---
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title: "Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity"
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---

# Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity

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Don’t try to do it all: Do more good. Better I am no productivity guru. I am a writer, a church leader, a husband, and a father with many responsibilities and with new tasks coming at me all the time. I wrote this short, fast-paced, practical guide to productivity to share what I have learned about getting things done in today’s digital world. Whether you are a student or a professional, a work-from-home dad or a stay-at-home mom, it will help you learn to structure your life to do the most good to the glory of God. In Do More Better, 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 And much more, including bonus material on taming your email and 20 tips I have learned along the way. 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

Review: A great book to help you do more--better! - I want to do more—better. Don’t you? The problem, however, is that my ambition often leaves me feeling like King Solomon described in Psalm 127: with vanity-ach. Rising early, going to bed late, eating the bread of anxious toil—it’s no way to live. Solomon writes, in contrast to this, God “gives to his beloved sleep” (v. 2). And it’s here that Tim Challies begins Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity, with the encouragement that if a man as busy as King Solomon could figure out how to live a productive but not anxious life then by the grace of God, so can you. For those who don’t know, Challies is a husband, father, pastor, author, and has about a half dozen other important roles, such as co-founder of a publishing company (Cruciform Press) and host of a very popular Christian blog (Challies.com). And when I say “popular,” that’s an understatement. His blog had just under 16 million pageviews in 2015. For comparison, mine had less than 16 thousand. Yet for all this, Challies maintains that he’s no productivity guru. That’s okay by me, though. He’s certainly a practitioner, and his aim in Do More Better, as he writes, is to “open up [his] life and to let you in a little bit” (7). In other words, Do More Better is decidedly not a bloated textbook of source material with footnotes. Rather, as the subtitle says, it’s a practical (and we might add “personal”) guide to productivity. Do More Better has ten short chapters, and begins by stressing the importance of knowing your purpose; you can’t be truly productive without it. Then, Challies talks about how to find your particular purpose and mission, that is, how to find the sphere of responsibility that God has called you to be productive in. The book concludes by exploring tools for collecting your tasks, planning your calendar, and gathering your information. There are two bonus chapters, one on taming your emails and another with 20 tips for increasing your productivity. What is Productivity? Let’s talk for a moment about definitions. Challies defines productivity in this way: Effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God. When defined in this way, Challies underscores that productivity is first a theological issue. Thus, productivity is not merely a good thing that Type-A personalities kick-start in the early morning hours. Rather, because productivity is about “stewarding your gifts . . . for the good of others and the glory of God,” then to be unproductive is a sin of omission that must be forgiven and forsaken. In short, every Christian, not just go-getters, must strive for productivity. Drop and Give Me 20 Speaking of striving, be aware that Challies isn’t writing to simply relay information. Get ready to work. To see what I’m talking about, consider how the opening paragraph to Chapter 4 ends: “And that means you are ready for your next assignment” (35). Assignment? Wait—what? The assignment he’s talking about is related to identifying your specific purpose and mission, and the responsibilities associated with it. He’ll metaphorically hold your hand through the process, of course, but in this way Challies is more personal trainer than author. Just as it will do an athlete little good to know the proper form on squats (inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up; flat back; eyes up; and keep your knees from extending beyond your toes—by the way), so it will do the reader little good to burn through this short book without application. Remember, it’s not receiving good coaching that matters. It’s good coaching followed that matters. And by way of encouragement, I can say that I was helped as I completed the assignments. Small Book, Big Strengths There are many things I appreciated about Do More Better. Here are a few of them. First, I appreciated the simplicity. For example, if you have ever found yourself staring at a “To do list,” remember, you can only do four things with each task: delete it, do it, defer it, or delegate it (p. 59). Second, I loved the bonus chapters, especially the one on taming your email. My approach to my inbox didn’t seem so silly until Challies proposed this: “Imagine if you treated your actual, physical mailbox like you treat your email” (p. 109). If every time you received a letter or piece of junk mail you just peaked at it and stuffed it back in the mailbox, the result would be both humorous and sad. Finally, my favorite aspect was the distinctively Christian approach to productivity. For example, note this comment about delegating tasks to others. Most productivity gurus will encourage you to be as selfish as you need to