By John Mundati, Special Contributor
Photos By Chase Harrison
If you are anything like me, you are always looking for ways to increase your efficiency. How much do you do in a day? Is it possible to do in 3 days what you do in a week? What are you doing wrong that is eating into the time you have to do more important things?
These are the questions you should be asking yourself if you are looking to improve your productivity. However, it’s often a herculean task to do so without a guide. Besides, why struggle to answer those questions when there are numerous people who have done it for you?
In this post, we are going to look at some of the best productivity books and podcasts out there today.
Melissa’s Favorite: Atomic Habits
Why does Melissa love this one in particular?
In this productivity book, James Clear shows you how to change your habits by forming good ones and breaking the bad ones. He also teaches you how to master tiny behavioral changes that add up to incredible results.
According to James, the reason you struggle to change your bad behaviors is that your system of doing so is wrong. Atomic Habits helps you align your goals with a proven framework to improve your everyday life. Just like athletes have coaches, James’ expertise with habit formation shines through in this book.
Best Overall: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Balancing your personal and professional life is crucial to effectiveness and productivity. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People uses everyday anecdotes that will resonate with family life and business challenges alike.
The gem in the book is the 7 practical habits that are easily actionable and are common among the most productive individuals. Stephen Covey advises that before you implement any of the habits, it is imperative that you first change your perception and interpretation of how the world works.
The Paradigm Shifter: Procrastinate on Purpose
Okay, I know what you are thinking. You are looking for productivity – essentially, running from procrastination – why then does this feature as a productivity book? Well, Rory Vaden’s end game in this book is the same as the rest – to increase your productivity.
However, Rory takes a totally different approach and utterly flips the idea of procrastination as bad. In this book, the argument is that you only have a limited number of hours in a day. So, rather than try to do everything within that time, it’s okay to simplify your life by eliminating the less important tasks.
In essence, this book is less about controlling your time and more about prioritizing your life.
The Classic: The 4-Hour Work Week
While this is a fan favorite with a cult-like following, some advice that Tim Ferriss serves up is a bit unrealistic. Going from $40,000/year to $40,000/month is not as easy as he makes it sound, and so should be taken with a grain of salt.
Also, working 4 hours a week? What would you be doing for the rest of the time? Still, there is a reason this book has been a New York Times bestseller. Regardless of your profession or age, the book is jam-packed with solid tips that will help you boost your productivity so you can work less for more.
The Podcasts
Sometimes you just don’t have the time to sit and read a book. The next best thing is a podcast, which you can listen to in all kinds of situations.
The Productive Woman Podcast
This podcast is mainly targeted towards busy women looking to increase their productivity. However, host Laura McClellan says her goal is to “Help people manage their time, life, stress and stuff so they can accomplish the things they care about most to make a life that matters.”
As a book fan, she also recommends numerous books that will make your life easier.
Getting Things Done
David Allen’s productivity podcast goes by the same title as his highly acclaimed productivity book. Building on the same system (the GTD system, as known by his disciples) introduced by the book, this podcast focuses on time management and how that affects productivity.
According to David’s teachings in the podcast and his book, “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.” Thus, he focuses on how to organize your ideas so your mind is free to accomplish other tasks.
The 5 AM Miracle
I have been an avid listener of this podcast and I can attest to the effectiveness of the system that Jeff Sanders has perfected. Ever since I started following it, I always feel more accomplished by the end of the day, having done more by waking up earlier than anyone else and feeling refreshed all day.
Jeff Sanders’ goal is to “Help you bounce out of bed with enthusiasm, create powerful lifelong habits, and tackle your grandest goals with extraordinary energy.” His topics range from early mornings, productivity, personal development, and healthy habits.
Final Thoughts
Depending on your preference and the time you have, each of the recommendations above is a great resource for boosting productivity. Some of the authors above also run podcasts covering the same theme. Hopefully, this post helps you chart your course toward a more productive lifestyle.
