How do you perform at a high level at work and still maintian an authentic spiritual life? I wrote last week about using my iPhone to do just that. I really like the Momento app which allows me to capture what the spiritual tradition calls "the daily Word".

While culture spends billions each year to convince you to believe that each day is impossible to navigate with God as your copilot, the Christian tradition says otherwise. Just ask the monks of any Benedictine abbey who live by the mantra "ora et labora" or pray and work.

Some tips for keeping a Word in your heart throughout the day include:

Start the day on the right foot. If you can spend some quiet time each morning focusing on the day ahead and your relationship with God, all the better. Even if you're an evening person, try to carve out some morning time to be alone.

Capture the Word in paper or digital format. Here's where I combine old school (my journal) and new school (Momento for iPhone) to "write down" the idea or phrase that I feel God is passing along to me each morning.

Revisit the Word later in the day. This is simple but often overlooked. A good day will be one in which you can remember the Word that you received earlier in the day. Keep a journal or digital version with you so that you can revisit your morning message.

Make a weekly review (each week). As David Allen says, the weekly review just might be the glue that keeps productivity rolling. When you can look back on your week and see the collection of daily Words adding up, real progress becomes evident. God's work is more easily seen when you are keeping track of it.

My sense is that your week will be more productive and more spiritual as a result of a daily Word. Whether it's a phrase that sticks with you or a Bible passage that stands out- remember that "God is there to be found in the world of work" (Fr. William Byron, S.J.).

Here's to a holy week.

*photo by yourdon