GTD and Spirituality/Spritual Growth

[jripka]

Greetings, all!

I wanted to start a discussion regarding GTD and its link with spirit/faith. I get the sense that Mr. Allen has pondered this connection quite a bit, from references in GTD.

More specifically, I am slowly becoming aware of my deeply rooted fear of productivity: I fear the more I engage in the material world, acquiring material things, and am responsible for managing these things, the more I will lose my connection to that which is beyond the senses, or my connection to the greater good, if you will.

On the flip side, I have inplemented David's ideas and techniques as thoroughly as I can and have experienced a quantum leap in managing my life and responsibilities, and feal a greater sense of peace across the board. I also have felt a slow release of ego attachment in these areas.

The fear does remain, on a smaller scale, and I was wondering if some of you share this experience to some degree and have thoughts related to the GTD/spirit connection.

I use the word "spirit" broadly, to facilitate a more general discussion, without moving into profound theological issues.

joel

 

[Anonymous]

GTD and spirituality

I can relate to your fear of productivity taking away from true connectedness and yet following GTD principles can free up some of my time so I do not lose connections with what is really important in my life. It is a struggle sometimes determining the extent to which I need to be productive. During those times, I try to focus on what I need - not so much what others/society expects. I do not follow the religious doctrine of the productivity ethic very well, perhaps because my spirituality is based primarily on Eastern thought and traditions.

 

[Anonymous]

Read “David Allen’s “Ready for anything”. It is a marvellous study of how his system opens the higher mind, and helps those of us who have lost contact with it to reunite with it. Reading it, and you will get a great sense of his own Spirituality.

 

[Rainer Burmeister]

Fear of productivity

... I am slowly becoming aware of my deeply rooted fear of productivity ...

Joel,

In my sight the so called spiritual word and the material world are two sides of the same coin.

We need to live in both worlds, the spiritual word and the material world. And of course we stumble sometimes and fall off the path into one hell or the other. But as long as we stand up again, brush off the dust and continue the journey, it’s alright.

There are two major ways we produce our own personal hells:

1. Trying to cling to our belongings / properties too much, not knowing when enough is enough, earning more and more money and stepping into the trap of being too busy, forgetting about what is important in our life.
2. Trying to escape the material world, thinking that you need to be poor in order to be a spiritual person, fearing success and productivity, selfishly seeking our own enlightenment, ignoring our responsibilities.

Have to stop now before I get into my philosophic mode.

One last thought: In the material world we need some kind of being organized and we all have our habits to get something done, either “Getting Things Done” or an other systems or a mix that works for you. Being a “spiritual person” doesn’t decrease your responsibility. As long as you don’t harm yourself or somebody else when you are productive, then being productive is okay.

Rainer

 

[Scott_L_Lewis]

Productivity Does Not Equal Materialism

Joel writes:

More specifically, I am slowly becoming aware of my deeply rooted fear of productivity: I fear the more I engage in the material world, acquiring material things, and am responsible for managing these things, the more I will lose my connection to that which is beyond the senses, or my connection to the greater good, if you will.

Just because you are productive does not mean that you have to collect material things. You can always increase your support of religious, charitable, or cultural groups. Nor does it mean that you have to take jobs that take time away from your spiritual pursuits. You can decide how much time you are willing to spend on your job and only take jobs that can be done well within that time budget.

You can think ahead and decide how you will deal with the effects of increased productivity in a manner that is consistent with your values. That will require foresight, insight, and the self-discipline to stick to your decisions. That requires thought and effort.

I'm like Rainer in thinking that the spritual and material are two aspects of the same world. I don't believe it possible to be muddle-headed and lackadaisical in your work life and be clear-headed, methodical, and disciplined in your spiritual endeavors.

In addition, most spiritual lifestyles require their adherents to pursue one or more programs of activity. This may be prayer, meditation, study, or service activities. Applying a system such as GTD to these kinds spiritual work helps us to be more consistent (and hopefully successful) in these endeavors.