This was so worth listening to! Such a light bulb moment when you mentioned why our work requires our focus and attention. The natural order of things is to be wild and untamed, so productivity matters, but we also need to stop chasing perfection.
I’m a Christian myself but I don’t think there’s any problem with David Allen’s use of “mind like water”. For one thing, it’s not actually based on Buddhism, as you suggest, but on Karate and martial arts practices. It’s simply an analogy about how to be in a state where you don’t over react or under react, and a huge part of our doing so comes from keeping too many things inside our head, and not confronting those commitments externally (this includes existential commitments at the highest “Horizon 5” level). David is not promising a “stress-free life”, but he’s promising a way to get back in control and back to focus WHEN the stresses of life come at you. This is based simply on knowing the design and limitations of the brain. It’s theologically neutral. Yes, we are sinners and live in a fallen, sinful world, and the Christian will struggle with idolatry daily as part of their sanctifying journey, but “mind like water” is about reacting APPROPRIATELY to our circumstances, and if our circumstances require us to be alert rather than calm, and to be on our knees praying for God’s strength instead of powering through in our own, then being in such a state STILL IS practicing mind like water! You seem to have gotten the impression that “mind like water” is about always being calm, serene, and undisturbed. But this is incorrect. If water is constantly bombarded by rocks and storms and strong currents then it will never be calm! It will be, as you will have read in the book, reacting proportionately and appropriately to the force and mass of the input. So, if we have all the “projects” of our life under cruise control in a GTD System, but remain plagued by the effects of sin and spiritual warfare, then the “mind like water” analogy simply becomes a question: what is the most appropriate way to engage with that reality? GTD’s “mind like water” principle doesn’t promise you a calm life any more than the Psalms do. Rather, it offers you a way to avoid abusing your brain while fighting the good fight. It is a great example of common grace. Of course, it doesn’t get you the Gospel, but neither does it contradict it. It’s a piece of insight into how to steward these brains that God has given us. We don’t need to pressure ourselves to maintain a perfect “mind like water” state (David Allen himself sees GTD as a practice that a person can keep refining rather than needing to perfect), but neither do we need to setup the concept of “mind like water” as something antithetical to the Bible when it isn’t (after all, is striving to live in such a way - that one neither over reacts nor under reacts - a principle that is inconsistent with what scripture teaches us to do and how to live?) If the most appropriate next action for a Christian is to pray or lookup a Bible passage, then GTD has nothing within it that will tell you not to pray or not to read the Bible. GTD leaves it up to you what your commitments and worldview will be.
I agree. I discovered GTD nearly 18 years ago and love the idea 'mind like water'. I do my best work when I get to this flow state and I teach this method all my students. I could not be where I am without this book.
Thank you so much for this video. Extremely encouraging. It is a blessing to come across this type of content from a Christian perspective. Us believers just getting into productivity need helpful leaders like you in this space.
Hi Reagan, A mutual friend, Jason, recommended you. I have been intuitively doing what David Allen suggest albeit with a long way to go but you bring up a good point. There will be moments when planning, organization, and execution line up to bring the “flow like water state” but those are not the norm living in a world of broken people, limitations and challenges beyond our control. Well done!
Hey Brian! Thanks! Yeah absolutely. I definitely have experienced the mind like water thing. But it’s always temporary. And chasing the promise of its permanence only leads to disappointment. Good to strive for order, but there’s a peace that comes from knowing it’s normal to fall short.
I’m so grateful I found your Chanel. I am a Christian with chronic illness and have had brain trauma. You’re the first Chanel I’ve found that looks at things from a Christian perspective. With both my illness and trying to work on gaining tools for organization and productivity almost everything I come across is based on false religion. I look forward to watching more of your videos! Thank you again! 😊✝️🙏
In Making It all work - David Allen explains why it's difficult to be in Mind like Water State all the time... A usual human being goes from Victim mode, to Crazy Maker, to micro manager, to commander in chief. The goal is to be in the "commander in chief" mode most of the time. Maybe if you read this you could understand a little bit more what he means...
This was so worth listening to! Such a light bulb moment when you mentioned why our work requires our focus and attention. The natural order of things is to be wild and untamed, so productivity matters, but we also need to stop chasing perfection.
