Faith Venture

The other day during a conversation about time management and to-do lists and the like, I mentioned that I was a disciple of David Allen, who wrote “Getting Things Done.” Followers of Allen’s method are known as “GTDers.”

As soon as I said the word “disciple” I felt challenged. That is a strong word.

To be a disciple means I found a teacher who has something important to teach. The teacher shows a better way to live and provides guidance toward living it. I follow the teachings and the teacher. I do what the teacher says. I try to model the teacher.

That’s a challenge. I am a GTDer, but I don’t always follow the method. Then I compare back to the original thoughts and re-orient myself.

Jesus taught an entirely new way of living. A new way of relating to God. A way that subverted both the ruling Jewish leaders and the ruling Roman leaders. He gathered people around him. He called them disciples. They called themselves disciples. They tried to do what he taught. They tried to model themselves after the teacher.

It took them a while. They say new habits can be formed in about 21 days of doing a new practice. With the first disciples, it was more like 21 months. Or more.

But they did it. And passed it on. And now almost 2,100 years later, there are still disciples.

Disciples became known as “Christians.” But, as Andy Stanley has been emphasizing in his current series, that was a term used by those outside the group to describe the movement. It was not used by those inside–at least to start with. “Christian” is not defined in the Bible. But we know what a disciple is–and it entails hard work and commitment.

When someone asks if I’m a Christian, I prefer to say I’m a disciple of Jesus.

[Note for the curious–or those who would like to “get things done”: In brief, the GTD methodology entails writing everything down, emptying your mind, and putting the notes in a trusted place. Could be file folders or electronic. I use a program called Nozbe (affiliate link). Then you review all your notes every week and compile to-do lists. There’s more than that. If you’re challenged about getting things done, get the book and the Web app.]

Jesus went to the synagogue as was his habit.

The Gospel writers were not like today’s mass media reporters. They didn’t miss the big picture and report on mundane little things in Jesus’ life. Sometimes they did offer glimpses. A few times, they refer to a habit.

I just listened to Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit,” interviewed by David Allen, author of “Getting Things Done.” I am not only a disciple of Jesus, I’m also a disciple of “GTD.”

As we form our Spiritual Practices into habits, there are a few essentials. Often I refer to a blog by Leo Babauta, “ZenHabits.” I guess he’s run out of ways to talk about habits, because he doesn’t update often anymore. But then I discovered Duhigg.

He talks about cue, routine and reward.

A cue, for example, may be to lay out your exercise clothes before you go to bed so that when you get up, you put them on and are mentally prepared for your workout. Perhaps you place your Bible or other current reading by your morning chair, so that when you get up and make your cup of coffee, your book is inviting you to sit, study and meditate for a time.

I have practiced the power of cue for years without realizing its power. But it helps the routine. And that is the one thing missing when I travel and find myself on odd schedules. Guess I’ll try that on myself Wednesday when I wake up in Cleveland (a conference on machinery failure prevention–sure to be exciting).

What cues do you use? Or have you even thought about using a cue to trigger your desired habit?