BEST BOOKS ON PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME MANAGEMENT
Learning how to manage your time, be more productive and effective are helpful ways of simplifying your life. Here are some suggestions for books on productivity and time management which you could try for more information and inspiration.
***I may get paid commission for purchases made after clicking a link in this post but there is no extra cost to you. Read my Disclosure Policy.***
BOOKS ON PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME MANAGEMENT
On this site I try to share as much information as possible about simplifying life and creating more time for what truly matters and is important to you. Productivity tips are at the core of this because they help you manage your time, be both efficient and effective and stop you wasting time on things that don’t add value to your life in some way.
In this article I’m sharing some popular, tried and tested books to increase productivity, whether that’s in your workplace or in your home. I think it’s helpful to get different perspectives, do some broader research and learning plus benefit from the wisdom from others. That’s why I love reading as well as writing!
It’s easy to be busy but are we busy doing the right things or just busy for the sake of being busy? The books on this list will help you work that out, alongside my own posts and website I hope!
I have either read the books or have them on my reading list but they’re all popular books on making more time for what matters.
I’ll keep adding to this list if I come across any new books which I think might be helpful to you! As always, if you have any suggestions or recommendations for books that aren’t on this list, please drop me an email at hello@balancethroughsimplicity.com.
DON’T BOOKS JUST ADD CLUTTER?
Just a little word on books and clutter… Whilst books can add clutter, I think there’s more to it. If you don’t read the books, have never read them or don’t think you’ll ever get around to reading them, then they probably are just adding clutter to your home and life. If, however, you refer to them often and enjoy having them near you as old friends full of inspiration and wisdom, then maybe you’d like to keep and add them to your library. They have value, purpose and meaning.
If you prefer, many books are available on Kindle or as audiobooks so you don’t need to purchase a physical copy. You could even road-test the book as an audiobook to see whether it appeals enough to buy the actual book. I have a subscription to Audible and listen to many books whilst on the go doing other things!
Some people love picking up a book, turning the pages and reading in the traditional sense. Others prefer a digital or audio format. You might even prefer to borrow the book from the library to see what it’s like.
These book suggestions are there to enhance your life and learning, so feel free to use them in whatever way works for you!
BOOKS ON HOW TO BOOST PRODUCTIVITY AND MANAGE YOUR TIME BETTER
Here are some suggested books on time management and productivity. I’ve included links to each of the books so you can find them easily on Amazon. I am an Amazon affiliate which means that I get paid a small commission if you go on to purchase anything from Amazon, but there is absolutely no extra cost to you. Happy reading and being productive!
Eat That Frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy
It’s time to stop procrastinating and get more of the important things done! After all, successful people don’t try to do everything. They focus on their most important tasks and get those done. They eat their frogs. There’s an old saying that if the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’re done with the worst thing you’ll have to do all day. For Tracy, eating a frog is a metaphor for tackling your most challenging task, but also the one that can have the greatest positive impact on your life.
I mention this book in my post on 25 ideas for a simple morning routine. One of the things you could do in the mornings is to tackle your biggest frog. Getting your biggest, most important or most urgent task out of the way first thing in your day can ease the pressure and be a weight off your mind.
The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less by Richard Koch
Based on the counter-intuitive but widespread fact that 80% of results flow from 20% of causes, The 80/20 Principle shows how you can achieve much more with much less effort, time and resources, simply by concentrating on the all-important 20%.
I mention this principle in my round-up of 20 best time management tips. It’s a good article to start with if you struggle with managing your time and getting stuff done.
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller
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 pay cheques, fewer promotions and lots of stress. 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. In The One Thing, you’ll learn to cut through the clutter, achieve better results in less time, build momentum toward your goal, dial down the stress, overcome that overwhelmed feeling, revive your energy, stay on track and master what matters to you.
The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
The 7 habits have become famous and are integrated into everyday thinking by millions and millions of people. Why? Because they work! Based on 7 habits including Habit 1: Be Proactive, Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind, Habit 3: Put First Things First, Habit 4: Think Win/Win, Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood, Habit 6: Synergise, Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw. This classic productivity book has a person-centred approach for solving both personal and professional problems. The author reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity – principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.
Add to your reading list: The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
I talk about creating habits many times on my blog, whether that’s habits for your self-care, your home and your daily life.
Transform your life with tiny changes in behaviour, starting now. People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big.
But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions: doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.
He calls them atomic habits. In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes.
Add to your reading list: Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
With the countless distractions that come from every corner of a modern life, it’s amazing that we’re ever able to accomplish anything. The Power of Less demonstrates how to streamline your life by identifying the essential and eliminating the unnecessary, freeing you from everyday clutter and allowing you to focus on accomplishing the goals that can change your life for the better. The Power of Less will show you how to: Break any goal down into manageable tasks, focus on only a few tasks at a time, create new and productive habits, hone your focus and increase your efficiency.
