1/2 hours several mornings a week. We meet on Zoom and spend the first 15 minutes sharing prayer requests and goals for the day and praying for one another. We set the timer for 25 minutes of work followed by a five minute break, 25 minutes of work followed by a five minute break, 25 minutes of work followed by a five minute break, and a last 25 minutes of work. We spend the last 15 minutes sharing with one another how that process worked for us for that day and encouraging one another to commit our work to the Lord!
These sessions have been some of the most productive of my life! They’ve also allowed me to rub shoulders with some of the most amazing entrepreneurs I know. I don’t feel so alone, I feel tremendously blessed and encouraged; and while we are not an accountability group per se, I do want to tell them at the end of our sessions that I was productive!
When’s the last time you retreated:
- got away from it all,
- shifted gears,
- shifted focus,
- took care of yourself
- wrote or worked?
Join us on our next NACWE Lakeside Writing Retreat! Will usually schedule about three a year. Check out the dates and save them on your calendars!
Join us for our free work sessions and celebrate as we accomplish all that God has set before us in our entrepreneur endeavors and ministries!
Take some time for yourself to retreat – to rest, to restore, to connect, to write, to celebrate! Remember the old jingle? “You deserve a break today; so get up and get away, to…“
Don’t go to McDonald’s!
Retreat with us!
Let us help you with your Writing Projects!
Blessings,
Karen
[Karen is …]