There are two things I use which I would recommend to everyone. Neither are tech-dependent. Both are always available to me. (These are tactical tools–not stuff like spiritual exercises, prayer, Bible reading, etc.)
1. Execution Journal. This is the journal (see “Hacking a Moleskine” in the previous post) in which I record my to-dos and cross them off as I get them done. I think of this journal in terms of an “obedience list.” I think pretty much everyone should have something by which they do this. This is where you get jobs to do, and you do them; you listen to what God says to do, and you obey it; you act. If you keep a list, you can look back at the end of a day, a week, a month and see what was accomplished. This gives you a sense of energy, but it also helps you capture the strategic direction you are going in. If you’re measuring against milestones, you can even record when specific milestones were reached.
2. Gratitude Journal. This is a journal in which I record the things that happen which I am thankful for. This is based off a new book that my wife has been reading, called “One Thousand Gifts,” which is very impactful. To me, this is just as important as the execution journal, because it focuses my attention on things going right rather than things going wrong. I’m not talking about deceptive positive thinking–e.g. we think untrue thoughts–but rather that we focus on finding the things God’s doing here and now in our lives, and we actively thank him for them. (In the book, she talks about the phrase “he took bread and gave thanks” as a model for taking these events and giving thanks for them–thus being in an attitude of thanks, and being in the stream of what God is doing, all day long).
I keep both of these journals very simple. Execution to-dos are one line each, and very specific actions, where you can know when they are finished. (e.g. “buy receipt book” or “email address to _x_”). Gratitude to-dos are likewise one line each, very simple, and recorded in or as near to the moment in which they happen as possible. Both give you a great retrospective on what has happened.
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