be, to get rid of anything that doesn’t interest or excite you. But as a Christian you can do things that do not perfectly fit your mission but still do them out of love for God and with a desire to glorify him. (p. 42) Here, as throughout, the book is in stark relief to a selfish, secular approach to productivity. Every aspect of our lives, including our productivity, is to be bounded by godliness. For, what profit is it to us if we achieve massive levels of productivity without glorifying God? Any attainment in God-dishonoring productivity is like running the race backwards—really, really, really fast. Ultimately, you won’t win; instead, you’re productively running in the wrong direction. If there had been more space, I would have liked to see a little more discussion of Sabbath and contentment. God has appointed limits to our productivity, limits for our good. Also, more critique of the idols of achievement would have further highlighted a distinctively Christian view. The book, however, is purposefully short. I appreciated this, and I think you will too. I highly recommend Do More Better. It will help you discover God’s purposes for your life and move productively towards them.
Review: Productivity Coach, Not a Guru - My dad has a saying that we six kids heard a thousand times while growing up, “There’s a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.” When he said this, it was usually in relation to the hand tools being put back in the correct drawer or snow shovels being hung on the proper hook. The principle was simple and, when followed, was an essential ingredient to peaceful living in a well-ordered home. Tim Challies has a version of that same principle, which he applies to life management: “a home for everything, and like goes with like.” In other words, there needs to be a place for everything that floats around our brains related to the carrying out of the responsibilities and opportunities associated with God’s calling for our lives, and life is well-ordered and most productive when all similar stuff is in its proper place. The day it was released, I ordered it. Why? 1. A week never goes by in which I don’t wish I had been more productive; I regularly wish there were more hours in a day. 2. The book is short (120 pages), and I’m a slow reader. 3. Tim Challies is a productive guy, a brother in Christ whom I wanted to learn from. 4. Other productivity books in my library provided limited help to me, personally. I needed a coach to show me how to do it. Do More Better is not a book to read. It is a book to work—to apply—it is a working book. While the first two chapters lay out a brief, biblical philosophy for productivity, each chapter that follows contains action steps, which I considered to be mandatory for myself. And I’m very glad I did. I suggest you take 5-7 days to work the book. Here’s what I did. • The day after the book arrived in my mailbox, I read the first chapter and printed and filled out its corresponding worksheet. Day 2: I reviewed the worksheet and took it deeper. • Days 3 and 4: I read and worked through the mission statement assignment (something I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never done before). As a result, there are some things I’m not going to do anymore, some I will do less, and some more. The first two chapters are essential if you sense it is time to recalibrate your life, to evaluate what you are doing in light of your God-given responsibilities, gifting, and calling. I would discourage you from skipping these chapters. Slow down, pause, do this. It will be necessary for lasting progress. • Days 5 and 6: I read the more practical section of the book and worked through every action step exactly as Tim coached me. • Day 7: I followed through on my first daily Coram Deo review. I will not pretend, this was not easy. But, as of today, I’ve worked the system and completed daily reviews three times, and I’m loving it. The beauty of the system is in its simplicity. What I love the most about Do More Better is that Tim does not set out to become another productivity guru. Instead, he is a coach—and a good one. Too many productivity/time-management books have left me feeling like I had to copy the author’s elaborate life habits down to specifics in order to succeed. The problem with that approach is that no two of us are wired by God completely the same, and no two human lives are identical in their responsibilities and calling. This book never made me feel like other books have. Instead, Tim walked me through his life management habits—giving me enough specific examples to see how the system works—but not so many that I would be tempted to try to become just like him. I needed someone to hold my hand, so to speak, and walk me through setting up the three basic tools that I will continue to customize to suit my life the best. Tim did that. For the first time, I'm actually beginning to feel like I can get a handle on things and have a system that works. I have much further to go (there are app videos to watch and more features to learn), and will continue to tweak as I go. I’ve already signed up for Tim’s 10 Days of Productivity so I can get a better grip on my new tools, and recommend you do the same. But, first, get the book and work the book, as far as you are able to on your own. You will not regret it. It is the best little book on life management in my library.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #62,418 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #31 in Christian Business & Professional Growth #37 in Christian Stewardship (Books) #524 in Christian Personal Growth |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,586 Reviews |

