A compilation of the top books on boosting your productivity
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It
Authors: Michael E. Gerber,
Michael E. Gerber teaches you the difference between working on your business and working in your business. He also teaches you to extract lessons from franchising even when your business is not a franchise. His The E-Myth Revisited is a strong guide for someone who is really looking to grow their business.
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Authors: Cal Newport,
While several books discuss the ill consequences of distraction, Newport gives you a guide on how you can overcome this habit. His modern, relevant and practical advice will help you develop a simple, yet life-changing superpower in today’s environment – the ability to focus.
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Achieving More with Less
Authors: Richard Koch,
Did you know that 80% of your best work is a result of only 20% of your efforts? Every aspect of your life operates in this way. Koch teaches you how to maximize on this 20% and make better use of your time, resources, and efforts. Richard Koch’s insights are guaranteed to change your life.
The 4-Hour Workweek
Authors: Timothy Ferriss,
Since today is all you have for sure, Timothy Ferriss shows you how you can make the most of it. In The 4-Hour Workweek, you will learn how to earn your yearly income in one month, reduce your working hours and find more time for travel and leisure. All of this, without compromising on your performance.
Virtual Freedom: How to Work with Virtual Staff to Buy More Time, Become More Productive, and Build Your Dream Business
Authors: Chris Ducker
Considered to be the authoritative book on hiring Virtual Assistants, Virtual Freedom helps entrepreneurs discover the power of building teams of virtual employees to help run, support, and grow their businesses. The book provides every detail you need to grasp, from figuring out which jobs to outsource to hiring, training, motivating, and managing virtual assistants.
The Power of Focus
Authors: Jack Canfield,Mark Victor Hansen
Seventy-nine years of combined expertise made Canfield, Hansen, and Hewitt come up with 10 principles that will help you develop focus in your life. Backed with the use of interesting stories, every principle shared will make you rethink how you live your life and open your eyes to the most fundamental elements of success – clarity, understanding, and no exceptions.
Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business
Authors: Charles Duhigg,
The most productive people and companies don’t simply take a different course of action, he even have different worldviews and preferences. Based on countless interviews with such people and psychological discoveries, Duhigg gives you eight productivity concepts. His findings will propel you towards success and help you cope with stress, anxiety and all the obstacles you could face on the way.
The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent
Authors: Esther Hicks,Jerry Hicks
Esther and Jerry Hicks show you how you can live a continually happy life rather than one with occasional moments of joy. They argue that preserving your energy is more important than working tirelessly to achieve your goals. Their plan will make every day of your life worth living, and help you reach your fullest potential at the same time.
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
Authors: Gary Keller,Jay Papasan
You’ve tried taking life all at once. Now try taking it one thing at a time. This is what Gary Keller guides you towards in this bestselling book. He claims that taking on more than you can handle results in poor work, postponed deadlines and half-hearted commitment. This book acts as a guide to work towards your goal, with reduced stress, better results, and focus.
Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem
Authors: Kevin DeYoung,
The “I’m very busy” excuse is very common. According to pastor and writer David DeYoung, it is a really big problem as it’s effects go way beyond what you perceive, causing deep lasting impacts to your soul itself. He claims that the soul suffers the worst blow because of the busy-ness problem. In this book, he extracts some solutions from the Bible itself to provide a better time-management guide.
High Performance Habits: How Extraordinary People Become That Way
Authors: Brendon Burchard,
Based on extensive research conducted on high-performance individuals, Brendon Burchard gives you the 6 habits that have proven to be the cause of long-term success. These 6 habits, along with Burchard’s expert advice and exercise, will improve the quality of your life and help you achieve high performance in everything that you do.
The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy
Authors: Chris Bailey,
He tried everything — from waking up at 5.30 am to entirely removing caffeine and sugar from his diet. Based on his own experience and what he learnt from experts like David Allen and Charles Duhigg, Bailey shares his best-ever productivity principles. His insights will show you how you can make the most of every aspect of your life.
Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success
Authors: Shane Snow,
Shane Snow introduces the concept of “lateral” thinking, an approach to challenge the conventional ways of doing things. Unlike other mythical, counterproductive ways of achieving success, Snow shows you realistic methods and strategies that will help you do great things in a shorter span of time. The secret is to work smarter.
Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
Authors: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang,
In today’s fast-changing world, people are expected to work, work and work. Rest is often looked at as a reward for the work done. Silicon Valley consultant, Alex Pang argues that this approach is wrong and proper, timely rest is essential for productivity and creativity. Discover what the likes of Darwin, Churchill, and Gates think of rest and how it contributed to their groundbreaking contributions.
