In Today’s Issue:

• September Is the New January
• The Failed Promise of Connected Note-Taking Apps
• The Wisdom of Work
• Minimalist Productivity Apps
• Will We Work in Eternity?

September Is the New January

Dear steward,

The New Year is a popular time to begin new habits, resolve to make significant changes, and set ambitious goals.

But in truth, January is a terrible time for this. Although the calendar may signify a fresh start, the truth is that practically speaking, January is the middle of the year for most of us.

That’s why I propose we mark September as the new January.

September is a much better time to make changes in our lives because change is already happening:

• The end of summer
• The start of the school year
• The beginning of fall activities

Moreover, the period from September through the end of the year presents a helpfully condensed deadline for moderately sized goals.

One of the problems with New Year’s resolutions is that a year is just way too long. A lot can happen in twelve months; goals change, priorities change, and motivation wanes. That's why I prefer 3–4 month periods for big goals or habit changes. Just long enough that you have to push yourself, but not so long that the task seems impossible.

• What if you finally resolved this month to tackle that big project or habit?
• What if you decided that you’d get that thing done not someday, not waiting for January, but that you’ll get it done before the year is out?
• What would you need to do to make that happen?

If we're going to strike out on ambitious plans for Q4, we first need to begin with a little tidying up. Summer’s a great time to let the hair down, but now that Fall is here, it’s time to return to business. We need a post-summer productivity reset.

That's why I’m hosting a free workshop called Your Post-Summer Productivity Reset next week, September 15, 2023, at 12:00 PM Eastern Time.

In this webinar, we'll help you button up those loose ends from Summer and make a plan to finish the year strong.

You can register for the workshop here. A feel free to share the link with anyone you think might benefit from it.

I hope you can join us!

But for now, let’s get into the rest of this week's newsletter.

The Failed Promise of Connected Note-Taking Apps

If you use Obsidian, Roam Research, Logseq, Tana, or one of the zillion other modern note-taking "tools for thought," this one is for you.

I've been an adamant user of connected note-taking apps for the past few years. But lately, my thinking has changed about them.

In this week's essay, I explain why and share how you can best utilize these apps if you change the way you think about them slightly.

Reagan’s Roundup

​The Wisdom of Work (7 mins)

Nicholas Batzig / Feeding on Christ

“Fulfilling the creation mandate to be fruitful for God's glory must be the ultimate goal of our labors rather than merely seeking after a fruitful retirement.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this article connecting the doctrine of vocation to the need for productivity.

​Minimalist Productivity Apps for iPhone​

Time Twelve is a group of indie app developers who have made some really slick minimalist apps for time tracking and goal setting.

• ​Then - Time Tracking App​
• ​Aim - Goal Setting​

​Will We Work in Eternity? (7 mins)

John Piper / Desiring God

“Work itself will be so profoundly satisfying and sweet and enjoyable that nobody will say, ‘I need a weekend.’”

Piper shares some thoughts on what work may look like in the future. While the Scriptures don’t come right out and say what work in eternity will look like, Piper indicates some strong pointers.

1. God is a worker (**Gen 2:2) - “God himself is a worker, and we will be more like him then, not less than we are now.”
2. God created us to work (Gen 1:28; 2:15) - “God created man to be a worker before the fall into sin.”
3. Parables point toward future responsibility (Luke 19:17) - “The parable that describes how Jesus settles accounts with his servants at the second coming suggests that, now that Jesus has come, they will have work given them to do.”
4. We are born again for good works (Eph 2:10) - “When Paul identified a purpose for the new creature in Christ — us — he said the purpose was work, ‘good works.’”
5. Prophecies of the new creation include work (Isa 65:17–25)
6. All futility will be gone

Good reminders for us that work is not an evil thing; it’s a good thing that just happens to be harder right now because of the curse (Genesis 3). But one day, it will be redeemed with the rest of creation. The earth will cast off its thistles and thorns that we might serve the Lord with gladness only and no longer by the sweat of our brow.

Quote of the Week

Redeeming Productivity Academy Reopening

Our membership program, Redeeming Productivity Academy, is opening registration again next week.

• Learn productivity principles from a Christian worldview
• Get accountability to set & reach God-glorifying goals
• Grow alongside 200+ productivity-minded believers

Registration opens on Tuesday, but if you join the waitlist, you’ll get an opportunity for early access on Monday.

You can learn more about RPA and get on the waitlist here.

Final Word

Thanks for reading! I'll see you next week!