Your weekly roundup of insights and resources to help you get more done for the glory of God.
In Today’s Issue:
- Summer Goal Challenge
- 4 Ideas for Better Time Use
- God’s Purpose in Boredom
- Where Time Goes with Age
- Quote: Spurgeon on Habit
Before we dive in, I wanted to let you know that my book, Well Done: A Strategy for Life Stewardship, is finally available in the Kindle format. So you can stop asking!
Dear steward,
This month, I’ve been filling the pulpit at our church while the teaching pastor is on sabbatical. Preparing three new messages while still managing everything with Redeeming Productivity is no joke, so I’ve needed to buckle down and focus even more than usual.
Normally, I work from home. And with three little kids, that means I enjoy my fair share of interruptions during the work day. And, if we’re being honest, it’s more often the case that I interrupt myself to hang out with the kids rather than them interrupting me. On a normal week, I don’t mind that too much. But with the extra responsibilities these past three weeks, I’ve needed to make some temporary changes.
So I’ve been spending a few days at our local library each week. And it’s worked!
But the interesting thing is that I realized going to the library has helped me focus, not because of what it has, but because of what it doesn’t have. Namely, the library helps me focus because it’s boring.
Boredom is the theme I picked up in this week’s podcast episode. I delve into why boredom is a blessing and share seven practical ways we can strategically use boredom to help us better steward our lives for God’s glory. It’s a concept that might seem counterintuitive, but it’s one that can truly transform our productivity.
POWER MORNINGS
Redeeming Productivity Academy
Got a goal you want to tackle this summer? We want to help you reach it in a way that honors God.
Our membership community, the Redeeming Productivity Academy, is about to start our next quarterly goal-setting challenge. And we’d love to have you join us over the next three months.
Everything kicks off next Tuesday with our members-only goal-setting workshop. Become a member to join us!
Interested in sponsoring the newsletter?
THE ROUNDUP
The best links I found this week
4 Ideas to Help Us Make Better Use of Our Time (6 mins)
Ana Ávila / Crossway
When you make plans, make plans with time in mind. Have a clear idea of how much time you will need for each task you want to perform, and start to set limits on what you will do and when you will do it.
God’s Purpose in Our Boredom (13 mins)
John Piper / Desiring God
I learned after recording my recent podcast on boredom, that Piper shared his own thoughts on the subject last week. Specifically, he seeks to answer the very interesting questions of why boredom exists.
[A]t root, boredom is the relentless experience of not finding satisfaction in this world. Something starts out being exciting, satisfying, but soon we weary of it and we need something else…. What does it signify? What’s the meaning? What did God have in mind when he ordained the universal experience of boredom in a world of sin and rebellion against God? What’s his purpose for it?
Where the Time Goes with Age (2 mins)
Nathan Yau / Flowing Data
We get 24 hours in a day. How do we spend this time? How does our time use change as we get older and priorities shift?
Here is the percentage breakdown in our teens, 20s, and 30s, through to our 80s.
Some interesting data visualizations on how different age groups use their time. Had me thinking about whether my own time usage matches what I say I value.
WHAT’S NEW
On Redeeming Productivity
The Blessings of Boredom (23 mins)
What if, in an age of angst, overwhelm, and busyness, boredom is exactly the thing we’re missing?
Light Phone 3 First Look (7 mins)
The digital minimalist’s phone gets a major upgrade.
A step-by-step process for becoming a more faithful steward in every area of life.
A DOSE OF WISDOM
Quote of the Week
The most important daily habit we can possess is to remind ourselves of the gospel
Charles Spurgeon
