Describe for me the conditions that put you in your sweet spot. That place where you’re most productive, or creative, or happy. The weather. The room temperature. Everything.

For me it’s at my Starbucks (pictured above) with my laptop and some tunes piping in from lala, knocking down my todo list, capturing ideas in Evernote and sipping on an iced coffee (in the summer) or a grande Pike (in the winter). I dig it when the sun’s out but, for some reason, rain and thunder get my creative juices flowing.

Your turn. Tell me: what is your sweet spot?

Google Suite – That’s my name for Gmail, Gmail Tasks, Google Calendar and Google Docs. Gmail Tasks and Google Calendar integrate so when you give a Gmail Task a due date it appears on your Google Calendar. You can also tick a Gmail Task as done from Google Calendar, too. I use Google Docs for 100% of my document writing and spreadsheets and don’t have Microsoft Office installed on my machine at all (I do on my work laptop but only because my office uses Microsoft Exchange calendars to schedule field techs). I also use Google Reader to keep up with my RSS feeds.

Evernote – I’ve been using this for years and consider it vital to my being productive. If you didn’t check out my personal productivity system article I suggest you do so. It gives a clearer picture on how I use Evernote as part of all my day to day activities. Evernote is available for BlackBerry, iPhone and lots of other devices.

Firefox – the web browser of web browsers. Not only is it standards compliant but it’s safer, faster and can be customized in just about any way imaginable. I use the Xmarks add-on to sync my bookmarks between desktop and laptop PC’s plus many other add-ons to shape Firefox into a powerful productivity tool.

Task.fm – this is a newcomer to my digital toolbox. I use Task.fm to send me email and text reminders (when making a Google Calendar event is too weighty). You can add Task.fm reminders via email, their website or Twitter and you can also set recurring reminders.

Syncplicity – This is also another newcomer to my digital toolbox. Syncplicity allows me to sync files automatically between my desktop and laptop PC’s. I simply tell Syncplicity to “watch” a folder and whenever I add, remove or change a file in that folder, the changes sync to the Internet automatically. These changes then sync to my other PC automatically. It’s also a fantastic backup tool.

I hope this article helps you become more productive.

What items are in your digital toolbox?

The book Getting Things Done by David Allen changed the way I work. I went from having no productivity system to one I could grow into. GTD was as simple (or complex) as I wanted it to be.

But I never truly implemented GTD. Not on a grand scale, anyway. It helped me realize I needed to write everything down and work through everything on my todo list(s) equally.

Then, Unclutterer made a post about WSD. What’s the WSD system?

Write Stuff Down.

And then it dawned on me.

I’ve never really used GTD. On my own, I reduced GTD down to WSD (with some light GTD elements).

And it’s really that simple. For the WSD system to work you need only remember this simple sentence.

Capture everything immediately.

What does that mean? It’s simple:

Your brain isn’t made for remembering. It’s made for doing.

My 17 year old has proven to me that the brain isn’t made for remembering. It’s made to do. To create, to diagnose, to digest, to inspect, to contemplate.

How often have you said to yourself, “boy, I need to remember to do that.” And I bet you forget nearly every time to do that thing, too. I know I do.

But not if I capture everything immediately. When I know I need to do something, I have to write it down, right now. If I wait to write it down, I’ll forget. The system works when I write my task(s) down immediately.

You see, the only thing that breaks the system is me not using it.

Honestly, the hardest part is training yourself to write things down the moment you think of them. Get past this and you’re on the road to amazing productivity.

So, how can you start using WSD today? It’s simple:

1. Get a pocket sized notebook.*
2. Get a pen or pencil.*
3. Carry them with you everywhere.
4. Capture everything immediately.
5. Work through your list from oldest to newest, skipping nothing. Don’t put off the unfun stuff. Treat every item with equal importance.

PROTIP: Don’t write down anything that can be done in less than two minutes. Do those things right now.

Then, at least once a day, review your notebook. Cross things off as you get them done. If a task seems too daunting, break it down into small, (and, if necessary, smaller) manageable steps.

It’s that simple.

Tell me all about how you stay organized and productive.

*I use Evernote on my BlackBerry for these two steps.

First, hit up the official Life Journal reading plan for today by clicking here (thanks New Hope). This site is based out of Hawaii so the reading plan doesn’t change each day until 6am Eastern time.

Read through today’s scripture, taking the time for your eyes and mind to catch verses that stand out to you.

If you’re new to Life Journaling and find the daily reading plan a bit overwhelming, just stick with the New Testament reading for that day. If that’s still too much, just read a paragraph or two (or at least until you find a verse that really sticks out to you).

Once done reading, pick the verse you want to journal on for today.

Next, you’re going to need somewhere to keep your journal entries. Your best bet is to use Evernote. It’s free and available for both Mac and Windows. Evernote indexes your entries in real time so it’s fast and easy to search and find information from your previous entries. Copy the verse or verses you want to journal around today and paste them into Evernote.

The other option is to use YouVersion. They have a fully-contained Bible Reader, one-year Bible reading plan (that’s different than the one we use in eXchange) and online journal (that only you can read) along with lots of user-submitted content. It’s also free.

Now, taking the verse that stood out to you, use the SOAP method. Below is the official description for Life Journaling in a paper journal using the SOAP method but the directions easily translate to journaling on your computer. You may notice some of the instructions below duplicate some of what I’ve written above but it’s still good to get exposure to the process.

S for Scripture
Open your Bible to the reading found under today’s date of your Bible bookmark. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. Highlight, underline or place a mark in the margin of your Bible, next to the scriptures that stand out. When you are done, reread the verses you marked, look for one that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.
Helpful hint: If you are having difficulty understanding what you’ve read, you may find a study Bible useful.

O for Observation
What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words, in your journal.

A for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

As you become more familiar with the process, don’t be afraid to move away from the SOAP method if you find alternatives work for you. I’m simply presenting a method to use if you don’t already have one.

That’s it! That’s all there is to it. I can’t express how valuable Life Journaling is to me and how much its improved my relationship with God. It’s also made me more aware of what he has in store for me as I’m hearing him speak to me through His Word every day I Life Journal.

You can view my public food journal by clicking here.

So… who else is posting pictures along with me three months from now?

Or, maybe I should call it the prework ritual (in case you don’t get up in the morning to go to work).

I say this is my Monday morning ritual but it’s really what I do Monday through Friday:

• Alarm goes off at 5am. Depending on what time I went to bed I’m either up a few minutes after it goes off or I hit snooze a couple times.
• I immediately feed the dog and cat. The dog sounds like a vacuum cleaner when she eats.
• I fix a small bowl of cereal for breakfast. The dog has finished her breakfast, usually, before I even pour my milk.
• While the dog’s out for her morning dooky I’m eating cereal and catching up on email and tweets from overnight. If there’s enough cereal left I’ll peek at some of my feeds.
• Let dog in. Begin bathroom ritual (brush teeth, shower, etc.).
• I’m usually out the door at 6:30am.
• I’ve got a 30 minute commute to work so I listen to NPR on the way. If I’m leading worship that coming Sunday I’ve got that weekend’s set playing in the car pretty much all week.
• Stop at my Starbucks* for a grande Pike Place with light cream (the cream helps to cool it off a bit).
• Arrive at the office usually just after 7am.
• I use the quiet time in the office (people usually don’t start showing up until 8 or 8:15) to life journal. I’ve been using Evernote recently but may switch full time to YouVersion to record my journals.
• Work begins.

That’s it.

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me about your morning (or prework) ritual(s). GO.

*I actually only stop at Starbucks a couple times a week but I listed it here since it makes my mornings seem more glamorous.