Whether we want to improve our performance at work, pursue a passion project, or carve out more time to spend with loved ones, productivity is important for achieving our personal and professional goals.
However, there’s no single way to become more efficient with our time and energy – and there are plenty of books out there offering advice on everything from building better habits to breaking down creative barriers.
With this in mind, we’ve pulled together 12 books to read if you’re interested in boosting your productivity.
1. Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World – Cal Newport
In his book Deep Work, Cal Newport writes, “If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive – no matter how skilled or talented you are.” But in a world full of distractions – from noisy offices to constantly pinging smartphones – it can be tricky to stay on task, whether at work or in our personal lives.
Newport’s solution to this challenge is to foster our ability to get stuck into ‘deep work’. Coined by the author, it means “focusing without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks”.
In this book, Newport talks about why it’s so challenging to focus in the modern world but also offers actionable advice on how to devote our attention to what matters most.
2. Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones – James Clear
Each January, many of us look to change our habits for the better – whether it’s exercising five days a week or giving up social media. Yet, even if we start well, it’s easy to fall back into old habits after a few weeks or months.
However, habit expert James Clear argues that these big changes don’t make as much difference as the compound effect of many small habits. In his best-selling book, Clear shows how we can harness the power of ‘atomic habits’ to improve our lives and boost productivity – as well as explaining the scientific research behind them.
Described by the Financial Times as “a step-by-step manual for changing routines”, many readers have praised Atomic Habits for its easy-to-understand tone and clear, practical advice.
3. The Crazy Busy Cure – Zena Everett
Are you constantly busy? Do you regularly find yourself overwhelmed at work? Would you like to get better at saying no and setting time aside for your priorities? If so, The Crazy Busy Cure is a must-read.
Author and leadership coach Zena Everett’s award-winning book explores why we allow so much busyness into our lives. It also offers practical productivity strategies, including workbook-style exercises. As one Amazon reviewer writes, “It’s engaging, well researched and shows exactly how people can carve out actual time for the things that actually matter.”
Zena Everett’s accessible and even humorous style makes The Crazy Busy Cure entertaining and informative. Released in 2022, it also takes into account the pressures of a post-pandemic professional life.
4. Do Breathe: Calm Your Mind. Find Focus. Get Stuff Done. – Michael Townsend Williams
From cultivating healthy habits to learning how to deal with distractions, there are many ways to become more productive. However, in this book, Michael Townsend Williams argues that the key lies in something rather unexpected: our breathing.
As a former advertising professional turned breathwork and meditation teacher, Williams believes in the concept of ‘welldoing’. This essentially means getting things done without sacrificing our wellbeing. In his book Do Breathe, he champions a mix of breathing techniques, mindfulness, and a tried and tested productivity system.
As one Amazon reviewer writes, Do Breathe is “simply incredible, if you want to change your life for the better and have control of your life in [these] fast paced times, then this is the book to buy without any hesitation.” It’s perfect for those interested in sparking productivity while looking after their mental health.
5. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change – Stephen R. Covey
Head into any bookshop nowadays, and you’ll find endless ‘business self-help books’ aiming to help you reach your professional goals. And many argue that the book that started it all was The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.
Published in 1989 and now regarded as a classic, 7 Habits has inspired many successful people, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and our very own CEO Stuart Lewis, who describes it as “enormously influential”.
Covey’s book has been so well received because the emphasis isn‘t just on doing better at work but on developing qualities like integrity, empathy, and humility. And while it was published over 30 years ago, much of its wisdom still applies today.
6. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less – Greg McKeown
What if we stopped celebrating being busy as a measurement of importance?
Unfortunately, we live in a society where ‘more is better’, whether it’s money, friends, stuff, etc. And this attitude is just as present in our professional lives as in our personal ones, where people who are ‘the busiest’ are often viewed as better, more valuable workers.
However, as Greg McKeown outlines in his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, ‘busy’ is very different from ‘productive’. The most valuable workers are often the ones who use their time and attention wisely.
As the author writes, instead of thinking they must do it all, they pursue “the right thing, in the right way, at the right time”.
In this New York Times bestseller, McKeown introduces us to essentialism to help us take control of our time and energy – and channel it towards our most important goals.
7. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape The 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich – Timothy Ferriss
When author Timothy Ferriss was younger, he was a business owner who often spent too much time working. For example, as the New Yorker tells us, he once spent 10 hours a day working on holiday with his family in Florence – all for a company that wasn’t succeeding in the way he wanted.
Unhappy with his work/life balance, Ferriss made some dramatic changes – including scaling down his client list and working abroad where he could live more cheaply. He claims decisions like these boosted his income and dramatically reduced his time at work.
In The 4-hour Work Week, Ferriss tells readers how he did it. And while many of us won’t be able to achieve a four-day work week, let alone a four-hour one, Ferriss’ book contains some insightful tips and wisdom, which may help us achieve a more comfortable work/life balance.
8. The Multi-Hyphen Method – Emma Gannon
We all have passions we want to pursue, and some of these might not line up with our current careers – whether it’s publishing a book or starting a charity. However, we don’t necessarily need to wait until retirement to pursue our dreams.
In her Sunday Times bestselling book, blogger, social media editor, and podcast creator Emma Gannon challenges the old idea that a ‘jack of all trades is a master of none’. Instead, The Multi-Hyphen Method aims to show readers that honing a variety of skill sets (and balancing multiple careers) is one way to stay productive and get ahead in the modern world.
The Independent described The Multi-Hyphen Method as a “must-read for women who love what they do and don’t want to define themselves by one role”, while Richard Branson praised it as a “pleasure to read”.
9. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right – Atul Gawande
Atul Gawande is a productive person, to say the least. As well as being a staff writer for the New Yorker, he’s a Harvard professor and a practising surgeon. He also currently serves as Joe Biden’s Assistant Administrator for Global Health. And, in his 2009 book, Gawande outlines one of the secrets to his success: the checklist.
None of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes occasionally – though some mistakes can slow us down, make us less productive, and have more serious consequences. But, according to Gawande, one of the most effective ways to minimise errors, boost our productivity, and improve performance is to use checklists.
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right uses real-world examples to explain why checklists are important and how we can best use them to improve productivity.
10. Eat That Frog!: Get More Of The Important Things Done Today – Brian Tracy
Brian Tracy struggled to find the success he dreamed of as a young man. Unfortunately, he believed that others were doing better than him simply because they were naturally better. However, his life turned around when he started doing one simple thing: asking successful people what they did to be more productive.
This was a revelation to Tracy, and within three years of starting a sales job, he was made vice president of his company at the tender age of 25. It showed him that more ‘successful’ people aren’t that way because they’re better than others but because they do things differently.
In Eat That Frog!, Tracy distils some of the most important lessons he’s learned over the years – including the unconventional advice to ‘eat your frog’ first thing in the morning.
11. The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles – Steven Pressfield
There are many reasons why you might want to become more productive. Perhaps you’re trying to grow your business or free up more time to spend with your family. However, if you’re interested in achieving your creative goals, you might want to check out The War of Art.
Written by novelist and screenwriter Steven Pressfield, The War of Art aims to help you smash through mental blocks and unlock your creative potential – whether you’re a wannabe writer or aspiring artist. This book focuses less on the creative process itself and more on what stops us from sitting down in the first place.
Though it was originally written with writers in mind, The War of Art is a valuable read for all creatives – from screenwriters and sculptures to graphic designers and entrepreneurs.
12. Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It – Oliver Burkeman
Four thousand weeks. That’s how many the average person gets in their lifetime. And while we might look to productivity books for ways to make the most of this time, as Oliver Burkeman tells us, there’s no one solution to optimise our lives.
Described by The Guardian as striking the “perfect balance between self-help manual and philosophical odyssey”, Four Thousand Weeks takes a thoughtful look at the concept of time and how we might be able to use it meaningfully.
As well as practical time management solutions, Burkeman offers a variety of refreshing viewpoints that separate Four Thousand Weeks from other productivity books.
Final thoughts…
Many of us are interested in boosting our productivity. And while there are lots of books out there that promise solutions to problems like distraction and procrastination, it’s worth remembering that everyone is different and that none of these books are a fix-all.
However, we hope that you find some wisdom in these books and, at the very least, come away with a few tips and tricks for becoming more efficient with your time and energy.
For more reading ideas, check out our articles; 16 compelling autobiographies and 15 inspiring self-development books.
Have you read any of these books? Or are there any other productivity books you’d like to recommend? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.