## Images

![Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61b5B7HfsJL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A great book to help you do more--better!
*by B***K on January 26, 2016*

I want to do more—better. Don’t you? The problem, however, is that my ambition often leaves me feeling like King Solomon described in Psalm 127: with vanity-ach. Rising early, going to bed late, eating the bread of anxious toil—it’s no way to live. Solomon writes, in contrast to this, God “gives to his beloved sleep” (v. 2). And it’s here that Tim Challies begins Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity, with the encouragement that if a man as busy as King Solomon could figure out how to live a productive but not anxious life then by the grace of God, so can you. For those who don’t know, Challies is a husband, father, pastor, author, and has about a half dozen other important roles, such as co-founder of a publishing company (Cruciform Press) and host of a very popular Christian blog (Challies.com). And when I say “popular,” that’s an understatement. His blog had just under 16 million pageviews in 2015. For comparison, mine had less than 16 thousand. Yet for all this, Challies maintains that he’s no productivity guru. That’s okay by me, though. He’s certainly a practitioner, and his aim in Do More Better, as he writes, is to “open up [his] life and to let you in a little bit” (7). In other words, Do More Better is decidedly not a bloated textbook of source material with footnotes. Rather, as the subtitle says, it’s a practical (and we might add “personal”) guide to productivity. Do More Better has ten short chapters, and begins by stressing the importance of knowing your purpose; you can’t be truly productive without it. Then, Challies talks about how to find your particular purpose and mission, that is, how to find the sphere of responsibility that God has called you to be productive in. The book concludes by exploring tools for collecting your tasks, planning your calendar, and gathering your information. There are two bonus chapters, one on taming your emails and another with 20 tips for increasing your productivity. What is Productivity? Let’s talk for a moment about definitions. Challies defines productivity in this way: Effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God. When defined in this way, Challies underscores that productivity is first a theological issue. Thus, productivity is not merely a good thing that Type-A personalities kick-start in the early morning hours. Rather, because productivity is about “stewarding your gifts . . . for the good of others and the glory of God,” then to be unproductive is a sin of omission that must be forgiven and forsaken. In short, every Christian, not just go-getters, must strive for productivity. Drop and Give Me 20 Speaking of striving, be aware that Challies isn’t writing to simply relay information. Get ready to work. To see what I’m talking about, consider how the opening paragraph to Chapter 4 ends: “And that means you are ready for your next assignment” (35). Assignment? Wait—what? The assignment he’s talking about is related to identifying your specific purpose and mission, and the responsibilities associated with it. He’ll metaphorically hold your hand through the process, of course, but in this way Challies is more personal trainer than author. Just as it will do an athlete little good to know the proper form on squats (inhale on the way down, exhale on the way up; flat back; eyes up; and keep your knees from extending beyond your toes—by the way), so it will do the reader little good to burn through this short book without application. Remember, it’s not receiving good coaching that matters. It’s good coaching followed that matters. And by way of encouragement, I can say that I was helped as I completed the assignments. Small Book, Big Strengths There are many things I appreciated about Do More Better. Here are a few of them. First, I appreciated the simplicity. For example, if you have ever found yourself staring at a “To do list,” remember, you can only do four things with each task: delete it, do it, defer it, or delegate it (p. 59). Second, I loved the bonus chapters, especially the one on taming your email. My approach to my inbox didn’t seem so silly until Challies proposed this: “Imagine if you treated your actual, physical mailbox like you treat your email” (p. 109). If every time you received a letter or piece of junk mail you just peaked at it and stuffed it back in the mailbox, the result would be both humorous and sad. Finally, my favorite aspect was the distinctively Christian approach to productivity. For example, note this comment about delegating tasks to others. Most productivity gurus will encourage you to be as selfish as you need to be, to get rid of anything that doesn’t interest or excite you. But as a Christian you can do things that do not perfectly fit your mission but still do them out of love for God and with a desire to glorify him. (p. 42) Here, as throughout, the book is in stark relief to a selfish, secular approach to productivity. Every aspect of our lives, including our productivity, is to be bounded by godliness. For, what profit is it to us if we achieve massive levels of productivity without glorifying God? Any attainment in God-dishonoring productivity is like running the race backwards—really, really, really fast. Ultimately, you won’t win; instead, you’re productively running in the wrong direction. If there had been more space, I would have liked to see a little more discussion of Sabbath and contentment. God has appointed limits to our productivity, limits for our good. Also, more critique of the idols of achievement would have further highlighted a distinctively Christian view. The book, however, is purposefully short. I appreciated this, and I think you will too. I highly recommend Do More Better. It will help you discover God’s purposes for your life and move productively towards them.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Productivity Coach, Not a Guru
*by P***S on December 11, 2015*

