Here are 100 books that Work Less, Make More fans have personally recommended if you like
Work Less, Make More.
Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.
I’m a time management coach, author, keynote speaker, host of the top 1% ranked time management podcast It’s About Time, and founder of the It’s About Time Academy (a community of people who want to make time for what matters most). I help busy professionals and business owners struggling with overwhelm manage their time with my signature HEART Method. I’ve been devouring time management books for over a decade now—so I hope you enjoy these time management reads as much as I did!
This book was amazing for helping me when I felt stuck and wanted to make a change in my life. This book is all about the power of focus (and not just about avoiding distractions when you’re working). It gave me a focus for my life, and it gave me the tools, examples, and inspiration to break that big-picture focus into smaller pieces… so everything suddenly felt doable.
I loved using the book’s Focusing Question to identify the ONE thing that would make everything in my life easier.
YOU WANT LESS. You want fewer distractions and less on your plate. The daily barrage of e-mails, texts, tweets, messages, and meetings distract you and stress you out. The simultaneous demands of work and family are taking a toll. And what's the cost? Second-rate work, missed deadlines, smaller paychecks, fewer promotions-and lots of stress. AND YOU WANT MORE. You want more productivity from your work. More income for a better lifestyle. You want more satisfaction from life, and more time for yourself, your family, and your friends. NOW YOU CAN HAVE BOTH-LESS AND MORE. In The ONE Thing, you'll learn…
I have been interested in motivation, productivity, and growth my whole life. I find it fascinating how we all have 24 hours; however, some people can maximize that time to create success while others let it go to waste. It all comes down to mindset. As an entrepreneur, I’ve consumed countless books, courses, and coaching programs to create what I call the “Rockstar Mind.” It has helped me tour the world opening for bands like KISS, write two best-selling books and 3 hit songs, and run two online businesses while supporting my young family during a global pandemic. I’m always looking for the edge to create more impact in my day.
This is my go-to book to feel motivated and get back into taking action (or “massive action” as Grant calls it). I highly recommend getting your hands on the audiobook version and setting the speed to at least 1.5x to get a world-class pep talk from one of the most energetic and best action-takers out there. I guarantee it will inspire you to get more out of your day.
Achieve "Massive Action" results and accomplish your business dreams! While most people operate with only three degrees of action-no action, retreat, or normal action-if you're after big goals, you don't want to settle for the ordinary. To reach the next level, you must understand the coveted 4th degree of action. This 4th degree, also know as the 10 X Rule, is that level of action that guarantees companies and individuals realize their goals and dreams. The 10 X Rule unveils the principle of "Massive Action," allowing you to blast through business clich s and risk-aversion while taking concrete steps to…
I have been interested in motivation, productivity, and growth my whole life. I find it fascinating how we all have 24 hours; however, some people can maximize that time to create success while others let it go to waste. It all comes down to mindset. As an entrepreneur, I’ve consumed countless books, courses, and coaching programs to create what I call the “Rockstar Mind.” It has helped me tour the world opening for bands like KISS, write two best-selling books and 3 hit songs, and run two online businesses while supporting my young family during a global pandemic. I’m always looking for the edge to create more impact in my day.
Tim’s stories about Michael Jordan are worth the price of admission alone. What I really love about this book is how Tim breaks down the mindset of a champion – what it takes to overcome the daily challenges that come your way and thrive when the odds are working against you. The audiobook version also has great chapter intros by Tim.
'Tim Grover's teachings completely changed how I approached my professional career, helping me navigate the constant ups and downs that sport at the highest level brings.' Marcus Rashford, MBE From the elite performance coach for Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and many others - and the author of the powerful bestseller Relentless - a no-holds-barred formula for winning that is ideal for business people, athletes and anybody wanting to achieve success.
In Relentless, Tim Grover showed that you need to be tough and ruthless - towards others and yourself - to achieve your goals. Now, in Winning he takes…
I’ve been in the DEI trenches for over 20 years, and let me tell you, it's been one hell of a ride. As a Black woman navigating this shit show, I've seen it all—from clueless executives to well-meaning “allies” who can't get out of their own way. My passion? Calling out the bullshit and actually making DEI work. I've gone toe-to-toe with tech giants, founded Inclusology, and now I'm tackling a second PhD because I believe in the work, even at is most discouraging. DEI-ing is my no-holds-barred guide to creating real change. I’m all about busting AI bias and building DEI that sticks, not just some feel-good fluff.
