This post is the 10th (and final) in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. Welcome back to my series that summarizes and gives a Biblical perspective to each of the seven habits laid out in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. We now come to the 7th and final habit, which is my favorite habit: sharpening the saw. For entrepreneurs, this habit is all about pausing on work to take care of yourself. This blog, Daily Godpreneur, is a testament to my habit of sharpening my saw. Back in 2014, I realized that my personal development was more important than developing a business idea. If I spent all of my time working and never paused to exercise, meditate, write my blogs, and go to church, I would become a burned out entrepreneur. My clients, employees, vendors, and business partners wouldn't have the same Alex that they are able to interact with. I've proven that if I don't get my Bible reading and blogging done in the morning, I'm a different person throughout the day. I'm more irritable and short with people. I'm not as loving and patient. My wife and my employees notice. The same phenomenon happens with my fitness and eating. If I don't work out, I feel lethargic. If I don't eat right during the day, I feel unhealthy. As Christian entrepreneurs, if we never pause to take care of ourselves, any gains in effectiveness we achieve will be short-lived, for we'll soon exhaust ourselves and we won’t be able to maintain any of the other 6 habits that we previously learned about. When we entrepreneurs fail to work on sharpening our spiritual, physical, social, and emotional parts of our lives, we become unbalanced and it shows up in the form of conflict with business partners and employees, inability to find creative solutions to problems, and missed opportunities. This is why “sharpening your saw” isn't just a great idea that Covey came up with, it's a Biblical mandate given by God. The Bible has many passages that speak to personal growth and development, as well as the importance of taking care of oneself and cultivating a healthy inner life. Covey says that when it comes to our personal lives, we should focus on four domains: physical, spiritual, mental, and social/emotional. Let's see what the Bible has to say about what's essential for lasting effectiveness in each of these four key dimensions of our entrepreneurial lives. Food and Exercise The Bible emphasizes the importance of caring for our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). This means that we should make wise choices when it comes to what we eat and how we treat our bodies. For you to perform at your highest capacity - the natural state that God created you in - you need to stay physically fit by exercising regularly, eating healthily and avoiding undue stress. Spiritual Health Mr. Covey is Mormon and he clearly recognizes that your spiritual health also contributes to lasting effectiveness. The Bible teaches that personal growth and development in spiritual health involves seeking God first, renewing your mind, growing in knowledge, developing spiritual disciplines, being accountable, serving others, and trusting in God. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33). You should be seeking God first before starting the work day. Your God-First business model depends on this. I suggest my devotionals at Godpreneur Academy. It could also be just praying or meditating. Mental Health Mr. Covey teaches that to stay mentally healthy, read plenty of good books, avoid spending too much time in front of your television screen and make time for your own writing in some form – be it letters or poetry or a diary. Organizing and planning things are also good exercises to keep your mind sharp and fresh. King David is known for his musical abilities and wrote many of the psalms found in the book of Psalms. Even though he was a king and had many responsibilities, he took time to write and play music. Luke was a physician and writer who wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Even though he had a demanding profession, he took the time to write and share his faith through his writing. These examples suggest that it is possible for you to pursue other activities while still fulfilling your business responsibilities. Emotional Health Lastly, Mr. Covey teaches that it’s important to take care of your social and emotional health by deliberately seeking to understand others, building positive relationships with them and working on projects that help improve their lives. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus models the importance of building positive relationships with others and working to improve their lives. He spends time with people from all walks of life, showing them love, compassion, and empathy. The apostles stress the importance of meeting together regularly with other believers, being equipped by leaders in the church, encouraging and supporting one another, and using our gifts and abilities to serve the body of Christ. Hebrews 10:24-25 says "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Being involved in a church and Christian community is not only beneficial for our own spiritual growth, but it also helps to strengthen and build up the entire body of Christ. When we model Jesus in this area, we are improving our emotional and social health. This, in turn, helps us show up to our business ventures in a more highly productive way. Sharpening the Saw - Conclusion Mr. Covey teaches that by sharpening our saws, we consciously make time to recuperate and recharge. Us entrepreneurs sometimes claim we can’t find time for this, but in the long-term, it’s essential for sustained effectiveness in our businesses and the rewards in productivity and well-being that come with it. Similarly, the Bible encourages individuals to prioritize their inner lives and cultivate habits that lead to personal growth and development, including self-discipline in the areas of physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health. By doing so, individuals can better align themselves with God's will and live a fulfilling, purposeful life. Imagine if we all made sure you truly sharpen our saw and implemented activities that could contribute to our well-being in each of the four dimensions. Final Summary So, what can a Christian entrepreneur learn from reading the book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? How do the principles by the author compare to biblical principles? What I discovered in my time combing through the principles presented by Mr. Covey is that Christian entrepreneurs can learn from the book in several ways. The following are some of the things that a Christian entrepreneur can learn from reading this book: Proactivity: Covey emphasizes that effective people take responsibility for their lives and focus on what they can control. This aligns with the biblical principle of taking responsibility for one's actions and not blaming others for one's problems. Begin with the end in mind: Covey advocates that one should begin with a clear vision of what they want to achieve in life. This is similar to the biblical principle of setting goals and having a sense of purpose in life. Put first things first: Covey emphasizes the importance of prioritizing and focusing on the most important things in life. This aligns with the biblical principle of seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). Think win-win: Covey emphasizes that successful relationships are built on mutual benefit and that we should seek solutions that benefit everyone involved. This is similar to the biblical principle of loving one's neighbor as oneself (Mark 12:31). Seek first to understand, then to be understood: Covey emphasizes the importance of listening and understanding others before seeking to be understood. This aligns with the biblical principle of being slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19). Synergize: Covey advocates that working in teams and combining individual strengths can lead to better results. This aligns with the biblical principle of the body of Christ working together for a common goal (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Continuous improvement: Covey advocates for lifelong learning and continuous improvement. This aligns with the biblical principle of growing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). My goal in this series, as with any book or resource, is to filter the book through a biblical lens and discern what aligns with God's word and what doesn't. Overall, the principles outlined in "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" align well with biblical principles. However, you should read the book for yourself and discern what the holy spirit wants to show you through the teachings. Got feedback? I'd love to hear what you think about my series of teachings where I analyze the best-selling self-help books from a Christian point of view! Just drop an email to alex@dailygodpreneur.com with your thoughts or leave a comment. Suggested further book reviews Secrets of the Millionaire Mind - A Christian Entrepreneurs's Perspective Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

