New Podcast with David Allen

February 25, 2015 Mike StPierre

What do you ask someone who has been interviewed hundreds of times?

That was the question I asked as Nancy (my cohost) and I prepared to interview David Allen, author of Getting Things Done. I didn't want it to be just another interview with the same old questions being asked and the same result- a predictable interview.

The result: something different.

I think you'll enjoy this podcast interview we did with David. We talked about parenting, school, information overload and of course, productivity. David was down to earth, direct and inspiring. We also got a sneak-peak at the new edition of Getting Things Done which debuts in March of 2015.

It was so much fun and I can't wait to share it with you so sit back and have a listen. Jump below the podcast button for some of my past blog posts on GTD.

20 Ways To Deal with Pressure

February 16, 2015 Mike StPierre

Today is President's Day here in the U.S. My family and I are sharing "Presidential Trivia" questions during the day via my 8 year old's favorite medium for communication- her whiteboard.

Turns out that Harry Truman used to get up at 5am each day to play the piano for two hours. Who knew?

If anyone faces pressure on a given day, I would think that the President of the United States ranks at the top of that list. How do you deal with pressure on a daily basis? How do I deal with it?

Here are some very simple strategies for taming the pressure dragon- you'll notice that many have a similar theme: automation. To the degree that you can automate daily living, you'll cut down on pressure and that feeling of heavy overwhelm.

-get up at the same time every workday

-maintain a simple wardrobe

-keep a simple, short to-do list

-put things away in whichever space you work

-get enough sleep

-workout on a regular basis

-make contact with your friends at least monthly

-worship God in public at least once a week

-stick with a simple diet

-keep your car maintained and clean

-do something that you like every day

-surround yourself with tools and gadgets that help you work efficiently

-enjoy art

-listen to music

-stretch

-practice solitude

-get outdoors

-spend time with your pet (or even someone else's!)

-prepare a meal for someone you love

-do something of service for someone else

None of these are rocket science. You can do probably 2-3 today without even trying. Whether your pressure is from work or from a commitment that is difficult to manage, you can fight back (gently) by practicing several of the strategies above.

Action follow up: what is the primary source of your pressure? How will you push back on it this week?

That One Little Thing You Can Do in the Middle of Winter

January 22, 2015 Mike StPierre

It's mid winter as I'm writing this. The days are long, the darkness begins and ends our workdays. People get sick and cranky. If you live in the Northeast like I do, it's an especially "blue" time of year.

So what can you do about it?

Rather than think of a "whole life makeover" or something to that effect, let's aim smaller. It's not that I'm against big life stuff but most of us shut down when we are faced with an infomercial about fitness or success. We want it, to be sure, but we aren't sure how to get there. My own motivation in the winter goes way down and the temptation to be lazy goes way up.

I'm haunted though by David Whyte's famous quote, "The antidote to burnout isn't more rest but wholeheartedness". It's actually become a bit of a mantra for me for 2015.

How does Whyte's perspective apply to me, to you, to anyone, in the heart of winter?

First, it's a reminder that God wants our faithfulness, often to ordinary and small things. Perfection is good (that's a bit of an oxymoron) but faithfulness may be better.

Faithfulness shows up when you want to rest and your child needs you.

Faithfulness shows up with you are inclined to ignore someone else and you are nudged to help them.

Faithfulness appears when you go the extra mile when a half mile would have been sufficient.

Whyte's quote is also about little things that just might make a difference in the heart of winter. Here's what you can do to push back on winter's pull: do something small today that is good, renewing and life giving. Enjoy something good. Savor something of value. Engage in something different. Break away from monotony and enter into something that truly matters.

Your one little thing might be a different way to work. Or, it might be a word of encouragement to someone in need. Finally, it might be a long overdue nap in the middle of the day. Find your one little thing today and I think you'll be surprised at how powerful it can be. Often, little things teach us about faithfulness and wholeheartedness. Save the "whole life makeover" for another time... instead go for one little thing at a time.

What's the one little thing you can do today to push back on winter?

How to be Wholehearted

December 21, 2014 Mike StPierre

There is no shortage of advice for achieving "more" in the new year. Brian Tracy has his "4 tips" while Mike Hyatt has his "5 days" program to supposedly the best year ever.

I've got one bit of advice and I'm preaching to myself on this one: be wholehearted.

No fitness goals. No spiritual aspirations. No financial resolutions. Just to be where I am, that is to say, to be wholehearted. Don't get me wrong, I'll be listing some very simple strategies for the various areas of my life, from money to time to muscles.

But where my heart is- that's what I'm really concerned with.