Add to your reading list: The Power of Less by Leo Babauta
How to Be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott
In the age of information overload, traditional time management techniques simply don’t cut it when it comes to overflowing inboxes, ever-expanding to-do lists and endless, pointless meetings. Thankfully there is a better way: The Way of the Productivity Ninja. Using techniques including Ruthlessness, Mindfulness, Zen-like Calm and Stealth & Camouflage you will get your inbox down to zero, make the most of your attention, beat procrastination and learn to work smarter, not harder. Written by one of the UK’s foremost productivity experts, How to be a Productivity Ninja is a fun, accessible and practical guide to staying cool, calm and collected, getting more done, and learning to love your work again.
Add to your reading list: How to Be a Productivity Ninja by Graham Allcott
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
Why can some people and companies change overnight, and some stay stuck in their old ruts? The answer lies deep in the human brain, and The Power of Habits reveals the secret pressure points that can change a life. From Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps to Martin Luther King Jr., from the CEO of Starbucks to the locker rooms of the NFL, Duhigg explores the incredible results of keystone habits, and how they can make all the difference between billions and millions, failure and success – or even life and death. The Power of Habit makes an exhilarating case: the key to almost any door in life is instilling the right habit. From exercise to weight loss, childrearing to productivity, market disruption to social revolution, and above all success, the right habits can change everything. Habits aren’t destiny. They’re science, one which can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.
Add to your reading list: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
How to enrich your life and destroy doubt in 5 seconds. Throughout your life, you’ve had parents, coaches, teachers, friends and mentors who have pushed you to be better than your excuses and bigger than your fears. What if the secret to having the confidence and courage to enrich your life and work is simply knowing “how” to push yourself? Using the science of habits, riveting stories and surprising facts from some of the most famous moments in history, art and business, Mel Robbins will explain the power of a push moment. Then, she’ll give you one simple tool you can use to become your greatest self. It takes just five seconds to use this tool, and every time you do, you’ll be in great company.
Add to your reading list: The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity. Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness.
I personally love his approach to creating an effective morning routine that incorporates time for reflection, learning and movement. If I tick these things off my list first thing in the morning then this sets me up for a better day ahead!
Add to your reading list: The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma
The Procrastination Cure: 21 Proven Tactics For Conquering Your Inner Procrastinator, Mastering Your Time, And Boosting Your Productivity! by Damon Zahariades
Do you regularly procrastinate? Do you often struggle to get started on important projects? Do you allow tasks to pile up until they make you feel stressed and overwhelmed? In this book you’ll receive more than 21 proven tactics for conquering your impulse to procrastinate. You’ll also learn the reasons you procrastinate, along with actionable advice on how to nip them in the bud.
Add to your reading list: The Procrastination Cure by Damon Zahariades
Getting Things Done by David Allen
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, organisational tools, seminars, and offshoots. It’s all about getting things done and being productive, the stress-free way!
Add to your reading list: Getting Things Done by David Allen
Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive by Charles Duhigg
Drawing on the very latest findings in neuroscience, psychology and behavioural economics, he demonstrates the eight simple principles that govern productivity. He demonstrates how the most dynamic and effective people – from CEOs to film-makers to software entrepreneurs – deploy them. And he shows how you can, too.
Add to your reading list: Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive by Charles Duhigg
OTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR BOOKS ON PRODUCTIVITY AND TIME MANAGEMENT?
If you have any suggestions or you’d like to share your own best books on productivity and time management to add to this list, I’d love to hear from you! Please email me at hello@balancethroughsimplicity.com.
LISTEN ON AUDIBLE
I love listening to audio books that are motivating, uplifting and encouraging. The added bonus is that I can be listening and learning whilst getting on with something else! I have an Audible subscription and you can use the link below to get your own Audible subscription and get one free audiobook too! Click here to learn more about Audible and try it out for yourself.
RESOURCES FOR TIME MANAGEMENT AND INTENTIONAL LIVING
Time management isn’t just for the workplace. An intentional life requires us to be mindful of what we do and how we do it. It’s about what’s adding value to our lives and removing what doesn’t. That doesn’t just apply to clutter in our homes but clutter in our schedules, being too busy and finding ways to slow down.
Here are some resources on intentional time management and productivity which you might find helpful:
- 15 ways to be more productive – How to get things done and carve out more time for you
- Time management tips to simplify your life
- How to get up earlier – If you’d like to establish a morning routine but you’re not a morning person!
- Minimalism and time management – How the minimalist lifestyle can improve your productivity
- 20 things that waste time during the day – The first step to being intentional with our time is knowing when we’re wasting it
- How to be less busy
- Maximise Your Time – my popular little time management course with intentional living at it’s heart. Practical steps to getting things done, being more organised and productive and finding more time for you!
DON’T MISS OUT!
Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to make sure you never miss an article! Join the free Facebook Group or sign up to Balance Through Simplicity and receive my free Declutter Guide and get simplicity tips to your inbox each week. Unsubscribe easily at any time.