“Lost time is never found again.”
We all want to get more stuff done. But, in a world where distractions are everywhere and time seems more finite than ever before, this isn’t always the easiest thing to achieve. Thankfully, that’s where books about productivity come in clutch. Whether you’re looking to streamline your daily routines, achieve long-term goals or simply make better use of your time, productivity books provide the insights and inspiration you need. Which is why we here at What We Reading thought we would curate some of our favourite books about productivity that offer unique strategies, techniques and mindsets that are all tailored to helping you unlock your full potential!
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity – David Allen
Kicking off our list of the best books about productivity is David Allen’s acclaimed self-help guide, Getting Things Done. In the book, the veteran coach and management consultant shares the illuminating methods for stress-free performance that he has made use of for thousands of individuals. Allen’s premise centres around how productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. He argues that it is only when our minds are clear and our thoughts organised that we can begin to unleash our creativity.
Getting Things Done is a collection of core principles to proven techniques. From applying the ‘do it, delegate it, defer it, drop it’, reassessing goals to overcoming feelings of being overwhelmed, Allen’s bestseller is sure to transform the way you work, demonstrating how to get more done without wearing yourself down.
Make Time: How To Focus On What Matters Every Day – Jake Knapp And John Zeratsky
As the creators of Google Ventures’ famous ‘design sprint’, Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky have helped hundreds of teams solve crucial problems by changing the way in which they work. From Gmail to YouTube, their strategies have been used in some of the loftiest of workplaces. Their book, Make Time, features their refined habits and routines, condensed into a four-step daily framework that anyone can use to systematically design their days.
Make Time differs to other personal development books about productivity. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all formula, Knapp and Zeratsky’s work is a series of customisable bite-sized tips and strategies that can be tailored around a reader’s habits and lifestyle. By making small shifts in an environment, the pair demonstrate how easy it is to separate yourself from being overworked and constantly distracted.
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Deep Work: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World – Cal Newport
Professor Cal Newport introduces the concept of ‘deep work’ in his Goodreads-nominated productivity book, Deep Work. Deep work describes the ability to focus without distraction on a task that is cognitively demanding. Newport explains how possessing this skill allows you to effectively master complicated information and produce higher results in less time. In essence, it is the route to becoming productive in a world dominated by a blur of emails and social media.
Deep Work is a unique resource on productivity. Newport splits the book into two parts. The first is a celebration of the benefits of deep work. The second is a rigorous, no-nonsense training program delivered through a series of four ‘rules’ that encourages readers to transform their minds and habits to unlock this ability more often.
Get It Done: Surprising Lessons From The Science Of Motivation – Ayelet Fishbach
In Get It Done, Ayelet Fishbach presents a new theoretical framework for self-motivated action. The psychologist and behavioural scientist utilises groundbreaking research from the field of motivational science and real-life case studies of people who learned to motivate themselves.
Whilst plenty of self-help books have been dedicated to motivating others, Fishbach’s 2022 book is solely committed to helping you set and achieve goals for yourself. Get It Done showcases invaluable strategies for pulling yourself in whichever direction you want to go, making it one of the best books about productivity for achieving goals whilst staying happy, clearheaded and healthy.
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Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit Of Less – Greg McKeown
In Essentialism, Greg McKeown makes the case that being productive isn’t about getting more done in less; rather, it is about getting only the right things done. In his exploration of the Way of the Essentialist, McKeown teaches readers how to identify what is absolutely necessary and eliminate everything that is not so that we can make the biggest contributions to the things that really matter.
By encouraging readers to apply a more selective approach to what is essential, the disciplined pursuit of less inspires them to reclaim control of their choices about where they spend their time and energy. One of the most illuminating books about productivity that encourages a whole new perspective about what it means to get things done, McKeown’s work is a must-read for any leader, manager or individual who wants to learn to do less, but better.
The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More By Managing Your Time, Attention And Energy – Chris Bailey
Chris Bailey turned down lucrative job offers to pursue a lifelong dream – spending a year doing a deep-dive into the pursuit of productivity. After obtaining a business degree, he set up a blog dedicated to recording a year-long series of productivity experiments he performed on himself. He also interviewed some of the world’s leading experts on productivity ranging from Charles Duhigg to David Allen.
The practices ranged from cutting out caffeine and sugar, gaining ten pounds of muscle mass, only using his phone an hour a day, not sleeping for weeks, living in isolation for ten days, stretching his work week to ninety hours and getting up at 5:30 every morning. The Productivity Project are the result of that year-long journey and all of the invaluable lessons Bailey learned along the way.
How To Stop Procrastinating: A Simple Guide To Mastering Difficult Tasks And Breaking The Procrastination Habit – S.J. Scott
Procrastination is undoubtedly the biggest obstacle to anyone looking to become more productive. It sneaks into all of our routines and limits success in a variety of ways. From bad grades, and unhealthy diet choices to financial difficulties, the effects of procrastination can be far-reaching and severe. Thankfully, S.J. Scott has readers covered in his book about productivity, How to Stop Procrastinating, and his technique named The Anti-Procrastination Habit’.
Scott’s self-help guide is an accessible and systematic framework for building an action-oriented habit across all areas of a person’s life. From insights into why people procrastinate, how to create actionable goals, to strategies on how to prevent feelings of procrastination when they arise, whether you’re someone who lets the odd task fall through the cracks or someone who always does things last minute, How To Stop Procrastinating is a treasure trove of insights, tips and techniques.
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Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