This post is the 9th in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. Welcome back to my series that summarizes and gives a Biblical perspective to each of the seven habits laid out in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. We now come to a habit that all the previous habits you’ve learned have prepared you for: synergizing. Synergy means a situation where the contributions of many add up to a total that exceeds the combined contributions of the individuals. One plus one can equal three or more. Synergy in Entrepreneurship At the time of writing this blog post, I have two main companies I'm building. One is a branding agency for charter schools. We manage charter school brands. They pay us a monthly retainer to handle all of their branding needs. My other company is a virtual assistant staffing agency. We find VAs in Latin America (primarily Venezuela) to work for companies in the U.S. For a few years, I was managing both companies separately. I'd focus on one for a bit, then I'd focus on the other. I had different partners, employees, clients, and softwares. Basically, I lived two lives: one as the owner of a branding agency and one as the owner of a staffing agency. One day, one of the schools we manage was complaining about their staffing issues, particularly with admin and support tasks. I didn't want to mix both of my businesses, but I couldn't resist the temptation to tell my client that I have another company that could help them with their staffing issues. Within 3 months of that conversation, I had virtual assistants working at my client's schools. I was making money from one single client through both of my companies that used to be completely isolated from each other, but because of the synergy I discovered, now we're all collaborating to service my clients at a whole new level. That's how synergy works. We all have the ability to find synergies in our business relationships. In fact, I believe that God wants us to create synergistic relationships throughout our entire entrepreneurial journey. This isn't just a concept that Mr. Covey came up with it on his own, he thought of it because this is how God designed us to think. What does the bible say about synergy? So, what does God have to say about Mr. Covey's 6th habit of synergy and synergistic relationships? The concept of synergy, or the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. However, there are many biblical passages that speak to the value of cooperation, teamwork, and unity, which are essential components of creating synergistic tasks or relationships. One famous example of the importance of synergy can be found in Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which states: "Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." This passage emphasizes the power of working together, and the benefits that can come from supporting and relying on one another. Similarly, the apostle Paul frequently emphasized the importance of unity and collaboration in his letters to early Christian communities. For example, in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Paul uses the metaphor of a body to describe the interdependence and cooperation that should exist within a community of believers: "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ... If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." This passage emphasizes the importance of every member of a community working together to achieve a common goal, and the value of supporting and caring for one another in the process. In summary, while the Bible does not explicitly use the term "synergy," it emphasizes the importance of working together, supporting one another, and collaborating to achieve common goals. These values are essential components of creating synergistic tasks or relationships in Kingdom-driven businesses. How to Implement Synergy in Business So how can you implement this principle in your own business interactions? When building your team, for example, each employee sees the world differently and we each have our own particular strengths. You can leverage the power of synergy by being open with others, valuing these differences, and tapping into each person's unique ability to move a growth opportunity forward. And in agencies, when account managers and clients truly synergize, they listen to each other, understand each other's roles in the relationship and use the contributions of others as a springboard to create something great. When you value synergy, everyone is on the same side, trying to tackle a shared challenge, not fighting each other over budgets and deadlines. As a Godpreneur, the path to synergizing starts with seeing your interactions with others as an adventure that God partners with you to go on. The outcome of that adventure may not be what you planned in your head, but God is directing the steps and your faith will help you embrace it with complete openness. Imagine if Christian entrepreneurs worldwide developed a significant degree of self-confidence, (as well as the Biblical conviction) that the combined contribution of each party can lead to something great, even if the entrepreneurial journey to get there seems a bit chaotic. Let's all make a list of the people we find it difficult to discuss things with and think about their views. If we were more confident and open-minded, do we think we could find synergies between our perspective and theirs? In the next post, we will close out with the 7th and final habit that will set us up for the rest of our business lives: sharpening the saw. Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

This post is the 8th in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. Welcome back to my series that summarizes and gives a Biblical perspective to each of the seven habits laid out in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In my last post, I discussed Habit 4: Think Win/Win. For entrepreneurs, that habit is to seek to allow clients, employees, or business partners involved in a conflict or negotiation to feel as if they’ve “won.” Win-win thinking in business is an application of the Golden Rule: "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12). Win-win thinking is an important part of our Godpreneurial journey. The more we become like Christ, the more God will want to use us to deal with some form of interpersonal conflicts happening around us. This requires balancing consideration for the needs of others, with the assertiveness to show up and hold space in our faith. The combination of consideration and assertiveness is what gives rise to spiritual maturity. Habit 5 — “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood” — helps us develop the consideration side of the equation. Let's dive into Habit 5. Imagine calling a patent lawyer and having the lawyer listen absentmindedly to the first few seconds of your idea for an invention before announcing, “I’ve heard enough,” and handing you a proposal. Or what if my virtual assistant staffing agency gave you a plan, without bothering to ask what your business was or what your staffing needs are, claiming that since we are experts at staffing, we know what will work for your company? You probably wouldn’t put much trust in either of our services. Though these examples sound surreal, we actually often behave very similarly in our businesses, particularly when talking with others. We don’t really listen to what our prospects, employees, or business partners have to say and instead project our own situation onto them, coming up with quick solutions that we can "prescribe" to them. This could be particularly troublesome for sales because if we can't make consistent sales, we cut off the lifeblood of our business - incoming revenue. In general, most failed sales proposals come from a lack of listening to the prospects' problems, since people usually only trust someone’s recommendation if they feel their situations have been fully understood. What if God designed business in a way where if we aren't empathetic and we don't listen to others, then doors close. What if that was the natural consequence God set up for a person who is more concerned for their own success than the success of another? As Christian entrepreneurs, the Bible teaches us the importance of empathetically listening to others before offering our advice. Proverbs 18:13 says, "He who gives an answer before he hears, it is folly and shame to him." This means that we should take the time to hear what someone is saying before we offer our own thoughts or opinions. James 1:19 also emphasizes the importance of listening: "Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry." This verse encourages us to be patient and understanding when listening to others. In addition, Proverbs 17:27 says, "He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit." This verse encourages us to be thoughtful and considerate when offering our advice. The Bible emphasizes the importance of actively listening to prospects, employees, and business partners, and taking the time to understand their perspective before offering your own advice or opinions - seeking first to understand, then