This book had me saying, “Finally!” It taught me to let go of the nonsense and focus on what really matters. Mark Manson doesn’t hold back, and I appreciate that. This book is a reality check on how limited our time is—death is coming whether we like it or not—so we better start living right.
It’s not just a book; it’s a guide to cutting the crap and enjoying life before it’s too late.
New York Times Bestseller In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people. For decades, we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let's be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn't sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is-a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today.…
I have been interested in motivation, productivity, and growth my whole life. I find it fascinating how we all have 24 hours; however, some people can maximize that time to create success while others let it go to waste. It all comes down to mindset. As an entrepreneur, I’ve consumed countless books, courses, and coaching programs to create what I call the “Rockstar Mind.” It has helped me tour the world opening for bands like KISS, write two best-selling books and 3 hit songs, and run two online businesses while supporting my young family during a global pandemic. I’m always looking for the edge to create more impact in my day.
This is a pretty rare recommendation and I only heard of this gem through my first ever business coach Alex Jeffreys who was being coached by Dan Sullivan at the time. When he mentioned the title How the Best Get Better I knew it would be perfect for a high-achiever like me and it was love at first listen. Dan is a master of creating innovative technology for the mind that helps entrepreneurs navigate the inherent challenges of their market and operate their business with 100% clarity and confidence. This is a once-a-year listen for me and I highly recommend you track down a copy and check it out.
Global forces, unleashed by the application of the microchip, have caused an entrepreneurial revolution in every society on the planet. The most successful entrepreneurs are taking advantage of new capabilities to create greater wealth and autonomy for themselves, while providing new income and employment opportunities for millions of others. The best entrepreneurs are also role models and teachers for countless others. Entrepreneurs have a results-oriented concept of how the world works. By focusing strategically on their most important abilities, relationships, and opportunities with a passionate, long-term commitment, they are able to create value for others, which assures their continued success.…
I used to hate lifestyle businesses, looking down my nose at them, saying (as many others do!) that they weren’t realbusinesses. After a “lightbulb moment,” I now proudly describe myself as an ambitious lifestyle business owner – someone who designs their business around their lifestyle, rather than the other way around. Work to live, not live to work! As well as Big Ideas... for Small Businesses, a bestselling book about how to build a lifestyle business, I also host the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, where I interview other lifestyle business owners, discovering how what an ambitious, lifestyle business looks like for them.
My dream job description is: to do what I want...when I want...how I want...where I want...ifI want!
Do you know what youwant? Too many people spend their life chasing things that don't actually make them happy!
In Anything You Want, Derek Sivers makes the case that, as a small business owner, you get to make a little universe where you create all the laws. It's a really nice short read, about 90 minutes, and contains 40 short chapters, packed full of insights, and "aha!" moments.
'I love this book! If you want a true manifesto, a guidebook with clear signposts, and a fun ride you'll return to again and again, you have it here in this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did' Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek
The iconic manifesto on lessons learned while becoming an entrepreneur
I used to hate lifestyle businesses, looking down my nose at them, saying (as many others do!) that they weren’t realbusinesses. After a “lightbulb moment,” I now proudly describe myself as an ambitious lifestyle business owner – someone who designs their business around their lifestyle, rather than the other way around. Work to live, not live to work! As well as Big Ideas... for Small Businesses, a bestselling book about how to build a lifestyle business, I also host the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, where I interview other lifestyle business owners, discovering how what an ambitious, lifestyle business looks like for them.
Bigger isn't better – at least not when it comes to lifestyle businesses.
The “Company of One” mindset is very similar to my own “Ambitious, Lifestyle Business”: deliberately small, and designed to deliver the lifestyle desired by the owner, rather than growth at all costs. It doesn’t necessarily mean one person (personally, I run a Company of One with a team of seven).
There is only one “rule” for a Company of One – you must constantly question the need for growth. People say you should start with the end in mind. I say start with the lifestylein mind, and then design the business around this.
Company of One will help you do this from day one (and believe me, that's far easier than changing old habits!).
