5 of the Best Books on Productivity

Whether you’re a freelancer, an office employee tasked with working remotely, or a single parent with seemingly endless chores to run and tasks to complete, you may find yourself struggling with procrastination from time to time. It affects all of us, and when it strikes, you may feel powerless to its distracting and destructive ways.

It’s a topic I have discussed many times on this blog, offering tips and strategies to help you?beat procrastination and become more productive.?But many other authors have covered the subject as well. In this guide, I’ll highlight some of the best books on productivity that you can buy and read right now.

1. Getting Things Done by David Allen

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity?is a seminal work on productivity that was first published nearly 20 years ago. But like all the best self-help books, it is just as relevant today as it was back then. In fact, when you consider that our lives have become more digitized and less focused, it could be argued that?Getting Things Done?is even more relevant and even more important.

It has been updated a few times over the years, but the strategies and the ideas remain unchanged.

Often referred to as the “bible of productivity”,?Getting Things Done?talks about a strategy that you can use to plan your days and make them more productive. It’s not exactly revolutionary, but if you’re new to productivity hacks, it is the perfect place to start.

2. Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy

Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time?highlights the habits of successful people. It talks about the ways that these people don’t try to do everything and spread themselves too thin. Instead, they focus on the most important tasks, concentrate their efforts on those tasks, and then get them done, or “eat their frogs” as the book puts it.

It comes from an old saying that goes something like this, “If the first thing that you do in the morning is eat a frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve completed the worst thing you need to do that day”.

Eat That Frog?is one of the best-selling productivity books in the United States and it has received thousands of great reviews since it was first published.

On Amazon.com,?Eat That Frog?is currently listed as number 1 in the “Work Life Balance” section, which I thought was pretty apt considering that’s also the name of this blog!

3. The ONE Thing by Gary Keller

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results?was written by Gary Keller and focuses on a simple truth that should increase your productivity. It’s about prioritizing your important tasks, something that is also discussed in?Eat That Frog.

If you have limited time and money, I recommend picking up just one of these titles. If you’re looking to read as much as you can and learn everything that you can learn, buy them both. It might be a similar idea, but it’s approached from a different angle and in a different context.

4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

As the name suggests, The?7 Habits of Highly Effective People?follows a principle that has been used in self-help since the days of Napoleon Hill. It’s all about uncovering the strategies used by successful people, with the idea that if it works for them, it must work for you.

It’s a pretty solid idea and it’s one that has already helped thousands of people, as?The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People?has been in print for over 20 years and has been read by many entrepreneurs and business owners.

Well over 15 million copies of this book have sold and you can find it online in softback, hardback, and audiobook. It seems a little expensive when purchased new on Amazon, but it’s an old book that has sold a lot of copies, so you should be able to find a used copy for a few bucks.

5. The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss

Tim Ferriss is all about helping people to escape the rat race, reduce their working hours, and get rid of stress.?The 4-Hour Workweek?is one of his best-loved titles and is very accessible for new readers and aspiring entrepreneurs.

If you’re already an active freelancer or entrepreneur, there will be limits to what the book can teach you. If not, it’s an easily digestible, well-written book that serves as the perfect foundation for improving productivity and beating procrastination.

The 4-Hour Workweek?has been updated and improved a few times over the years, but the original isn’t that old, so it doesn’t really matter if you get the original or the updated version.

Summary: Best Books on Productivity

I have interviewed many great authors over the last couple of years and I’ve read all their books. They all have something worthwhile to say and if you are looking to improve your success, productivity, or knowledge, you should read them as well.

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As an example,?Michael Schein’s The Hype Handbook?talks about using hype to your advantage when marketing products or promoting yourself as an artist or professional.?The Iconist by Jamie Mustard?delves into similar topics. This is just scratching the surface, and you can learn more — and discover many more great books — by clicking the links, reading the guides, and watching the videos.