What's Best Next

How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done

By: Matt Perman, John Piper - introduction

Narrated by: Matt Perman

By anchoring your understanding of productivity in God's plan, What's Best Next gives you a practical approach for increasing your effectiveness in everything you do.

There are a lot of myths about productivity--what it means to get things done and how to accomplish work that really matters. In our current era of innovation and information overload, it may feel harder than ever to understand the meaning of work or to have a sense of vocation or calling.

So how do you get more of the right things done without confusing mere activity for actual productivity?

Matt Perman has spent his career helping people learn how to do work in a gospel-centered and effective way. What's Best Next explains his approach to unlocking productivity and fulfillment in work by showing how faith relates to work, even in our everyday grind.

What's Best Next is packed with biblical and theological insight and practical counsel that you can put into practice today, such as:

• How to create a mission statement for your life that's actually practicable.
• How to delegate to people in a way that really empowers them.
• How to overcome time killers like procrastination, interruptions, and multitasking by turning them around and making them work for you.
• How to process workflow efficiently and get your email inbox to zero every day.
• How to have peace of mind without needing to have everything under control.
• How generosity is actually the key to unlocking productivity.

This expanded edition includes:

• a new chapter on productivity in a fallen world
• a new appendix on being more productive with work that requires creative thinking.

Productivity isn't just about getting more things done. It's about getting the right things done--the things that count, make a difference, and move the world forward. You can learn how to do work that matters and how to do it well.

Best book on applying the Gospel to getting things done!

This is an encyclopedia of information on applying the Gospel to getting things done. It is a manual and a reference guide written to be read, studied, referenced and applied. Couldn’t recommend it more highly for anyone who wants to connect their daily life to God’s purposes and have a greater impact for the Kingdom.

Feeling inspired

Thank you, Matt. After reading (listening to) your book, I feel a renewed desire to use my time well — for the benefit of my family, my employees, and the world God has put me in. I have a paperback copy of your book, too, that I look forward to digging in deeper and putting some of these strategies and tactics into practice.

Head and shoulders above secular productivity books

Matt Perman's approach differs so much from other productivity authors in his view of Why we should aspire to be productive; namely for the glory of God and the good of others. This should be especially important for the Christian. While benefiting from his practical advice, I found the most helpful things to be the big picture undergirding it all. You feel caught up in a much bigger story than simply "Be productive so that you feel good about yourself, become successful, and have free time to do what you want," (which is essentially how other productivity gurus attempt to motivate you). Highly recommend this book!

Powerful organizational time saving take aways

Matthew Perman adds clarity to well known principles that act like multipliers to your personal effectiveness. He not only adds clarity in determining direction effectively but in an almost casual way adds statements about time saving techniques that if applied become highly effective.

Christian Productivity

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

What's Best Next is very detailed and well thought-out. The author is very passionate about the subject and I appreciate the way he keeps a biblical perspective to productivity. There were some good ideas in the book and I'll be going back through it to help me remember some of them.

Any additional comments?

I do wish the author hadn't read so many of the footnotes. Many were references to blog post he had written. They distracted from the flow of the audio book and were impossible to reconnect to the actual comments when he read them at the end of the chapter. I found myself using the chapter guide to simply skip to the next chapter, but that was a challenge while driving.