What if the real key to a richer and more fulfilling career was not to create and scale a new start-up, but rather, to be able to work for yourself, determine your own hours, and become a (highly profitable) and sustainable company of one? Suppose the better - and smarter - solution is simply to remain small? This book explains how to do just that. Company of One is a refreshingly new approach centered on staying small and avoiding growth. Not as a freelancer who only gets paid on a per piece basis, and not as an entrepreneurial start-up that…
I used to hate lifestyle businesses, looking down my nose at them, saying (as many others do!) that they weren’t realbusinesses. After a “lightbulb moment,” I now proudly describe myself as an ambitious lifestyle business owner – someone who designs their business around their lifestyle, rather than the other way around. Work to live, not live to work! As well as Big Ideas... for Small Businesses, a bestselling book about how to build a lifestyle business, I also host the Ambitious Lifestyle Business podcast, where I interview other lifestyle business owners, discovering how what an ambitious, lifestyle business looks like for them.
If you need a kick up the arse to go and make a dent in the universe, then Life in Half a Second is the book for you. I often listen to the audiobook version of the first chapter to fire me up, and stop me from wasting my life.
Michalewicz's point is simple: the planet is 4.5 billion years old. Humans appeared 200,000 years ago. Most of us live 80 years, and have already wasted half that time. That time is all we have – and if the lifetime of Earth was condensed to a calendar year, then your entire life would flash by in less than half of one second.
What if there was a proven path to success? A path supported by science and research? A path that led to your goals and aspirations in less time, with less risk? Would you take it? Truthful and hard hitting, Life in Half a Second is the first "fact-based" formula for achieving success in life and business. Proven through thousands of studies and decades of research, it presents the five doors you must walk through to achieve success in your career, business, or personal life. Gimmicks, mind tricks, fairy tales, and wishful thinking NOT INCLUDED. Just facts.
I have never picked a peck of pickles, but I have been a crossing guard, pet-sitter, and professional gift-wrapper. I’ve worked in department stores, banks, libraries, colleges, and even a middle school cafeteria. Every job has taught me about the value of hard work, allowed me to pursue a passion, and inspired me to connect with all kinds of people. My current job - picture book author - is my favorite! I write to empower and inspire readers with new ideas and encourage them, like my characters, to succeed by maintaining a positive attitude and a growth mindset!
Birdie really wants a special soccer ball, the XR1000 Super Extreme. She starts selling dirt at 25 cents per bag, and soon has plenty of customers. While she does earn enough to buy the ball, she inadvertently creates a big problem. She has no yard left for playing soccer! What can she sell next in order to buy new soil for her lawn? This determined, creative soccer star’s story will inspire readers to persevere and amend for any oversights in their entrepreneurial ventures.
A young entrepreneur sets out to earn some money and discovers the value of a dollar (and of dirt)! Perfect for fans of Lemonade in Winter, The Most Magnificent Thing, and Rosie Revere, Engineer.
Birdie doesn't know much about money. All she knows is that she wants a new soccer ball that costs $24.95. The fastest way to that $24.95 is going into sales, but what to sell?
All her belongings? Not much of a market for those.
Birdie needs something that she has in abundance and that everyone needs. So when she sees everyone in her neighborhood working on…
After I successfully systemised myself out of my digital agency and brought in a CEO to run it, I became a systems devotee… I founded systemHUB and launched a movement called SYSTEMology to help business owners worldwide achieve freedom from daily operations and scale their business—like I did. My mission now involves supporting certified SYSTEMologists who assist business owners with SYSTEMology implementation, conducting workshops, delivering keynote addresses, hosting the Business Processes Simplified podcast, and nurturing the growing community of SYSTEMologists.
I highly recommend The Ultimate Sales Machine for business owners or entrepreneurs looking to simplify their business processes and get their sales game on point.
This book offers practical and universally applicable advice on organisational alignment, time management, and standardisation to increase efficiency and improve sales. What stuck with me was the importance of focusing on the fundamentals that drive thriving sales rather than trying to do too many things at once.
Chet Holmes' material is out-of-the-park great, offering sound and simple business advice to grow your business stronger than ever. Reading this book changed the way I approach sales and marketing, and I reckon anyone who’s keen on business greatness should give it a read.
The bestselling business playbook for turbocharging any organization, updated for modern audiences with new and never-before-seen material
Every single day 3,076 businesses shut their doors. But what if you could create the finest, most profitable and best-run version of your business without wasting precious dollars on a thousand different strategies? When The Ultimate Sales Machine first published in 2007, legendary sales expert Chet Holmes gave us the key to do just that. All you need is to focus on twelve key areas of improvement—and practice them over and over with pigheaded discipline.