“The antidote to exhaustion is not rest but wholeheartedness. ”

— David Whyte

This past weekend was stellar. At one point, sitting with my 8 year old in the corner of the living room, I looked up to find her reading me a story, my 14 year old wrapping a gift in the middle of the room and my 11 year old playing Minecraft on a laptop. I had to pinch myself in gratitude for the amazing and many gifts in my everyday life. Who am I that I "get" to be a dad, a husband, a school leader, a Christian?

I was wholehearted (or, "all there") for at least a few moments. They felt like many more.

Why is wholeheartedness so difficult to achieve? Here are my guesses:

Our plates are overly full
Our time is often scarce
We're tired
Our margin is thin
We have smartphones
We get bored too easily
Culture preaches "busyness" above singlemindedness
Work promotes multitasking

But here's the thing with each of these: they may slow us down but they can be managed such that wholeheartedness is practiced almost daily.

Many people have found that wholeheartedness is found by doing (or not doing) the following:

Unplugging from technology periodically.
Owning fewer things.
Giving things away (time, stuff, money, service).
Being prayerful and especially at the beginning of the day.
Being part of a faith community that worships weekly.
Reading. Anything all the way through.
Playing sports.
Creating art.
Allowing for downtime.
Enjoying nature.
Cooking and eating mindfully.
And in general, slowing down.

That's it. Simple when you think of it- none of the 12 actions above cost much. Better yet, you can practice at least a few of them within the next 24 hours.

While most people think of wholeheartedness as a passive state of doing very little, just look at the action verbs found within each of the 12 suggestions: slowing, cooking, eating, enjoying, creating, and so on. Pretty active when you think of it. This is the paradox of being wholehearted: by being fully present, we can do so many things that lead to a fuller life.

I'm going to try it out and I hope that you will too. It's ok to set some goals for the new year but don't forget that being fully present to those things and people around you is also a noble aspiration.

So here's to being wholehearted in 2015 and beyond!

*photo courtesy of fdp

An Introvert's Guide to Decreasing Stress (Part I)

November 17, 2014 Mike StPierre

If you're an introvert like me (i.e. you get your energy primarily from being by yourself or in low-stimulation environments), you live with the daily blessing of a continual pursuit of quiet space.

The one little complication though is that you and I live in the world.

And that means traffic, meetings, Church, parties, etc. In other words- life! A friend of mine said, after reflecting on a particularly busy week, "I think I might do better as a monk!"

But let's say that becoming a monk isn't possible for you, what do you do? As I see it, you have two options: a) hide from the world (not recommended) or b) learn to navigate it through the lens of your introversion.

In the next few blog posts, I'll be unpacking introversion and its subtleties. For now, here's a quick secret that I've employed that really helps: arrive early.

By arriving early for your next event (church, a meeting, a commitment, etc.), you can scope out the environment, get better parking, get better seating and "take the edge off" a situation that will be stressful.

Try it.

For introverts, arriving early works like a charm. For extroverts who can sometimes fly by the seat of their pants, it's useful as well.

Arrive early.

Imagine Your Next Meeting Being ... Great!

November 3, 2014 Mike StPierre

Think of the worst meeting you attended in the past month. If you're like me, you can quickly recall a 30-60 minute period of time called a "meeting" that was less than stellar. It might have started late or lacked an agenda. It might have had too many or too few attendees.

Sadly, these happen all the time. Meetings... can't live with them and can't live without them.

But what if they could be different? What if your next meeting was a gem? With a little bit of work, it can be possible.

I was a guest this past week on Principal Center Radio with Justin Baeder. He's a genius when it comes to thinking through traditional problems in a creative way. We talked about effectiveness and efficiency and it struck me- maybe we need a new set of "rules" for meetings.

So here goes:

Don't call a meeting unless you have to.
Begin on time, even if it means that someone will walk in late.
Give folks permission to end early.
One hour should do it. A half an hour is even better.
Take notes so that you can follow up.
Meet so as to decide rather than inform.
When you're finished, stand up and leave.

You might be asking yourself, "I'm not the one running the meeting but I am the attendee. What can I do to change how meetings go?" Great question! It's easy for a boss or manager to put these seven rules into practice but not as easy for an attendee. My invitation to attendees would be to challenge the person running the meeting with the seven rules above. You can ask in advance for an agenda. You can ask when the meeting will end without being a nudge.

Your next meeting doesn't have to be terrible. It really doesn't.

Why not give the seven 'rules' a try and watch the difference they make in your next meeting?

*Photo courtesy of FDP

Related GTD Posts

Download The Free Daily Planning Sheet