Reagan's Roundup: January 9, 2025

Your weekly roundup of insights and resources to help you get more done for the glory of God.

In Today’s Issue:

Grow Time, Goal Time, Grit Time
Thoughts on Digital Libraries in 2025
5 Christ-Centered Priorities for a New Year
Find Purpose in Mundane Work
Quote: Called, Yet Inadequate

Dear steward,

It's always a challenge to find enough time to get everything done. No matter how hard we try, our to-do list always outstrips the time available. And this is disheartening.

One of the most helpful mental shifts I've found to combat this was changing from a list-based definition of a faithful day to a schedule-based definition. When you come up against the harsh reality that you are a finite, time-bound creature who can't possibly complete everything on your list, you have three options: Ignore the truth and keep forging ahead, give up in despair, or redefine a faithful day.

I encourage you to choose option #3.

I also recommend you still work from a to-do list, but the shift is to stop defining a successful day based on whether every item on your list gets completed (if you're like most people, your lists will almost always be unrealistic). Instead, judge your success in a day based on whether you faithfully put in a good effort with a God-glorifying attitude.

But how do you quantify a good effort? One simple way is to set and keep three appointments with yourself each day.

Grow Time
Goal Time
Grit Time

In my mind, a faithful day is one in which I do my morning routine (grow time), work on my most important project for an hour or two (goal time), and dedicate 30–60 minutes to chopping away at admin tasks and email (grit time).

Admittedly, this is a relatively low bar for a successful day. But that means most days, I can actually reach it! An achievable daily schedule is one that leaves enough margin for the unscheduled, the interruptions, and the urgent. As I wrote about in The Two-Bar Strategy, most of us hold ourselves to very low standards for the long term while having impossible standards for the short term. When it should be exactly the opposite.

Why not try putting together a reasonable schedule for yourself that includes grow time, goal time, and grit time, and see what happens?

The Roundup

The best links & resources I found this week.

Thoughts on Digital Libraries in 2025 (3 mins)

Tim Challies

Fifteen years ago, Tim Challies went all in on ebooks. Today, he only has 20–30 print books in his collection. Does he have any regrets?

When I first went all-in with ebooks, reading electronically was still quite novel. Amazon’s Kindle was a relatively new device and while Logos had a more substantial track record, it still seemed risky to forgo the security of a printed commentary for an electronic one. My most substantial concerns were censorship on Amazon’s part and bankruptcy on Logos’ since either could quickly make me regret my decision.

5 Christ-Centered Priorities for a New Year (7 mins)

Marci Ferrell / The Thankful Homemaker

Marci shares some excellent, Bible-saturated advice for what to put first in the New Year.

As we step into the new year, I’ve been reflecting on how we, as believers, can keep Christ at the center of our lives in the year ahead. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the advice on productivity and goal-setting that comes our way this time of year. While planning and goals are good, our ultimate aim isn’t productivity for its own sake—it’s to glorify God in all we do.

Find Purpose in Mundane Work (5 mins)

Miranda Carls / The Gospel Coalition

Everyone wants to see purpose in the work they do. It’s why leaders aim to ensure every team member understands how their work supports larger initiatives. As Christians, we long for even more than a healthy bottom line. We desire a life that is pleasing to God and furthers the kingdom. So when we feel our work is mundane or lacks significance, we ask the question:

“Does this really matter?”

Andy Crouch / After Babel

This is a long read, but I promise it's worth the time investment. Andy Crouch, author of The Techwise Family, shows how technology interferes with moral and spiritual development in schools, churches, and the home.

What's New On Redeeming Productivity

The Christian’s Confidence to Face a New Year (26 mins)

It's a New Year. Maybe you're feeling excited, maybe you're nervous, or maybe you're so busy you don't have time to know how you're feeling. But if you are a Christian, you can approach the New Year—with all its goals and trials—with confidence.