to be understood. So if you want to be respected as a listener of your client's needs and a giver of advice to your employees, you need to develop the skill of empathic listening. This necessitates a change of paradigm from "I’m listening so that I can provide an answer" to "I’m listening so that I can really understand the person in front of me." Tips for Listening Empathetically Empathic listening means trying to get inside the other person’s frame of reference so we can understand them both intellectually and emotionally. First, we have to recognize that the enemy doesn't want us to empathetically connect with others and wants to keep us in selfish mode, focused on our own needs. Pray for the holy spirit to take over so God can show up in the conversation. Once we're connected to our holy spirit, we need to try to understand things the way they themselves do, instead of trying to fit their perspective into our own. How do we do that? We ask questions. So simple, yet we often don’t do it because we’re overly confident in our ability to understand what others are thinking and what they need. We want to tell when we really need to listen. After we've asked a question, we need to be quiet and really listen. Active listening takes work and time, however, it’s well worth the effort. By seeking first to understand, we'll be in a better position to find Win-Win solutions to interpersonal problems and Win-Win opportunities for our prospective clients. Empathetic listening increases the trust in our relationships significantly, and God can bless our circle of influence by expanding it. Imagine if the marketplace was full of God-first entrepreneurs who take time and effort to master this skill. If we all learn to listen in a truly empathic way, we'll notice that many people are fully prepared to open up to us and to reciprocate by considering our opinions and advice. They just need a good, appreciative listener before they can do so. See how the 4th habit of thinking win-win works synergistically with the 5th habit of considering others before ourselves? This is a nice segue to Mr. Covey's 6th habit of highly effective people - Synergize. Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

I want to write today about building strong, lasting relationships with clients. A client relationship is kind of like an emotional bank account: by putting time, effort and good will into it, the balance of the account grows, reflecting the increasing trust between the two parties. A healthy balance on the client account means that both parties are flexible, any miscommunications are quickly sorted out, and the potential for increased services goes up. If, on the other hand, the balance is zero with a client, there’s no flexibility and the relationship is like a minefield: every action is scrutinized and there's an increased risk of a blowout that leads to losing the client. In my agencies, I can see a big difference in the relationships with clients where I make an extra effort to make emotional deposits, versus the ones that I haven't made the time to give them extra love and attention beyond the services we provide. It's no coincidence that the accounts that get more "extra love" from me are the ones that bring in the most revenue to the companies. On the other hand, the accounts that I neglect feel like they are one mistake away from us getting fired by them. Even as I write this article, I'm convicted of the neglect in the emotional investment in those accounts. As Christian entrepreneurs, we must understand the importance of showing up as Christ in all of our client relationships and doing more than just the service we promised, but also the service we provide on behalf of God. God first entrepreneurs provide two services: the actual service and the emotional service. This is the key to building strong, lasting, and growing relationships with clients. So how can we grow our emotional balances with our clients? What does the Bible have to say about building strong lasting relationships? In the book of Galatians, it says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23) This passage highlights the importance of displaying characteristics such as love and kindness towards others. While the concept of making deposits in the emotional love tank of a client may not be directly mentioned in the Bible, the importance of showing love, kindness, and compassion towards others is a central theme in the Christian faith - and it's the #1 purpose of why God has given you the opportunity to interact with clients in the marketplace. To some clients, we are the closest thing to God they will know. Ways to Deposit Into Client Relationships A deposit into a client relationship could be, for example, finding a win-win solution, sticking to promises you’ve made or really listening empathically to the client's needs. A withdrawal, on the other hand, would be fighting for a win-lose solution, breaking a promise or only half heartedly listening to your client. To build strong, long-lasting relationships, there are several major deposits you can make: always keep promises be explicit about what you expect in the relationship be courteous and sensitive, even in seemingly small matters Another major deposit is maintaining the utmost personal integrity. I put together an entire Business Bible Study called Conquering Integrity in Business because that's how important integrity is. Integrity in business means being loyal to clients, and never bad-mouthing them or revealing what they’ve told you in confidence to other clients. This will prove to clients that you can be trusted. But perhaps one of the most important deposits you can make is really trying to understand your clients, because this deposit allows you to discover what’s important to them – and thus which things they consider deposits. By following these principles, we can build strong lasting relationships with our clients - God's way - based on trust, respect, and service. Imagine if all of our client relationships had healthy emotional love tanks! How much more satisfying would our work be? How much more impact could we have for the Kingdom? And….how much more revenue would that translate into our business? That's how God's economy works when we do business, God's way. 😉 P.S. If you do happen to make a withdrawal from a client's emotional account, pluck up the courage to apologize sincerely. It takes strength of character to do so, and clients are usually more than happy to forgive a repentant sinner.

This post is the 7th in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. Welcome back to my series that summarizes and brings the Bible into each of the seven habits laid out in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. In this series, my goal is to show how the best-selling self-help books all derive from Bible-based principals - like I did with Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harve Ecker. The first of Covey’s 7 Habits all prompt us to get our own lives together: Being Proactive, Beginning With the End in Mind, and Putting First Things First. These are habits we work on privately every morning in our alone time with God. By working out these first three habits throughout our Godpreneurial journey, we start to become more like Christ, understanding that we have a calling in the business world, and that we can bring our visions to life. However, now it's time to take this privately-developed habits, and start interacting with the world and letting our light shine. We don't do business alone; we interact with others who have their own desires and ambitions, and deal with their own levels of internal conflict. How do Christian entrepreneurs successfully navigate the world as individuals who live among other individuals? How did Jesus and the apostles do it? That’s what the next habit seeks to answer — Think Win/Win. My $30,000 Lesson One time, I sold a company an entire branding and website package for $30,000. We went back and forth in the negotiations, and they of course wanted a lower price. I wouldn't budge. I had a strong “win-lose” mindset. Yes, I won that deal and we did a great job, but the next time that entrepreneur launched another business, guess who did NOT get a call….me! I succeeded in getting the price I wanted, but the customer preferred to take their business elsewhere the next time. In the long term, I lost. However, if I would have been thinking ”win-win,” I might have built a positive relationship rather than eroding it. If, instead, I would have sought a mutually satisfactory deal, the customer would probably remember that I was fair – and she would come back again the next time, thereby increasing my profits in the long run. The lesson I learned is that it's impossible for a long-term positive relationship to form between me and my clients if I'm constantly in competition with their budget. It doesn't mean I lower my price for everyone, it means that if they can't meet my prices, maybe God didn't want us to do business together in the first place. Maybe, the win-win was that we both agree to NOT do business, and the next day I find a better-fit client, and she finds a better-fit