Productivity

Human experience works out such that inside any “yes” is also a “no.” But investing effort in activities like study lets us engage better with life as a result.

What do you want to accomplish in the next year? Intentionally planning with these 5 steps will help you make the most of it.

Email is ubiquitous in biblical studies— sometimes too much so.((Header image provided by Thunderbird.)) But there are several principles you can use to get out of your inbox more benefits and fewer downsides. In the bigger picture, the specific tools you use to access your email is less important than that you use it according to such principles. Doing so will help make sure you’re using it and not being used by it. And you can implement these principles in various ways depending on how you prefer to send and receive email. ...

Biblical studies isn’t a matter of “(s)he who writes the most email wins.” But that obvious truth that can still get obscured all too easily.

A 4-step process can help you focus on what really matters. This process can even help you curb something as overloading as email.

It’s no fun going in circles, redoing work you’ve already done. But it’s all too easy to do unless you question how you do what you do.

However you time block, you can use 6 simple steps can make that process pretty seamless in a digital workspace.

These 5 ways to block your time can help you focus on what really matters, rather than what’s just latest and loudest.

When are you going to work on your goals? Rather than wondering where the time goes, be proactive and make a plan for your calendar with time blocking.

School, work, and life are complex. You need a way of managing your commitments. If you’re looking for this, Todoist might be the tool for you.

Adaptability is central to productivity. Especially amid life’s complexities, to stay productive, you need to stay adaptable and open.

Chris Bailey and James Clear, author of “Atomic Habits,” discuss habit formation and the impact that small habits can have.

Erik Fisher and Craig Jarrow discuss essential time management tools.

To finish goals or projects that seem to drag on forever, try time keys or splitting things up into smaller units.

Instead of simply focusing on skill development, Scott Young suggests that “benchmark projects” will tend to be more effective.

Emmanuel Nataf outlines several concrete practices to develop in order to foster consistent writing.

Stephen Altrogge provides a helpful introduction to time blocking as a way of creating and committing to space for deep work.

James Clear and Cal Newport discuss the symbiotic relationship their prior work has in terms of fostering focus.

Jory MacKay discusses productivity shame and five strategies for coping with it.

Using a baking metaphor, McGever encourages chronic over-preparers not to “overwork the batter” of their lectures so that they don’t come out overly dense.

Corey Pemberton discusses eight specific types of challenges with focus and provides some suggestions for overcoming each type.

Steven Pressfield shares his thoughts on winning inner creative battles. Pressfield encourages continuing to show up, do the work, and keep moving forward.

Michael Hyatt and Ian Cron discuss different personality types, their particular productivity challenges, and how to overcome these.

Daily Gleanings about overviews of the “Getting Things Done” methodology popularized by David Allen.

Daily Gleanings about Freedom for Chrome OS and Linux.

Daily Gleanings about overwhelm and some strategies for moving past it.

Daily Gleanings about overcoming feelings of overwhelm.

Daily Gleanings from Freedom about how to focus your attention better when studying.

Daily Gleanings about Nir Eyal’s discussion about how to improve focus and become “indistractable.”

Daily Gleanings about how best to minimize the footprint doing email has in your days.