Meditation Monday – Four Rituals That Keep Me On Task

by Christine Sine

A couple of months ago I was asked to contribute a post on writing rituals to the IVPress blog. As I reread what I wrote, I realized that these suggestions are not just for writers. All of us need to take the very intentional step of committing our day and our tasks to God.  So here is what I wrote (with a few embellishments):

I am not the world’s most disciplined writer but certain practices I employed while writing The Gift of Wonder helped keep me focused. 

1,. Decluttering my desk at the beginning of a project reduces distraction and keeps my eyes from wandering. In some ways the clutter on my desk acts as a barometer. Clutter means I am under stress, an orderly uncluttered desk means I am relaxed and more easily able to get into the creative groove that is my most productive place.

What would be your equivalent of decluttering your desk that helps you reduce stress and focus on the task ahead?

2. Beginning each writing session with a centering ritual like a breath prayer that acknowledges my creative energy comes from God. So important to remind ourselves at the beginning of each project we undertake that our inspiration and and creativity come from God. A simple prayer like this might help us focus too:

Creator God I sit in stillness,
Inviting your creative energy into my day.
May my thoughts and my words
Be grounded in your love,
Be inspired by your Spirit,
Be guided by your hand.
Work in me.
Speak through me.
Create through me your desires.

What practice helps you center yourself on God and acknowledge God’s creative energy as the source of all you do?

3. Keeping my finger labyrinth handy for when writer’s block hits or a challenging question confronts me. Believe it or not walking a labyrinth with our non dominant hand stirs creativity and often brings solutions by the time we walk in and out along the path. So as most of us don’t have a full sized labyrinth handy, a finger labyrinth is a good alternative.

What practice is most helpful for you in overcoming the obstacles that stop you getting a task completed?

4. Pause frequently to breathe deeply. My Fitbit reminds me each hour to walk. Combining those 250 steps with a few deep breaths and a prayer that reminds me of God’s guidance in what I am doing is invaluable.  As most of you know I have always been a fan of breath prayers. You can find quite a collection of breath prayers on this resource page. 

What is one practice that helps you stay on task throughout the day?