I'm excited to revisit this conversation I had with John Drury to the show to discuss how ancient spiritual practices can reshape the way we approach productivity, rhythm, and life itself. John is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University's School of Theology and Ministry, holding an M.Div. and Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a close personal friend of mine for over 25 years.In this conversation, we cover:<ul><li>Rethinking the Rule of Life:&nbsp;John introduces the concept of&nbsp;regula vitae&nbsp;— the rule of life — and explains why the question isn't whether you have one, but what's currently ruling yours.</li><li>The Pandemic as a Mirror:&nbsp;We reflect on how COVID-19 disrupted our routines and created an unexpected opportunity for radical understimulation — and what we can learn from the people who actually took it.</li><li>Life vs. Work-Life Balance:&nbsp;John challenges the very language of "work-life balance," arguing that life is your time — and work is just one part of it — never the other way around.</li><li>Orienting Values and Stabilizing Practices:&nbsp;He walks through his hands-on framework for building a rule of life, including five orienting values and five stabilizing practices across daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual rhythms.</li><li>The Sabbath as Productivity Practice:&nbsp;John shares how a 24-hour weekly Sabbath transformed his Fridays, redirected his procrastination, and deepened his connection with family — without a hint of legalism.</li></ul>If you've ever felt like your schedule is running you instead of the other way around, this conversation will give you the framework — and the permission — to start living with more intention. Learn more about John and his work at Indiana Wesleyan University, and stay tuned for part two of this conversation coming next week.﻿Connect with Erik:<ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.threads.com/@erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="http://facebook.com/erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/erikjfisher.bsky.social" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li></ul>This Podcast is Powered By:<ul><li><a href="http://beyondthetodolist.com/descript" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="http://beyondthetodolist.com/descript101" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript 101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://get.castmagic.io/erikjfisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castmagic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/?fp_ref=erik97" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ecamm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.podpage.com/?via=erik-fisher" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SGEEbr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rodecaster Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li><li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/shop/beyondtheto-dolist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Top Productivity Books List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></li></ul><ul><li>Make sure to&nbsp;<a href="http://beyondthetodolist.com/blinkist" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist</a>.&nbsp;A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways.&nbsp;</li></ul>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.

Podurama

Home

Trending

Personal

Your Podcasts

New Episodes

My Files

Favourite Episodes

Tags (Folders)

Recently Played

Bookmarks

Followed Playlists

John Drury on the Rule of Life: How Ancient Practices Can Transform Your Productivity and Rest

Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

AI Chapters

AI Insights

Reviews