agency. Winning Conflict in Business When I interact with employees, clients, prospects, vendors, or my business partners, I'm always believing that everyone can win. My mindset is always thinking that there's enough pie for everyone, and it is far better when all parties work toward a "win-win" solution that is beneficial for everyone, rather than fighting for a “win-lose” outcome. However, I've interacted with people in business whose worldviews are shaped by a strong "win-lose" paradigm. This means they see any interaction with others, whether at work or in their personal life, as basically a competition, where they need to fight the other person for the bigger slice of pie. As Christian entrepreneurs leading God-first businesses, I believe that the Lord really wants everyone to win. When our clients, employees, and partners win, it doesn't mean we lose. In fact, it makes it more likely we'll "win" too. Win-win thinking in business is an application of the Golden Rule: "Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them" (Matthew 7:12). The apostle Paul also discussed this principle in Philippians 2:3: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Win-win thinking is an important part of your Godpreneurial journey. The more you become like Christ, the more God will want to use you to deal with some form of interpersonal conflicts happening around you. This is why it's very important to turn win-lose conflict into win-win thinking. Some of your greatest testimonies as a Christian entrepreneur will be when you turned a conflict into an opportunity. God-first entrepreneurs do not avoid, repress or deny conflict, but rather see it as an opportunity God has given them to be Christ in the conflict and bring God into the center of the solution. Once you begin to see people problems that way, the Holy Spirit exchanges your carnal combative posture for a creative stance. In turn, the people you're dealing with don't feel threatened, they feel challenged. That's the power we have as Kingdom driven entrepreneurs. Losing Conflict in Business Of course, there are times that, no matter how much we seek the win-win, you will lose - in the short term. Sometimes the other person isn't interested in a win-win solution, only in making you lose. But we know that in the end, God wins and so do His people. The Bible says "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (Romans 12:18) When you live peaceably with employees, partners, and clients, you end up as a winner whether the other person does or not. As a Godpreneur you should always try to make it possible for the other person to win too, but sometimes people will choose otherwise. If this happens, you shouldn't feel like a failure since you have done your part. Conquering Conflict in Our Companies Whenever we see that someone is going to be the loser in a situation in our businesses, think win-win! Here are some helpful tips: Start with a quick prayer: "God, what is win-win? Thank you for using me to reveal it!" Get the facts. Focus on the present and the future, not the past (don't play the blame game). Break down the problem into smaller parts and find mutually beneficial agreements on these step by step. Brainstorm for possible solutions. Find common ground. The next two habits from Stephen Covey's book will help the win-win concept for our entrepreneurial journey. The fifth habit is "Seek first to understand, then to be understood." This requires what he calls empathetic listening in our business, where "you listen with your ears, but you also, and more importantly, listen with your eyes and your heart." These steps lead to the sixth habit, "synergize," or creative cooperation in our companies. Synergy is like winning multiplied. When everyone is working together creatively, the results can be phenomenal! Let's keep the winning going in the next articles! Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

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This post is the 6th in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. Welcome back to my series that summarizes, expands, and brings a Christian entrepreneur's perspective into each of the seven habits laid out in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. Covey’s first two habits are big picture and abstract. Habit #1 — “Be Proactive” — is about Godpreneurs proactively obeying God based on His word, and never reacting to situations in our business based on feelings alone. Imagine a world where all of us God-first business owners, when tempted, we allow the Holy Spirit to engage our minds and proactively reflect through the temptation, so we see the way of escape and obey God. Habit #2 - "Begin with the End in Mind" - builds off of the first. It's about taking the time required to visualize the business God has inspired you to build - your calling and assignment here on earth. Better to ask God now than to lose your way pursuing worldly desires. It’s much more productive to spend time in prayer, meditation and thanksgiving anticipating an action and visualizing the desired outcome, than just plowing hastily on, possibly in the wrong direction. Then, once you know your God-given purpose, you create a personal mission statement based on Biblical principles and Christian values that help guide your entrepreneurial journey. Habit 3: Put First Things First Habit #3 - "Put First Things First" - is where we take the two previous big picture concepts and apply them to our daily routine. And nothing is more important to a daily routine than the personal development we do in the morning. It’s about taking actions in the morning that match your entrepreneurial calling. What does the Bible say about putting first things first? How does this apply to a Christian entrepreneur's success in business? Let's discover how. The Perfect Morning Routine for Christian Entrepreneurs I wrote an article describing the routine that I go through before arriving at my office at 11am. To summarize, here is what I do: 6 am : wake up 6:20 - 7:20 am : meditate, read Bible, wrote blog post for Daily Godpreneur 7:50 am : listen to inspirational message on way to gym 8:30 - 10:30 am : CrossFit, stretch, sauna, shower, drink protein shake 10:50 am : meditate for 10 minutes 11:00 am : begin work Notice that before all of the unforeseen events that can come up on any given workday, I have already connected with God, received a message from the Bible, taught the lesson to others, worked on my physical fitness and taken care of God's temple (my body) fed my body healthy food What most people struggle to do all year, I've accomplished before 11 am….every week day! We could all agree that I have a better chance at being proactive and staying focused on my calling in business with this morning routine than, for example, a person who wakes up stressed about a project and rushes to the office to try to figure things out. This person is in "reactive" mode, disconnected from God, and is likely not on the "path" he or she should be on for that day. I attribute 100% of my success in business to the fact that I have figured out what the BIG PICTURE items of my day are, and I've attacked those first. My rule is that personal development must be the priority so that the rest of the day flows with the holy spirit alive and well in me. For us entrepreneurs, we have 12 hours in the day to be of service to God through our businesses. We'll have a whole bunch of tasks that need to be done, but they aren't so important — the endless to-dos and fires to put out. And as Christian entrepreneurs, we also have a lot of personal development we want to do in our daily life. These are important things that might not have a hard deadline like a project does, but help us achieve our goals, as well as our overall mission and calling as a purpose-focused Godpreneur. These important personal development tasks involve spirituality, health, relationships, and business purpose — the things that ultimately develop our virtues. Many business owners I know decide to go to the gym after work and do their Bible reading at night. The problem with this is that it's backwards to the third habit of highly effective people, which is to put important things first. Our personal development is more important than our business operations. If we're not operating at 100% internally, then our business is getting short-changed by it's leader. There are many examples in the Bible where God stresses putting first things first. The Bible says “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:9-10 says "Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." Notice that in all three of these verses, the reader is being instructed to prioritize personal development, and that there is a natural consequence of success that follows? When you decide to take care of the most important thing first - drawing closer to God in the morning - you end up having time and energy to accomplish and deal with the everyday business tasks, as well as for relaxation and fun after work. However, if you start off by dealing with business tasks and putting our fires, you risk not connecting with God and you miss out on the energy you need