My dad has a saying that we six kids heard a thousand times while growing up, “There’s a place for everything, and everything should be in its place.” When he said this, it was usually in relation to the hand tools being put back in the correct drawer or snow shovels being hung on the proper hook. The principle was simple and, when followed, was an essential ingredient to peaceful living in a well-ordered home. Tim Challies has a version of that same principle, which he applies to life management: “a home for everything, and like goes with like.” In other words, there needs to be a place for everything that floats around our brains related to the carrying out of the responsibilities and opportunities associated with God’s calling for our lives, and life is well-ordered and most productive when all similar stuff is in its proper place. The day it was released, I ordered it. Why? 1. A week never goes by in which I don’t wish I had been more productive; I regularly wish there were more hours in a day. 2. The book is short (120 pages), and I’m a slow reader. 3. Tim Challies is a productive guy, a brother in Christ whom I wanted to learn from. 4. Other productivity books in my library provided limited help to me, personally. I needed a coach to show me how to do it. Do More Better is not a book to read. It is a book to work—to apply—it is a working book. While the first two chapters lay out a brief, biblical philosophy for productivity, each chapter that follows contains action steps, which I considered to be mandatory for myself. And I’m very glad I did. I suggest you take 5-7 days to work the book. Here’s what I did. • The day after the book arrived in my mailbox, I read the first chapter and printed and filled out its corresponding worksheet. Day 2: I reviewed the worksheet and took it deeper. • Days 3 and 4: I read and worked through the mission statement assignment (something I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never done before). As a result, there are some things I’m not going to do anymore, some I will do less, and some more. The first two chapters are essential if you sense it is time to recalibrate your life, to evaluate what you are doing in light of your God-given responsibilities, gifting, and calling. I would discourage you from skipping these chapters. Slow down, pause, do this. It will be necessary for lasting progress. • Days 5 and 6: I read the more practical section of the book and worked through every action step exactly as Tim coached me. • Day 7: I followed through on my first daily Coram Deo review. I will not pretend, this was not easy. But, as of today, I’ve worked the system and completed daily reviews three times, and I’m loving it. The beauty of the system is in its simplicity. What I love the most about Do More Better is that Tim does not set out to become another productivity guru. Instead, he is a coach—and a good one. Too many productivity/time-management books have left me feeling like I had to copy the author’s elaborate life habits down to specifics in order to succeed. The problem with that approach is that no two of us are wired by God completely the same, and no two human lives are identical in their responsibilities and calling. This book never made me feel like other books have. Instead, Tim walked me through his life management habits—giving me enough specific examples to see how the system works—but not so many that I would be tempted to try to become just like him. I needed someone to hold my hand, so to speak, and walk me through setting up the three basic tools that I will continue to customize to suit my life the best. Tim did that. For the first time, I'm actually beginning to feel like I can get a handle on things and have a system that works. I have much further to go (there are app videos to watch and more features to learn), and will continue to tweak as I go. I’ve already signed up for Tim’s 10 Days of Productivity so I can get a better grip on my new tools, and recommend you do the same. But, first, get the book and work the book, as far as you are able to on your own. You will not regret it. It is the best little book on life management in my library.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Christian Perspective on Productivity
*by T***N on January 7, 2016*

“How are you doing?” “I am doing well but keeping busy.” This is a typical response in our fast-pace culture. Sadly, we can tend to pride ourselves in our busyness, believing we are productive when we may not be. If busyness does not equate to productivity, how can we know if we are being productive? Thanks to Tim Challies and Cruciform Press, we now have an answer. In his book, Do More Better Challies gives us a concise and practical guide to a Christian understanding of productivity. The greatest contribution this book gives to the reader is its certain Christian understanding of productivity. Throughout the book, the Christian perspective is represented in two specific ways: the practice of stewardship and the purpose of the productivity. The two elements show up in the definition of productivity as “effectively stewarding your gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and the glory of God” (Challies 16). Stewardship permeates every area of life and calls us to faithfulness in our responsibilities (Challies 29). As one who studies the importance of biblical stewardship, I greatly appreciate this. Likewise, I am grateful for Challies’ emphasis on the purpose of productivity: for the good of others and the glory of God (Challies 26, 39, 78, 91). Too often, productivity seeks the narrow view of improving one’s own life for one’s own sake. For the Christian, they must understand they exist for something more. Challies points us to what that “something more” is. A second commendation for Do More Better is the importance for organization. The book guides the reader to write mission statements for each area of responsibility and to be willing to say “no” to items and tasks which do not fit within those missions (Challies 40). Throughout the book, “a home for everything, and like goes with like” is repeated, stressing organization. Along with the idea of organization are priorities (Challies 92-93). Both organization and priorities are essential to a productive life. For these two reasons (and many more), I wholeheartedly recommend Do More Better by Tim Challies to any Christian who seeks to live a productive and fruitful life. That said, there are three qualifiers for the reader. First, the content of the book encourages technology-driven productivity. If you are not planning on using technology for task management, scheduling, and information, this book will not benefit you as greatly. Secondly, if you plan to read this book but not apply it to your life, you are wasting your time. This book again and again implores you to apply what you are reading to your own context. Third, and lastly, this guide to productivity requires commitment and maintenance daily and weekly. If you are comfortable using technology, planning on applying the content, and are willing to persevere, be sure to purchase your copy of Do More Better by Tim Challies. I received a PDF copy of this book for free from Cruciform Press in exchange for this review. I was not required to write a positive review, but an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own and are my honest review of the book.

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