Redeeming Your Time: 7 Biblical Principles for Being Purposeful, Present & Wildly Productive
I couldn't agree more with why Jordan Raynor thinks his book is necessary: “This book seeks to collect and connect the previously disconnected pieces of the time-management puzzle. Prior to writing this book, when people would ask for advice on how to best manage their time, I would recommend nearly a dozen different books for them read."
As a busy mom I definitely don't have time to read a dozen different books so I am grateful that he put the best practices all in one place: Redeeming Your Time is definitely a new favorite of mine!
I also really appreciate that his framework is rooted in Scripture:
"The solution to our perennial struggle with time management is found in Jesus Christ in 2 ways:
1 Jesus offers you peace before you do anything
2 Jesus shows us how God would manage his time"
The 7 principles below correspond to the book's 7 chapters. He also recommends 32 practices so its HIGHLY practical! I found many of his ideas especially important for my homeschooling context.
I enjoyed this book so much I had a hard time limiting it to just his key point/my favorite quote for each principle:
1 Start with the Word
Not to get from God but to get God; He is the prize
The busier Jesus got, the more time he spent with his Father
2 Let your Yes be Yes
Your conscious mind is a focusing tool, not a storage place
Open Loops cause anxiety/stress; studies found just writing them down, not even closing them, helps relieve that stress
Put all Open Loops in a Commitment Tracking System (CTS) and do a Weekly Review: either mark your Project list completed or add the next Actionable step
3 Dissent from the Kingdom of Noise
What happens when we fail to make the time to do our thinking alone? We do it when we’re with others ie. our lack of solitude/reflection blocks our ability to be present in the moment
4 Prioritize your Yeses
90% of more than a thousand studies show that productivity is significantly enhanced by articulating what we want in the form of “well-defined, challenging goals”
OKR - Objectives (significant & inspirational) & Key Results (measurable); “I will (objective) as measured by (key result)
Five Story Building: Mission, Callings, Long-Term Goals, Quarterly Goals, Projects & Actions (& Posteriorities)
Ex. One of my Applications for my Calling as a Homeschooling Mom
Calling: Mother
Long-Term Goal - What Do I Want: Bilingual Daughters
Quarterly Goal - How Do I Get There: Provide Input by Speaking More French
Refine CTS - Projects & Actions: 123 PetitPas Kindergarten, print what I've already found
Posteriority - What to Avoid: Spending too much time looking for new resources
5 Accept your Unipresence
Depth - the ability to focus intensely on one important thing at a time
“I believe the discipline of deep work is the single most important practice in my day-to-day pursuit of mastery.”
So important that he suggests scheduling deep-work appointments with yourself
90 minutes seems to be sweet spot so that’s a great goal (4 hrs in a 24 hr period)
"Because I’m so productive in the first half of my day, I am completely at peace with the variable nature of the second half" (he also actually schedules time in the afternoon for what he calls “Shallows & Seredipenties - easy tasks like emails & meetings or interruptions)
6 Embrace Productive Rest
"Biblically based, scientifically verified truth that rest is a counter-intuitive key to being wildly productive."
General rule if work with hands, rest with your mind; if work with your mind, rest with your hands
Practices: After 90 minutes of Deep Work take 15-30 minute Break, Weekly Sabbath, 7-8 Hours of Sleep
7 Eliminate all Hurry
Matt Perman: “You are satisfied with your day when there is a match between what you value and how you spent your time.”
Why do we budget our money but not our time?
This is when you assign Projects (from your CTS) to your deep work time blocks for that beautiful moment when your to-do list marries your time budget
This was a longer post but I highly recommend Jordan Raynor's Redeeming Your Time!
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