to sustain you through the day and make God-first decisions. This is why entrepreneurs complain about life being super busy, frustrating, and stagnant. Every day your days feel crammed, but you don’t seem to be making any progress on your goals, and in becoming the Godpreneur you want to be. So we know why it’s important to put first things first, but how do we do it? What are the best “management” practices to help us Christian business owners properly order our priorities? Your Morning Routine is Sacred If you want to make sure you accomplish your personal development goals, then you need to literally make them the first things you do each day. How do you decide what tasks you need to schedule first thing in the morning? As a God-first entrepreneur, the answer should be obvious: you need to make your morning routine a sacred time with God. This will make sure you're always checking in with your purpose. Your routine might be: Strengthen your relationship with God Create content for your calling Do physical fitness Eat nutritious breakfast God has given us entrepreneurs a tremendous responsibility: to co-create solutions that will alleviate problems in the world. We're not going to be able to do any co-creation very well unless we get our mind right and connect with our partner in creation: God. What that means practically is that the very first thing we need to do when we get out of bed (and make coffee) is to engage in a set of mental and spiritual exercises: pray, read scriptures, meditate, and throw in a worship song for extra credit! Before having this routine, I remember the first thing I would do is check my email, but I found this set my mind up for a day guided by whatever came into the inbox. Good emails meant I was in a good mood. Bad emails meant bad mood. It made me a slave to outside circumstances and not subject to God's calling over my life. After connecting with God, we can continue to gain momentum by doing physical exercise. This will strengthen our positive, confident attitude with which we approach the day. Now that you have connected with God and done physical exercise, our spirit is ready to work! It's time to get to the office and follow a similar routine of taking care of the big projects first, then moving on to smaller tasks. Our morning routines set us up for business day success. Do this habitually for the rest of your entrepreneurial journey, and it will keep you in your purpose and calling. Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

This post is part of a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. In his New York Times best-seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Steven Covey teaches that the second habit is to “Begin with the end in mind.” To that end, Mr. Covey suggests we all write a personal mission statement - a clear destination for our lives. So what does the Bible say about writing personal mission statements? What would God want an entrepreneur's statement to include? I went to a men's retreat that had me go through a mental exercise. The teacher had me imagine that it’s three years in the future, and, sadly enough, I've passed away. He asked all of us to take a moment to visualize our own funeral. I imagined my loved ones, but I also imagined my business partners, employees, industry colleagues, and my clients giving eulogies and talking about me amongst each other. I asked myself what I'd like them to say. What sort of business owner did I want to be remembered as? What would I want them to share with my mom and dad? For what did I want to be remembered as in my entrepreneurial career? That retreat, I wrote my personal mission statement for my business life. It was short and sweet, and I still look at it frequently to continue to visualize it. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs spend their time working toward a calling that doesn't really matter to them, because they never stopped to define their purpose and mission properly. In short, they fail to understand the difference between being efficient in the world and being effective for God. Being efficient in business means getting the maximum amount done in the shortest amount of time. But this is pointless if you don’t know what you’re striving for and why you’re doing it. It's like flying in a plane and not knowing the destination: you’re making progress, but it could be in the wrong direction. Being effective for God, on the other hand, means the coordinates are set in the right direction – that is, knowing what God's destination for your business life is. Effective Godpreneurs don’t just thoughtlessly pursue things like money and fame; they focus on what’s important to God. Everything else is a waste. Some of us are clear on our calling, and others aren't. So how can you start to understand God's destination for your business life? This is where writing a personal mission statement for your business starts to help. Jesus Christ was “On Mission” Jesus is our example, and He knew exactly what His mission was. He was sent into the world so that we could have abundant life. The Bible says A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. (John 10:10 HCSB) Everything Jesus did was framed by his personal mission statement, whether He was turning water into wine, teaching on a hillside, spending hours with people as they lined up for healing, or extending grace and forgiveness to an adulterous woman. And today, we continue to be influenced and guided by this mission. Writing Your God-First Personal Mission Statement for your Business I challenge you to ask yourself those aforementioned funeral questions, and then use your answers as a basis for writing a personal mission statement. Think about what people in your business would say about you - clients, partners, employees. This is a document where you define your own creed for doing business God's way, meaning what kind of entrepreneur God wants you to be, what you hope to achieve in your business life, and the basic Biblical values and principles underlying these goals. The mission statement is a commitment to God and the marketplaces you serce. What you're writing is your personal constitution of how you lead a God-first business, an established standard by which every business decision can be measured and valued. Having such a compass gives you a sense of direction and security, and it enables you to at least try to align all your actions with God's plan for your entrepreneurial journey. Here is my personal mission statement: My name is Alex Miranda and I help entrepreneurs uncover the exact business they were born to do in this world, and for a select few, I help them bring that to life in the form of a brand strategy resulting in a logo and website that will make them unique, memorable, shareable, and highly profitable. I do this by guiding entrepreneurs to live out God's true business calling for their lives. The hope and truth of living that comes from knowing their calling in following Jesus Christ drives me. That's how I bring my father's kingdom to earth. Imagine if all of us Godpreneurs started and frequently reviewed our personal mission statements. We would all have a foundational document for our business lives. We would all be doing business with others who also understand their God-first destination. WARNING: You can’t just bang it out in one sitting. It will require Bible study, meditation, deep introspection and several rewrites before you get it right, and even then it should be reviewed occasionally. Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

This post is the 3rd in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. In his classic book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, writer and businessman Stephen Covey laid out seven habits he believed led to a flourishing life. I’ve been re-reading the book as a Christian entrepreneur and it inspires me. All of the principles can be found in the Bible! I’ve been studying the book from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, so I’ve decided to do a series (see entire series here), summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. We start today with the first habit Covey delves into in the book, which lays the foundation for all the others: Be Proactive. Proactive vs. Reactive Entrepreneurs “Being proactive” is the first habit of the best-seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey. So what does the Bible have to say about being proactive, and how does this apply to our journey as Christian entrepreneurs? I once had a business partner "borrow" $150,000 from our shared company bank account. The only problem was that he wasn't able to repay me. Instead, he went on a shopping spree to buy luxury items and investments. It was incredibly irresponsible of him. I was left with $150,000 in credit card debt. It ruined my credit. The worst part is that he refused to take ownership of his mismanagement. I felt betrayed, alone, and overwhelmed with shame. As a Christian business owner, how was I supposed to react to this situation I was in? I had written blogs and created devotionals on how to forgive bad business partners, and now I found myself