Do More Better (Student Edition) - Tim Challies

Don’t try to do it all. Do more good. Better…in this brand new edition for students.

This is a short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity. If you are a student, it will tell you what you need to know about getting things done in today’s digital world. It will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God.

The consistent focus of this book is one core concept: Productivity is effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God.

Productivity calls you to direct your whole life at this great goal of bringing glory to God by doing good for others. Indeed, there is no better plan and no higher ideal. So, ultimately, here is what productivity is all about and, therefore, what this book is all about: doing good to others.

In Do More Better — Student Editon, you will learn:

• Common obstacles to productivity
• The great purpose behind productivity
• 3 essential tools for getting things done
• The power of daily and weekly routines
• How to balance, school, family, church, and the rest of life
• And much more, including bonus material on taming your email and embracing the inevitable messiness of productivity

It really is possible to live a calm and orderly life, sure of your responsibilities and confident in your progress.

You can do more better.

And I would love to help you get there.

–Tim Challies

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction

One: Know Your Purpose
Two: Answer the Call
Three: Define Your Responsibilities
Four: State Your Mission
Five: Select Your Tools
Six: Collect Your Tasks
Seven: Plan Your Calendar
Eight: Gather Your Information
Nine: Live the System
Ten: Maintain It Consistently

Bonus: Tame Your Email
Bonus: 20 Tips to Increase Your Productivity

Selected quotes: 

This kind of true, biblical productivity calls you to action in all of life... Jesus calls you to let your light shine before others, and this light is more like a dimmer switch than a simple on and off button. You can reflect more or less of that light to shine before men. The more you let your light shine, the more others will see of your good deeds, and the more they will glorify God....This truth means that productivity is not just about what you do in the workplace. It is not just about your success in the one task that consumes the greatest part of your time and attention each week. It is about all of life. It is about your personal life, your family life, your church life, and everything else.

Make no mistake: It is not easy to live in this world. We human beings are finite creatures who face infinite demands. There are so many things we could do in our lives and in any given moment, but so few we actually can do. There are fewer still we can do with excellence. So much of life involves attempting to strike the right balance between competing demands...all of them are competing for the same 168 hours we are given each week. Though time is so limited, the possibilities for using that time are unlimited. Productivity depends upon brokering peace between each of the different tasks we could prioritize in any given period of time.