Reading useful books is always a great way to use your time productively. not only does it improve your knowledge, but it also helps you learn much more about certain topics, such as productivity and time management.
Billionaires and great entrepreneurs always incorporate reading helpful books into their daily or weekly routines. however, the big challenge is finding the best productivity book to fit your needs.
You are reading: Best books for productivity
Searching for the best productivity book can be overwhelming and time consuming. Therefore, we have prepared a list of the 21 best books on productivity and time management to help you.
1. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport
This book is definitely a good read. It is considered one of the best books on productivity and time tracking and has already helped many people.
is a practical guide to help you learn how to train yourself to intentionally focus in a world full of distractions fighting for your attention.
This book discusses the benefits of a consistent work ethic and provides guidelines and training methods for concentration.
also features tips for working more efficiently, including preventing interruptions, dealing with boredom, and blocking social media for “deep work.”
2. The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
This book focuses on one thing that produces extraordinary results. it speaks of our tendency to divide our attention between different tasks and ideas, not allowing ourselves to fully develop any of them. but if we focus all our attention on one crucial thing, we will complete it successfully and move on to the next task.
The book advises against multitasking, as it has been scientifically proven that it is not the best option for the human brain.
To achieve extraordinary results, eliminate all the non-essential things and prioritize the rest by asking yourself, ‘what is the most important thing?’, it is one of the best books on productivity and time tracking that you can find.
3. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
This is one of the great books on how to improve time management. The book presents some of the best practices to help readers achieve more and worry less.
The book insists on handling tasks one after another to avoid becoming overwhelmed, as the human brain can only store and process restricted amounts of information at a time.
then introduces a gtd system to help you organize workflows and react quickly to avoid a backlog.
4. essentialism: the disciplined search for less by greg mckeown
This book recognizes that we often have many goals in life but rarely achieve them. then it helps you realize what is really essential to achieve them.
In most cases, we don’t make the best use of our resources, especially when it comes to time. according to the author, we can change that by learning to prioritize and separate the essentials from the non-essentials.
The book advises against doing many things at the same time to avoid dividing our attention and energy. instead, we must focus all of our energy on one essential issue that will take us further toward our goal.
is one of the most productive books that encourages readers to focus only on the essential things.
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey
It is considered one of the best books on productivity. emphasizes creating good new habits to help you stay on track and, more importantly, encourages you to set priorities and goals.
highlights practices that distinguish the most productive people from others. teaches readers the art of taking control of every moment to avoid wasting time with inefficient methods.
key note: the key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.
6. How to Stop Procrastinating: A Simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit by S.J. Scott
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is one of the top-rated books on productivity for those who struggle with procrastination. provides a framework for action-orientation, with the author sharing his experience with procrastination and how he overcame it.
key quote: if you’re a procrastinator, you should know that this habit limits your success in many ways, and not addressing the problem means a reduced chance of achieving your goals.
7. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
In this book, the author explains the four steps to creating habits. A habit is created by repetitive behavior. according to this book, you can use the same habit cycle to eliminate unwanted habits and create desired ones.
8. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by brian tracy
The book revolves around the philosophy that if your job is to eat one frog, do it first thing in the morning, and if your job is to eat two, you should start with the largest.
According to the author, the best way to beat procrastination is to handle demanding tasks first.
The book offers important tips to help readers, such as planning ahead, breaking large tasks into smaller parts, being aware of consequences, and using technology.
key quote: one of the worst uses of time is to do something right that didn’t have to be done.
9. The 4-Hour Workweek Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss
offers a step-by-step guide to help you earn a five-figure monthly income by working just four hours a week. this way, you can live the life you want without having to be just an extra.
The author highlights more than 50 practical tips to help you live longer and work less. is among the best productivity books that sound too good to be true.
key quote: an integral part of being a winner is being able to let go of things that don’t work.
10. 168 hours: you have more time than you think by laura vanderkam
The book provides a framework to structure your day and make more time for what matters to you. The author aims to debunk the time crisis myth and challenge readers to start tracking time, prioritizing crucial activities and weeding out non-essential ones.
11. Organize Tomorrow Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life by Dr. Jason Selk and Tom Bartow
The book outlines the eight most effective ways to optimize your organization. it would be better to focus on process-oriented goals that allow you to get rid of bad habits and maximize your time.
12. Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Zeratsky and John Knapp
This is one of the most appreciated books for tracking and time management. the authors emphasize the importance of having one priority per day and concentrating all your available time and energy on it.
shows how you can take control of your daily attention and avoid non-essential things that aren’t worth your time.
describes time management as an intentional exercise by an individual that involves looking at the demands of modern life and reducing them to the most essential and meaningful tasks.
13. The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch
it’s about using minimal effort to achieve great results. states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the effort.
The logic behind this good read is that it’s not being busy that determines success, but spending most of your attention and energy on the most essential and meaningful tasks.
The book concludes that reducing time wasters, reclaiming more free time, and being efficient in all aspects of life is actually a good way to improve productivity.
14. good habits, bad habits: the science of making positive changes that last by wendy wood
The author of this book explains how we can develop habits and apply knowledge to obtain the desired results and changes in ourselves.
being a professor of psychology, the author explains the necessary conditions for an activity to become a habit through numerous investigations.
When we want to change something about ourselves, we must use the extraordinary power of our subconscious mind and not just force of will.
15. Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang
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In today’s work environment, success is measured by the number of hours worked and breaks are seen as a contradiction to work. however, being busy has nothing to do with being productive. most people can only focus and be creative at work for a limited amount of time each day.
according to this book, the brain needs to rest in order to process information and develop new ideas and new connections. To increase productivity, moderate physical activity is also necessary.
16. The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker
in his book, peter drucker shows how you can be an effective manager, while developing the motivation of your employees and promoting the success of the company.
The goal of this book is to achieve greater efficiency and productivity through self-management, which is an important skill not only for managers but for everyone.
To be effective, be clear about how to focus your time, energy, resources, and priorities. According to Peter, efficacy has no innate meaning; can be learned the author offers a step-by-step guide to achieving effectiveness, making it one of the best books for productivity.
17. The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy by Chris Bailey
The book revolves around creating ideal working conditions. The author conducted several productivity-related experiments on himself and gained important insights on how to manage time effectively, which is what he shares in his book.
The book is a summary of proven techniques that reminds readers that work is about results and not about the amount of time spent.
18. unlimited – upgrade your brain, learn anything faster and unlock your exceptional life by jim kwik
The author of this book is a coach and an expert in improving mental performance. The main message of it is that we can all improve our mental abilities in an unlimited and continuous way. according to him, we can all be more productive and achieve goals that seem unattainable and hence the life we want.
3ms needed, i.e. methods, mindset and motivation. the author suggests that we need to replace negative ideas with positive ones and redefine the limits we have set for ourselves of what is and is not achievable.
The strength of this book is in the practical step-by-step techniques for improving performance.
19. First Things First by Stephen Covey
In my opinion, this is one of the best productivity books for entrepreneurs. discusses everything from prioritizing and managing time effectively to organizing tasks and activities.
is a good read to reduce stress levels and increase productivity. help readers avoid procrastination by being organized and putting first things first.
20. the checklist manifesto: how to do it right by atul gawande
In this book, the author explains the importance of checklists in managing and organizing complex tasks. A checklist helps you avoid skipping or overlooking tasks essential to achieving your goals.
He explains that we are prone to failure due to the volume and complexity of knowledge that surrounds us. For this reason, we all need a checklist. he explains what checklists are and how they will help you achieve your set goals.
21. 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management – The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A Students, and 239 Entrepreneurs by Kevin Kruse
finally, in this book, the author asked the same question to 200 successful people in different fields: “what is the secret of your productivity?”, then analyzed all the results and realized that they shared 15 secrets, such as:
- do not use a to-do list
- delegate tasks
- do one thing at a time
- avoid meetings
so what is the best productivity book after all?
is the one that helps you. We can’t choose just one, so we suggest 20 books.
Investing a few hours reading a good book will help you learn new productivity tips, skills and techniques to achieve the desired results.
Productivity and time management are often intertwined. if you manage your time effectively, productivity is guaranteed.
If you’re still having trouble managing your time, these best productivity books are sure to help.
Also, you may be interested in time tracking as it is one of the best ways to improve productivity and time management. You can also use different time tracking software or some of the best time tracking apps to manage your time for productivity effectively.
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- best productivity podcasts
- best productivity blogs