faced with the ultimate business betrayal. Was I going to react the way the world would, or was I going to respond the way Jesus would? Approximately 2 years after the incident, I received a call from my former business partner profusely apologizing. He said "Alex, the way you were able to stomach that debt and still continue to love me through it has inspired me and I will never forget it. I'm going to start repaying you $5,000 per month until the debt is paid off." This has been my greatest business testimonial since becoming a God-first business owner in 2008. No single event on my Godpreneurial journey has shown more evidence of my growth as a Christ-centered leader than this one. Instead of reacting to the atrocities that I had experienced by this terrible business partner, I chose to be proactive and LOVE him through it all. I kept on consulting him on his next business ventures. I kept on believing in him. I kept helping him try to launch a new business (on his own, of course). Eventually, he had success with another business venture and was able to start repaying me. As Christian entrepreneurs, what should distinguish us from worldly business owners is one crucial difference - non-spiritual entrepreneurs are slaves to external stimuli, and can only react to these stimuli in the preprogrammed way that is in their nature. We Godpreneurs, in contrast, are called to reflect on a stimulus before responding to it, and we are commanded to reprogram ourselves to respond in a specific, desirable way…God's way…the way Jesus would. Steven Covey, The author of the best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, identifies "being proactive" as the FIRST of the seven habits. Although all seven habits are important, it's no surprise that this one has to be addressed first. It's almost as if every living moment is affected by our heart's ability to either react to a situation or proactively respond. The author explains that a proactive person acts in advance to deal with an expected difficulty. A proactive choice is based on values and principles. But a reactive person makes choices primarily based upon desires, feelings, circumstances, conditions, and their environment. As Christian entrepreneurs, God wants is to make proactive choices according to our feelings as long as the choice is compatible with Biblical values; but when we reactively make decisions on our own, based only on feelings, we often sacrifice our Christian values because of our feelings. So what does the Bible say about Mr. Covey's first habit of proactivity? GODPRENEURS MUST PREPARE - BE PROACTIVE Although the word proactive doesn't appear in the Bible, Kingdom business owners are commanded to be prepared, which requires proactive behavior. Peter says, "prepare your minds for action. . . ." (1 Peter 1:13). As a leader in the marketplace, you must prepare your mind to act the way God commands in a given situation. Therefore, you must be proactive - you must act in advance, to deal with whatever situation we find ourselves in. GODPRENEURS MUST BE READY - BE PROACTIVE Prepared Kingdom-driven leaders are ready to act. Therefore, they are proactive. Jesus tells us we must be ready for His return. He says, "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect" (Luke 13:40). Paul tells us to be ready for every good deed. He says, "Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed" (Titus 3:1). And Peter tells us to be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks about our hope. He says, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. . . ." (1 Peter 3:15). Christian entrepreneurs must be proactive to be prepared, and be ready for all things that come our way in business. HOW DO YOU NEED TO PROACTIVELY CHANGE? When my business partner left me with $150,000 of debt, I decided to do the right thing, even if it cost me my pride and ego. Maybe you were wronged in some way by a client or employee? Your attitude is to do the right thing, even if it costs you a lot of money. As marketplace ministers, must set aside our sinful affections to follow Jesus. We must bear our cross, never allowing ourselves to react with sinful passions and emotion towards clients, employees, partners, and even our competition. We must make proactive decisions to do the right thing, and be ready to face whatever comes our way. THE CHOICE IS YOURS You always have a choice regarding sin along your entrepreneurial journey. Paul says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Since you always have a choice whether to sin or obey God in business, you must proactively obey God rather than reactively give into temptation. GODPRENEURS REFLECT RATHER THAN REACT Imagine a world where all of us God-first business owners, when tempted, we allow the Holy Spirit to engage our minds and proactively reflect through the temptation, so we see the way of escape and obey God. Imagine if we all sought the things above, setting our minds on the things above, considering the members of our earthly body as dead (Colossians 3:1-5). Godpreneur Rule: Godpreneurs proactively obey God based on His word, and never react to situations in our business based on feelings alone. Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

This post is the 4th in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. “Begin with the end in mind” is the second habit of the best-seller, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey. So what does the Bible have to say about beginning with the end in mind, and how does this apply to our journey as Christian entrepreneurs? Do you ever feel like you're a slave to your business? Are you constantly exhausted, wondering when business life will be easier? Maybe you need to develop the habit of beginning with the end in mind. In 2021, I partnered with a friend to start an agency focused exclusively on the needs of charter schools. However, before entering into the partnership, I clearly communicated to my partner two important things: In one year, I'm going to find my replacement because I don't want to be a slave to this business. When that day comes, I want to work ON the business, and not IN the business. After one year, we would begin to look at selling the agency. I began my partnership with the end in mind. What this did was make me focus on building the business from day one using systems and processes that didn't depend on me and would be attractive to a potential buyer. Every decision we made as partners had a clear outcome: move out of the way and build a well-oiled machine. In business, whenever we perform an action, we're actually performing it twice: first in our mind, when we imagine it, and then physically, when we do it. In my example, I first needed to visualize what kind of agency I wanted, the organizational chart (without me in it), how we accomplish projects for clients, and how we market for new business, all before landing our first client. If I wouldn't have taken the time to do this, the building of the business would have taken longer and been more chaotic: without a plan to follow, there's no doubt in my mind that I would have been stuck wearing too many hats, making it so much harder to let go of those roles later on. As the leaders of our businesses, that's why it’s crucial to have the desired end firmly in our mind before we start any business, project, or task. The more exact and realistic the mental picture of the action is, the better its execution will be – and, hence, the better the results. God gave us the ability to be proactive and to visualize things before they happen as a way to prepare ourselves before taking action. How does God ask us to visualize? If God grants you a dream or a vision for your entrepreneurial journey, or Jesus paints a parable for a way to lead your business, or the Bible tells a story that inspires a new venture, this is what God wants you to visualize. For Christian business owners, we further describe visualization as "Godly Imagination," which is picturing things the Bible says are true. God gave Abraham a vision of the stars of the sky and told him he would have that many children (Genesis 15:5), and that produced faith in Abraham’s heart (Genesis 15:6). So here we have an example of godly imagery which produced faith in the man who is called "the Father of Faith" (Romans 4:11). That is a powerful concept for Christian entrepreneurs that have a burning passion or desire that God put on your heart. This would indicate that if you wanted faith in your heart that moves mountains in your industry, then you would need the same ingredients which God gave to Abraham. These are: A spoken promise (Genesis 12:1,2) A divine picture (Genesis 15:1,5,6) Then as you hold this promise and picture of a business venture in your heart, meditate on it and ponder it, God produces a miracle in the fullness of time. For Abraham, a child was born 25 years later. I personally use imagery in many ways in my businesses, and find it extremely beneficial in my Godpreneurial walk. God has told me that whatever I fix my eyes on, grows within me, and whatever grows within me, I become. So instead of fixing my eyes on my sin, or my self effort to become