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life’s Perfection
Authors: Michael A. Singer,
You’ve held on to every moment of your life for so long. Now watch what happens when you let them go. This is what Michael Singer did. The Surrender Experiment, a bestseller and an Oprah favourite, is the real-life story of Singer, where he shares how his life was changed by simply embracing every moment the way it came.
Do More Faster: Techstars Lessons to Accelerate Your Startup
Authors: David G. Cohen,Brad Feld
Do More Faster is a book that gives you information regarding the decision-making process for starters, the start-up experience of TechStars entrepreneurs, the best investment plans for the future of your business and much more.
Your Brain at Work: Strategies for Overcoming Distraction, Regaining Focus, and Working Smarter All Day Long
Authors: David Rock,
Using the story of Emily and Paul, David Rock teaches you to make the most of your brain resources. The story is realistic, with the characters’ lives being bombarded with endless phone calls, emails and other distractions. Using their example, Rock shows you how you can sort out your priorities and manage the distractions you face in your daily life.
Focal Point: A Proven System to Simplify Your Life, Double Your Productivity, and Achieve All Your Goals
Authors: Brian Tracy,
In Focal Point, Brian Tracy shares seven key areas that will help you come up with a strategy to achieve your goals without losing focus. His practical advice will help you gain control over your life, your time and your career.
18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done
Authors: Peter Bregman,
Distractions are unavoidable. So Peter Bregman shows us how we can turn distractions into productive time. True to its title, this book will change your life in 18 minutes, if not less. Bregman’s wise use of case studies, his personal experiences and his advice will give you better control over your time, and over your life as well.
10 Days to Faster Reading
Authors: The Princeton Language Institute,Abby Marks Beale
Improve your concentration and get over the habits that slow down your understanding, and you’ll be able to read the same material in half the time it usually takes! With starting exercises that will assess your current reading skills, and practical exercises to implement the new ones, it takes no more than 10 days for this book to hone your reading skills.
Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule–and Your Life
Authors: Julie Morgenstern,
In today’s fast-moving world, time management has proven to be the most essential survival skill. Morgenstern teaches you how you can overcome procrastination and acquire this skill in a way that suits your unique psychology. Her guidelines will help you find time for the things that matter such as family, friends and even “me-time” amidst the endless demands of your busy schedule.
The Ant and the Elephant: Leadership for the Self: A Parable and 5-Step Action Plan to Transform Workplace Performance
Authors: Vince Poscente,
Vince Poscente likens the conscious and unconscious minds to an ant and an elephant, respectively. He argues that while most people are well-acquainted with the ant, they barely pay attention to the elephant. This is the reason why most human potential is suppressed. With this in mind, Poscente gives the reader a 5-step life-changing action plan, to better leverage the vast potential of the elephant or you sub-concious mind.
Do More Better: A Practical Guide to Productivity
Authors: Tim Challies,
Tim Challies is a writer, a husband and a father. In his humble way, he shares the most relevant ways of becoming productive, while still having enough time for your personal passions. Discover the common obstacles to productivity, the importance of a routine, the 3 essential tools for getting work done and many more principles that can quietly change your life.
Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done
Authors: Laura Vanderkam,
The secret to time-management, according to Laura Vanderkam, is to think that you have all the time in the world. Unlike other rigorous time-management techniques, she gives you an easy and simple way of doing more in your life and still remaining calm and at ease. Her insights will make life more productive and also more fulfilling.
Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It
Authors: Gabriel Wyner,
Learning a new language is in everyone’s bucket-list. But the struggle to remember the words and the grammar hinders this. Wyner faced similar struggles in his pursuit to learn new languages. In Fluent Forever, he shares some of the secrets and tactics he learnt that caused him to speak 6 languages fluently by the age of thirty. This book is a brain-hacking masterpiece.
Ready for Anything: 52 Productivity Principles for Getting Things Done
Authors: David Allen,
If you want to reach the highest pedestal of life, David Allen’s Ready for Anything is a book you must read. His 52 principles will improve every aspect of your life, from creativity to focus and concentration. Learn how you can actually get things done without exerting yourself too much. This book makes you mentally and physically ready for anything in life.
Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success
Authors: Brad Stulberg,Steve Magness
Stulberg and Magness teach you to develop a balance between work and rest, to train your body for better productivity and to achieve the highest level of being human. Their guidance will help you reach the peak of your performance. Discover the secrets of success through the inspiring stories of some of the world’s greatest performers.
The Speed Reading Book (Mind Set)
Authors: Tony Buzan,
Buzan’s reading tools will help you read faster, with better understanding and application of the knowledge. The insight he gives you on the psychology of reading will also improve your note-taking abilities, resulting in more successful exam-performance and improved memory of what your learn. His techniques are fun and effective — making them suitable for people of any age or profession.
The 12 Week Year
Authors: Brian P. Moran,Michael Lennington
Most organizations set annual goals. This results in procrastination and a failure to maintain productivity throughout the year. Moran and Lennington train you to change this to a 12-week year, where you will achieve your goals more efficiently and with reduced procrastination. Their expert insights on implementation will help you set the best strategy to get to where you want in less time than you thought possible.
The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It
Authors: Kelly McGonigal,
Based on his research and experiments, Dr. McGonigal gives you a new perspective to a common problem — stress. He argues that it can have great benefits such as better focus and concentration, but only if it is used in the right way. The negative approach to stress results in insomnia, heart disease and poor health. His optimistic approach will teach you how to use stress to your advantage.
Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time
Authors: Jeff Sutherland,
Why are efficiency and flexibility still problems that most companies face? Why do even the most strategic plans become expensive failures? Sutherland’s experience in the corporate world made him ask the same questions, and via this book he provides the reader with one of the most revolutionary productivity concepts ever — Scrum. Unravel the secrets of efficiency and productivity, that can change conventional leadership and management styles forever.
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal
Authors: Jim Loehr,Tony Schwartz
Your energy is your most expensive resource. Today’s fast-changing world constantly demands this energy, resulting in issues such as stress and poor time-management. Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz provide a complete guideline on how you can preserve your energy and still achieve your best-ever performance. Discover the four sources of your energy, its expenditure and renewal and many more energy principles that will change your life.
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading
Authors: Mortimer J. Adler,Charles Van Doren
Adler gives you all the tools you will need to learn the different ways of comprehending various types of literature. He also gives you tips on the kind of skimming that really benefits and how to get exactly what the author is trying to share from any genre of books. When you have finished, you can use the tests given by the author to assess how much you’ve progressed!
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
Authors: David Allen,
Your productivity depends on your ability to focus and organize your thoughts. David Allen shows you how you can achieve this and increase your productivity by learning to battle anxiety and confusion and remain calm at all times. He also guides you through prioritizing your goals and getting them done efficiently.
Breakthrough Rapid Reading
Authors: Peter Kump,
If you’re a slow reader or you struggle to understand texts easily, Peter Kump’s Breakthrough Rapid Reading is the best thing you’ve laid hands on. He gives you principles that will improve your reading and exercises that could be used to assess your progress.
Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less
Authors: Sam Carpenter,
Carpenter helps you transition your world from a chaotic blur to an organized linear system with simple guidance given in a step-by-step process. His “system methodology” has been applied to various fields such as engineering, telecommunication, business management and many more, making it suitable for just about any profession. Discover how you can organize the internal mess in your business organization and dramatically improve its performance.
Instant Productivity – How to Be Productive to Get Things Done Easier and Faster Instantly!
Authors: The Instant-Series,
Productivity is a combination of a lot of things, the implementation of which are not always easy. This is why most people learn how to be productive, but fail to actually become productive. Instant Productivity is a comprehensive and immediate guide to increasing productivity. Learn how to draw a productive process plan, make tasks more fun and less burdensome, measure your productivity and lots more!
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
Authors: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi,
What is “flow”? It is a psychological state that makes every experience in life more fulfilling and opens your mind’s creative instincts. Legendary psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihaly, is known for his research into flow. In this book, he illustrates how you can achieve this state, rather than leaving it to fate. As a result, you will discover a new potential you never knew you had.
The Power Of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential
Authors: Leo Babauta,
Leo Babauta trains you to limit your resources, find your focus and the maximize on what you already have. His practical approaches will make the path to success easier and more realistic. He also shows you how you can achieve goals by breaking them down, become more efficient and increase your productivity.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
Authors: Greg McKeown,
You are in need of McKeown’s wisdom if you find yourself occupied all the time, but not productive. If you want to take a break and reorganize your life. If your schedule is full of doing things for other people. In Essentialism, you will learn how to weed out the unnecessary things so you can focus on what truly matters.
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