Tag Archive - Getting Things Done

What Keeps You Centered?

February 18, 2009 in Therapy-Psychology with 9 Comments

What keeps you centered?

pavmark2This is a question that I have been thinking about a lot.  And it’s a question that I ask a lot of my clients, and my friends.

If centered is not the right word for you, how about: grounded, balanced, focused.

Anxiety is one of the biggest issues that I usually work with clients on, and it is probably one of the most prevalent issues that friends and acquaintances ask my advice on.

Having something that daily centers us can help reduce the anxiety in our lives. I have tried to use this practice in my own life in various spheres.

So for example:

  • As a Christian, God, my life in Christ is what centers me, or helps keep me grounded. My dependence  upon, and relationship with God has helped reduce a lot of anxiety in my own life. That is sometimes hard for us to wrap our minds around. We think it, believe, know it (theologically), but to practice it is difficult. This can be practiced through a life of prayer and reading and meditation upon the Scriptures, worship, community, etc.


  • I also exercise as often as I can. Not as much as I would like to, but I’m working on it. When I ran back to back marathons in October 2007 and March 2008, I felt the most grounded, non-anxious and confident that I have ever felt. Exercise has a way of keeping us centered. I often recommend pilates, yoga, walking, running or some form of exercise to people as a way to center them and help reduce anxiety.


  • There are certain rituals that I like in the morning to help ground me. A cup of coffee in my hand at the beginning of my work day has a certain centering effect upon me. Rituals like long drives with great music playing also helps.



What works for you to keep you centered, grounded, balanced, well focused?

Share some tips….

Your Daily Workflow and Social Media Tools

August 20, 2008 in Ministry-Theology with 5 Comments

Does that chart scare you?

It scared me the first time I saw it.  I was given a copy of Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. And well, the book and method were hardly stress free for me, while others thrived on it.

Many of you out there are disciples of David Allen and GTD aka “Getting Things Done.” You talk about it incessantly and you have the results to show that his methods work.

Most of us on the other hand fall somewhere else and our personality, gifts and skill set help us determine the best method of workflow for us. Though I wasn’t a big fan of GTD in the beginning I’m coming around to it.

Let me point you in the direction of a couple of other sources that I have found helpful, mention my own workflow situation, as well as get suggestions from you.

Other Methods

Let me just mention a few other methods that I really like and that I have tried picking up. At the end of the day I think that most of our workflow methods are a an array of various ones that we have brought together into one workable, if not messy method at times.

First, I love this method from my friend Wess Daniels, Create a Moleskine PDA: The Student GTD Hack. Who doesn’t love a Moleskine, and how many of us need a break from “technology” and need to remove ourselves from the computer. I haven’t mastered this method yet, but I always carry a Moleskine and am slowly creating the system.

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