righteous, I fix my eyes on Jesus, and I discover that I become Christ-like, and find myself radiating His goodness and His glory in the marketplaces I traverse. This is the whole of a becoming a Godpreneur. So whether it's for a totally new venture, or for a project within your existing business, take the time required for visualization. First, make sure it was God-inspired. Better to ask God now than to lose your way pursuing worldly desires. It’s much more productive to spend time in prayer, meditation and thanksgiving anticipating an action and visualizing the desired outcome, than just plowing hastily on, possibly in the wrong direction. To get started, you could think about one of your upcoming projects and write down exactly what God said, the results He desires, and what steps you will take to attain those results. It might not all be crystal clear, however the Holy spirit will step in over time to provide clarity. Beginning with the end in mind isn’t just important for individual business projects. I've written a follow-up post explaining that you should also have a clear view of your larger life goals. Read the Whole Series: A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - A Godly Path to Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Proactive Entrepreneurship The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Begin With the End in Mind Writing Your Personal Mission Statement The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Put First Things First The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Think Win/Win The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Synergize The 7 Habits: Entrepreneurs Sharpen the Saw I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

This post is the 2nd in a series of posts where I've been studying the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey from a Christian entrepreneur’s perspective, and I'm summarizing and Biblically backing up each of the seven habits. Scroll to the end of this article for links to the entire series. In 2005, a couple of buddies and I started a branding and marketing company exclusively serving the nightlife niche. We were young nightclub promoters that saw that clubs, bars, and lounges needed specialized help to pack their clubs. Then, in 2008, I had my "come to Jesus" moment and started going back to church. Surrounding myself with good, Godly people, I realized that the nightlife wasn't going to be a good place for me if I really wanted to give myself fully to Christ. After a few years, I completely disassociated myself and my business from the nightlife industry and began my journey of leading a God-first business life. This new path gave me meaning and purpose, helped me find my calling, and led me to start my blog, Daily Godpreneur. If I had stayed in the nightlife, that would have led me down a worldly path. However, I had a total shift in mindset, and it took me down a different path - a Godly path. Entrepreneurship is a journey. And like any journey we set out on, we all could agree that a map is useful, right? Now then, when we navigate the business world around us, instead of a map with streets and addresses, we use our paradigms to guide us. Paradigms are the subjective ways each of us perceives and understands the world. A paradigm is not something you actively think about, but a framework for understanding reality. No entrepreneur is an objective operator. Everything we understand and every way we act in the business world is tinted by our own paradigms. For instance, an entrepreneur with a negative paradigm will perceive losing a prospective sale as a frustrating waste of time, while an entrepreneur with a more positive paradigm might see it as an unexpected opportunity to learn, grow, and remain content. In his best selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Steven Covey teaches that since our paradigms are at the core of our characters, shifting our paradigms is the key to making lasting changes. Only in this way can we change our subjective realities – and, with them, our characters and behaviors. This is why we need to recognize and monitor our own paradigms; if we don’t, we won’t know which ones are holding us back. In a Christian entrepreneur's case, the paradigm through which we approach business ownership is that our ventures are a unified story that lead us to Christ-likeness. This is the paradigm we should strive for. My paradigm shift came when I realized that the Bible was one big book on business ownership. Reading the Word consistently is what eventually led me to let go of the nightlife industry. I'm convinced that it's the best self-help book on the planet for entrepreneurs. I'm sure that it contains all of the secrets to entrepreneurial wealth, wisdom, and success - I read it daily like a treasure map. This mindset has helped me see business ownership from a totally different perspective - God's point of view. The Bible says “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” (1 Corinthians 2:12). Scripture - the Gospel - is the paradigm shift that unlocks everything. Taking what you think to be the case in business situations, and showing you what you thought was the way things are, is not how they are with God. The gospel is the greatest example of a shift from the world's business model to God’s model. This means the reason you do business differently is a complete paradigm shift from what you thought. You lead your company differently because the Bible becomes your new map to navigate entrepreneurship. The Gospel gives you a new heart, new desires, and the Holy Spirit who empowers you to do the will of the Father in the marketplace. In short, you do business God's way because you delight in God and God is most glorified when you are most happy in Him. Imagine a world filled with highly effective entrepreneurs - ones aligned with larger, Christ-like principles, like fairness, honesty and integrity. Since the majority of people (Christian or not) agree that these principles are good, we can see them as permanent, natural laws. Therefore, the more accurately our map of paradigms reflects this landscape of natural principles, the more realistic our view and the better our chances of success in attaining lasting change. After reading Mr. Covey's Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, I've concluded that attaining this kind of Bible-based paradigm is exactly what the seven habits are all about. A Christian Entrepreneur's Perspective on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Introduction 1 - Why Your Character Defines Your Success in Business Introduction 2 - How a Nightclub Promoter Found a Godly Path to Entrepreneurship Habit 1: (coming soon) Habit 2: (coming soon) Habit 3: (coming soon) Habit 4: (coming soon) Habit 5: (coming soon) Habit 6: (coming soon) Habit 7: (coming soon) I pray you enjoy the series as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Parent Instructions: If you're teaching your child entrepreneurship or doing a business together, read this devotional to them. I wrote this to teach my son, Aiden, about budgeting. Aiden and I have a snail shell air plant business together. BE UNIQUE Have you ever had an idea that was unique and different from everyone else's? Maybe you thought of a new game to play with your friends, or a creative way to help someone in need. Well, just like in our everyday lives, having a unique idea is important in business too. God has given each of us unique abilities and talents that we can use to serve Him and make a difference in the world. In business, having a unique idea can help us stand out from our competitors and make a positive impact in people's lives. We can look to the Bible for examples of people who had unique ideas and used them to serve God. One such example is Bezalel, a skilled craftsman whom God called to build the tabernacle in the wilderness (Exodus 31:1-5). Bezalel had a unique set of skills and abilities that he used to make the tabernacle beautiful and functional, serving God in a special way. Just like Bezalel, we too can use our unique ideas and abilities to serve God in unique ways. We can ask God to give us creative ideas that will help us make a difference in our business and in the lives of others. Remember, we are all special and unique in God's eyes. He has given us talents and abilities that we can use to serve Him and bring glory to His name. Let's use our unique ideas to make a positive impact in the world and serve God in a special way. PRAYER Dear God, Thank you for giving us unique ideas and abilities to serve you in special ways. Help us to use our creativity and talents to make a positive impact in the world and bring glory to your name. Please guide us as we seek to use our unique ideas in business and in all areas of our lives. We love you, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen. BIBLE VERSE Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. (Exodus 31:1-5) BIBLE APPLICATION God gives us each unique abilities to serve him. We can turn those abilities into a way of making money either by being an employee and having a job or an entrepreneur and having a business.