I’m a Christian myself but I don’t think there’s any problem with David Allen’s use of “mind like water”. For one thing, it’s not actually based on Buddhism, as you suggest, but on Karate and martial arts practices. It’s simply an analogy about how to be in a state where you don’t over react or under react, and a huge part of our doing so comes from keeping too many things inside our head, and not confronting those commitments externally (this includes existential commitments at the highest “Horizon 5” level). David is not promising a “stress-free life”, but he’s promising a way to get back in control and back to focus WHEN the stresses of life come at you. This is based simply on knowing the design and limitations of the brain. It’s theologically neutral.
Yes, we are sinners and live in a fallen, sinful world, and the Christian will struggle with idolatry daily as part of their sanctifying journey, but “mind like water” is about reacting APPROPRIATELY to our circumstances, and if our circumstances require us to be alert rather than calm, and to be on our knees praying for God’s strength instead of powering through in our own, then being in such a state STILL IS practicing mind like water!
You seem to have gotten the impression that “mind like water” is about always being calm, serene, and undisturbed. But this is incorrect. If water is constantly bombarded by rocks and storms and strong currents then it will never be calm! It will be, as you will have read in the book, reacting proportionately and appropriately to the force and mass of the input. So, if we have all the “projects” of our life under cruise control in a GTD System, but remain plagued by the effects of sin and spiritual warfare, then the “mind like water” analogy simply becomes a question: what is the most appropriate way to engage with that reality?
GTD’s “mind like water” principle doesn’t promise you a calm life any more than the Psalms do. Rather, it offers you a way to avoid abusing your brain while fighting the good fight. It is a great example of common grace. Of course, it doesn’t get you the Gospel, but neither does it contradict it. It’s a piece of insight into how to steward these brains that God has given us. We don’t need to pressure ourselves to maintain a perfect “mind like water” state (David Allen himself sees GTD as a practice that a person can keep refining rather than needing to perfect), but neither do we need to setup the concept of “mind like water” as something antithetical to the Bible when it isn’t (after all, is striving to live in such a way - that one neither over reacts nor under reacts - a principle that is inconsistent with what scripture teaches us to do and how to live?)
If the most appropriate next action for a Christian is to pray or lookup a Bible passage, then GTD has nothing within it that will tell you not to pray or not to read the Bible. GTD leaves it up to you what your commitments and worldview will be.
I agree. I discovered GTD nearly 18 years ago and love the idea 'mind like water'. I do my best work when I get to this flow state and I teach this method all my students. I could not be where I am without this book.
Thank you so much for this video. Extremely encouraging. It is a blessing to come across this type of content from a Christian perspective. Us believers just getting into productivity need helpful leaders like you in this space.
Love your work!! So grateful that I found you and your courses. This message needs to be heard.
Thanks, Joanne!
Hi Reagan,
A mutual friend, Jason, recommended you. I have been intuitively doing what David Allen suggest albeit with a long way to go but you bring up a good point.
There will be moments when planning, organization, and execution line up to bring the “flow like water state” but those are not the norm living in a world of broken people, limitations and challenges beyond our control. Well done!
Hey Brian!
Thanks! Yeah absolutely. I definitely have experienced the mind like water thing. But it’s always temporary. And chasing the promise of its permanence only leads to disappointment. Good to strive for order, but there’s a peace that comes from knowing it’s normal to fall short.
I’m so grateful I found your Chanel. I am a Christian with chronic illness and have had brain trauma. You’re the first Chanel I’ve found that looks at things from a Christian perspective. With both my illness and trying to work on gaining tools for organization and productivity almost everything I come across is based on false religion. I look forward to watching more of your videos! Thank you again! 😊✝️🙏
Thank you! I was blessed with perspective, yet again. 😇
In Making It all work - David Allen explains why it's difficult to be in Mind like Water State all the time... A usual human being goes from Victim mode, to Crazy Maker, to micro manager, to commander in chief. The goal is to be in the "commander in chief" mode most of the time. Maybe if you read this you could understand a little bit more what he means...
Ok I agree with your critique. I don’t like the “mind like water” analogy as well.
Yes, "beef" works in England too!
😂 oh I’m so glad!
Yikes I love GTD. But I’ll listen because I trust Darryl Burling and you are friends with Darryl. 😂