So quite a few years ago now, while juggling a hundred and one things – some paid, some voluntary; some work-related, some not – I developed a new obsession in my quest to change the world: productivity. I have now written multiple books on the subject, and I am the founder of Think Productive which helps people and organisations around the world to increase productivity & wellbeing. These are the top 5 books that have shaped the way I look at productivity and the way I work and live my life.
I wrote
How to Be a Productivity Ninja: Worry Less, Achieve More and Love What You Do
When it comes to overflowing inboxes, ever-expanding to-do lists, and endless meetings, traditional time-management techniques—like those in bestselling books by…
This book probably needs no introduction. It was the first time management book that I read, and it had a really big effect on me. I remember really enthusiastically jotting down ideas from this book and making changes to how I worked. It's an absolute classic! The book would probably look really different if written today, but I think a lot of the ideas are just so evergreen.
New York Times bestseller - over 25 million copies sold The No. 1 Most Influential Business Book of the Twentieth Century
"[Thirty] years after it first appeared, the wisdom of The 7 Habits is more relevant than ever. On an individual level people are burning out, and on a collective level we are burning up the planet. So Dr. Covey's emphasis on self-renewal and his understanding that leadership and creativity require us to tap into our own physical, mental, and spiritual resources are exactly what we need now." Arianna Huffington
One of the most inspiring and impactful books ever written,…
This book has such an annoyingly catchy title! I really wish I'd come up with that. The central premise is that if we eliminate distractions and really make space to do real quality thinking, that's what makes us productive. I am totally on board with that and very much share Cal's view of the importance of deep work, and he explains it so well. Also, Cal has been on my podcast, Beyond Busy, twice, and he is such a great guy.
Many modern knowledge workers now spend most of their brain power battling distraction and interruption, whether because of the incessant pinging of devices, noisy open-plan offices or the difficulty of deciding what deserves your attention the most. When Cal Newport coined the term 'deep work' on his popular blog, Study Hacks, in 2012, he found the concept quickly hit a nerve. Most of us, after all, are excruciatingly familiar with shallow work instead - distractedly skimming the surface of our workload and never getting to the important part. Newport began exploring the methods and mindset that foster a practice of…
I'm sure this is not Seth's best-selling book, but for me, it's the most impactful one. He talks a lot about procrastination, doing work where you are indispensable, being creative, and ultimately he just defines productivity in a way that has so much heart to it and that I really relate to. I also think Seth, out of all the people whose books I read, is the most natural writer. I just love his writing.
In this compelling, accessible and purpose-filled book bestselling business author Seth Godin shows how you have the potential to make a big difference-and make yourself indispensable in the process-wherever you are.
Why are some people easily outsourced, downsized, or freelanced into obscurity, while others have their pick of opportunities? In his most powerful book yet, Seth Godin argues that it's more essential than ever to become indispensable - to become a linchpin. Linchpins are the essential building blocks of great organizations: they invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They love…
When I first read this book, like so many people, it totally changed how I view productivity, and still today, it has a massive influence on how I organise my life – both personally and professionally.
Ironically, this book had been sitting on the shelf of my chief executive office, gathering dust for quite some time before I read it... due to me being too busy and stressed out to pick it up!
Reading Getting Things Done then made me realise the waste that goes on – not through negligence, but from the stress and chaos of information overload – and the need for stress-free productivity.
The book Lifehack calls "The Bible of business and personal productivity."
"A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'"-Fast Company
Since it was first published almost fifteen years ago, David Allen's Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. "GTD" is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots.
Allen has rewritten the book from start to finish, tweaking his classic text…
This book is brilliant and really worth a read. Oliver Burkeman is someone who embraces positive thinking, but from a kind of cynical perspective, so the Antidote is happiness for people like me who can't stand positive thinking. It's a really practical and entertaining celebration of negative thinking that helped me embrace insecurity, uncertainty, and failures in life.
Self-help books don't seem to work. Few of the many advantages of modern life seem capable of lifting our collective mood. Wealth—even if you can get it—doesn't necessarily lead to happiness. Romance, family life, and work often bring as much stress as joy. We can't even agree on what "happiness" means. So are we engaged in a futile pursuit? Or are we just going about it the wrong way?
Looking both east and west, in bulletins from the past and from far afield, Oliver Burkeman introduces us to an unusual group of people who share a single, surprising way of…
When it comes to overflowing inboxes, ever-expanding to-do lists, and endless meetings, traditional time-management techniques—like those in bestselling books by David Allen or Dominic Wolff— simply don't cut it in the age of information overload
Thankfully there's a better way. Graham Allcott, founder of the global productivity workshop company, Think Productive, presents How to be a Productivity Ninja, his brilliant—and originally self-published—guide to cutting through the procrastination, getting more done, and enjoying your work and your life more as a result. Using techniques including Ruthlessness, Mindfulness, Zen-like Calm, and Stealth and Camouflage, you will get your inbox down to zero, maximize your attention span, and learn to work smarter, not harder.
I’ve always been fascinated by group dynamics, large and small. Why things functioned well, why they didn’t. It’s possible my ability to empathize and use humor as a consensus-builder is the reason I was elected president of a homeowners association, a music production association, and even an agricultural group. Books were not particularly involved in this fascination! But in recent years, experiencing the breakdown of civility and trust in our political and cultural discourse, I’ve taken a more analytical view of the dynamics. These books, in their very different ways, have taught me lessons about life, understanding those with different beliefs, and finding ways to connect and move forward.
We’ve all experienced the overwhelming level of political and social divisiveness in our country. This invisible “virus” of negativity is, in part, the result of the name-calling and heated rhetoric that has become commonplace among commentators and elected leaders alike.
My book provides a clear perspective on the historical and modern-day causes of our nation's divisive state. It then proposes easy-to-understand solutions—an action plan for our elected leaders and citizens as well. Rather than a scholarly treatment of a complex topic, the book challenges us to take the obvious steps required of those living in a free democracy. And it…
Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation
Lyle Greenfield's "Uniting the States of America―A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation" is a work of nonfiction and opinion. Incorporating the lessons of history and the ideas and wisdom of many, it is intended as both an educational resource and a call-to-action for citizens concerned about the politically and culturally divided state of our Union. A situation that has raised alarm for the very future of our democracy.
First, the book clearly identifies the causes of what has become a national crisis of belief in and love for our country. How the divisiveness and hostility rampant in our political…