This article explores how Christian entrepreneurs can approach personal development from a biblical perspective, emphasizing the Holy Spirit's role in producing Christ-like character traits and the importance of forming Christ-like habits through sanctification. Back in the 90s, I used to watch a show called "The Real World." Seven to eight young adults are picked to temporarily live in a new city together in one residence while being filmed non-stop. In the first episode of each new season, these perfect strangers would all meet for the first time. Everyone was polite, happy, well put together, and well-mannered. However, as each new episode came out, everyone's "true colors" started to shine. As the show's tagline famously said: over time, people stop being fake and start becoming real. The same thing happens to us in business. Partnerships always start out amazing, then someone's true character comes out, the relationship is tested, and most of the times, it dissolves. New employees begin working and everyone's on their best behavior at the beginning, but after a few months, big character flaws start to show up and one or both sides become dissatisfied. How come the behaviors exhibited at the beginning of a relationship don't always match up with the true character of a person over time? When author Stephen Covey wrote his best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he was on a quest to truly understand the nature of success when he came upon this same behavior vs character phenomenon. He discovered that, generally speaking, there are two ways to strive for improvements to your life: Change a Behavior Experience a Character Change The first method is to work on the skills necessary for the behavior you desire. For instance, if you want to win more clients or have greater influence over employees, you might work on skills like memorizing people's names or remembering to show more appreciation. The author calls this method the "personality ethic." Despite its sounding like a solid path for growth as business leaders, it’s actually just a shortcut. The personality ethic lets us avoid working on the fundamental character traits that are holding us back in our business growth, promising that some easily learnable technique will be the silver bullet for all our problems. Unfortunately, this promise is usually empty, and it almost never results in lasting personal growth. The author stresses that the second method is far more effective: working on your character – that is, the fundamental habits and belief systems that form your view of the world. Only behavior stemming straight from your character will endure over time, because, sooner or later, your true character will shine through. Mr. Covey calls this the "character ethic," and it emphasizes things like courage, integrity and the golden rule. For example, if I have a problem with always being late to meetings, dropping the ball on projects, and never finishing what I start, then people aren't going to trust me and I'll have a difficult time succeeding as an entrepreneur. I can try techniques like setting my alarm for meetings or the Pomodoro technique for working on projects, but my real problem is that I have integrity issues. Unless I work to become a person of more integrity, I'll always suffer from certain personality flaws. The personality ethic vs character ethic answers the question of how entrepreneurs could start out being so nice and perfect in a relationship, and then become jerks over time - it's because, eventually, a person's true character will show. The author concludes if we really want to change, we need to work from the inside out - we must focus our personal development work on our character. What Does this Mean for Christian Entrepreneurs? The good news for us Christian entrepreneurs is that this is exactly how God designed transformation to come about in us. God isn't interested in a few temporary behavior changes, he's looking for us to make total character changes - a transformation of the mind. It is not through our works, our goodness, or our own self-righteousness that we are reconciled to God (Ephesian 2:8-9). We cannot clean ourselves up (behavior ethic), thinking somehow our works will earn us favor with the Father. The Pharisees tried, but Jesus condemned them (Luke 11:37-44). So how does one go about working on character changes? How do you improve integrity, dependability, kindness, empathy, or courage? How long does this take? When do you know you've changed for sure? First, let's be clear that it's the Holy Spirit's job to produce Christ-like character in you. The Holy Spirit produces character traits that are representative of Jesus. The apostle Paul referred to these characteristics as the fruit of the Spirit. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT) This process of changing us to be more like Jesus is called sanctification. You can't reproduce the character of Jesus on your own or by your own strength. New Year's resolutions, willpower, and best intentions are not enough. And it doesn't happen overnight and there is no magic pill. It takes faith alone - for the rest of our lives. So how does God use the Holy Spirit to work on our character? You do it by forming Christ-like habits. Over the next series of posts, we'll explore this through the author's identification of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Stay tuned.

Parent Instructions: If you're teaching your child entrepreneurship or doing a business together, read this devotional to them. I wrote this to teach my son Aiden about budgeting. Aiden and I have a snail shell air plant business together. Business Plan for Success Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Aiden. Aiden loved to ride his bike with his dad to a secret lake to find and collect snail shells. They would bring the shells home and spend hours painting them all types of cool colors and doing different arts and crafts with them. One day, Aiden decided that he wanted to start his own business finding and selling snail shells. He was so excited to get started, he went out and collected a whole bunch of shells without giving much thought about how he was going to make it happen. As he began to work on his snail shells, he realized that he needed a plan. He didn't know how much to charge for his shells, where to sell them or even how to ship them to people who lived far away. Aiden felt overwhelmed and didn't know what to do. He remembered a lesson his Sunday school teachers taught him about Proverbs 16:3, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." And he knew he needed to pray and ask God for guidance. Aiden sat down and wrote a business plan. He listed out his goals and objectives, the supplies he would need, and the steps he would take to make his business a success. He also set aside time to pray and ask God for His guidance and wisdom. With his business plan in hand, Aiden was able to organize his thoughts and put his ideas into action. He was able to make beautiful snail shell air plants that people loved, and he was able to sell them at fair prices online and through stores in his neighborhood. His business was a great success, and he was able to give back to God, his community, and save up for stuff he wanted. Aiden learned that just like a roadmap guides us on a journey, a business plan guides us on the journey of growing and managing our business. And with God's guidance and wisdom, we can make our dreams a reality. PRAYER Dear God, Thank you for giving us the ability to think and create. Thank you for the gift of writing and the ability to put our thoughts and ideas into a plan. We are grateful for the opportunity to work hard and be successful in our business ventures. Help us to use our talents and resources to bring good to the world and to those around us. Amen. BIBLE VERSE "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." (Proverbs 16:3) BIBLE APPLICATION If we pray and ask God for guidance in whatever we do, he will help us with the plans and help us achieve our goals for our lives and make our dreams come true. With God's guidance, we can make our plans a success. #childrensdevotional #kidpreneur #proverbs Follow me and Aiden here: Etsy TikTok @aidenjamils Instagram @aidenjamils

Parent Instructions: If you're teaching your child entrepreneurship or doing a business together, read this devotional to them. I wrote this to teach my son, Aiden, about budgeting. Aiden and I have a snail shell air plant business together. Employee vs Entrepreneur Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Aiden who loved to collect snail shells. He enjoyed painting them and using them to make cool decorations from scratch. As he grew up, Aiden had to make a decision about his future. He could either become an employee, or he could become an entrepreneur. One day, Aiden went to visit Papa Jose, his wise old grandfather who was known for giving good advice. Aiden asked his papa, "What should I do with my life? Should I be an employee or an entrepreneur?" His papa smiled and said, "Aiden, both being an employee and an entrepreneur are important in their own way. As an employee, you can learn to be responsible and follow instructions, like me and your grandma. And as an entrepreneur, you can learn to be creative and take risks, like your Dada." Aiden was a little confused, so his Papa continued. "God has given us all gifts and talents to use for His glory. It doesn't matter if you are an employee or an entrepreneur, you can always serve God and help others. The Bible says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."God has special plans for you and wants to see you happy and successful. So, why don't you pray and ask God what He wants you to be?" Aiden prayed and thought about what his Papa had said and decided to become an entrepreneur like his Dada. With the help of his dad, he started his own business and used his love for collecting empty snail shells to make unique and beautiful creations. His business was a great success, and he used his profits to save money for Nintendo games, give to God, and help those in need. Years went by, and Aiden became known for his kindness and generosity. People would often ask him how he was able to be so successful, and he would always answer, "God's plan for me is to serve God and use my gifts for His glory." And so, Aiden learned that it didn't matter if he was an employee or an entrepreneur. What mattered was that he served God and used his talents to make a positive impact in the world. The end. PRAYER Dear God, thank you for loving me and having special plans for me. I trust in You and know that You want me to be happy and successful. Help me to have hope and a bright future. Thank you for always being with me and guiding me. BIBLE VERSE "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11) BIBLE APPLICATION God has special plans for you and wants to see you happy and successful. He wants you to have hope and a bright future. Just like a loving parent who has a plan for their child's future, God has a plan for you too, and it's always good! You can trust in Him and know that He loves you and wants the best for you. #childrensdevotional #kidpreneur Follow me and Aiden here: Etsy TikTok @aidenjamils Instagram @aidenjamils