The Productivity Experts and Books Whose Advice I Actually Followed
I’ve gone through a ton of productivity blogs, books, podcasts and videos.
And while most of it was good info, it often went one ear and out the other, leading to no tangible transformation in my routines and habits.
However, some of the resources clearly stood out. They resonated so much that I actually implemented the things they said I should.
Crazy, I know.
Here’s a list of the top experts and books on productivity I have come across so far — hopefully you will find at least one new resource to help you go from theory to practice in your personal development journey.
Matt D’Avella
Known mostly for his YouTube channel, Matt D’Avella is one of the guys who popularised minimalism as a movement. In fact, he produced a Netflix documentary called Minimalism.
Still, most of his content is focused on sharing his various life experiments — such as trying out different routines or sleep regimens. If you’re interested in this, I’d recommend his video on transformative habits.
Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is mostly known for his podcast and the book “4-Hour Work Week”.
His speciality, I’d say, is shortcuts in life that get you to achieve impressive results with minimal effort. For example, learning new skills super quickly or upgrading your fitness with the least exercise possible.
In case you haven’t come across his stuff, I’d recommend starting with the below video on using the DiSSS method to learn any skill faster:
Leo Babauta
Another proponent of minimalism, Leo Babauta is one of the earliest influencers in the productivity space.
His blog, zen habits, was one of the most popular resources of the 2010s, right up there with Lifehacker and the other folks on this list. Leo’s content revolves around simplicity, decluttering and reducing mental noise.
I find all the articles on zen habits pretty cool. But if I had to choose one to start, I’d go for The Art of Doing Nothing.
Thomas Frank
Starting with College Info Geek, Thomas focused on helping students organise, learn and exceed academically.
Over time, he produced videos for a broader audience of professionals and people who just want to improve their life and habits.
Now, it’s hard to find an uninteresting video on his channel. Really, just head over to Thomas Frank and make your pick.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Good productivity flows are often based on some form of the Getting Things Done (GTD) system.
Capture, Clarify, Organise, Engage, Review — these are the building blocks of GTD. Published in 2001, the book has a large following and, consequently, many modern apps allow for the implementation of GTD and actively support it through their feature set.
For a quick introduction, you can check out this article or explore some of the reviews on Amazon.
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
That’s one of the most recommended personal development books for a reason.
It’s a condensed version of the world’s wisdom on living a good life up until the early 20th century. A point at which, according to the author, personal development literature makes a turn towards outward changes instead of internal growth as a human being.
Many people, myself included, credit the book for enabling a positive shift in their mindset and life. For me, it’s the best entry point to the world of personal development.
If you haven’t come across this book yet, I’d recommend checking it out on Amazon.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
After the 7 Habits, you have The Power of Habit, Mini Habits, Tiny Habits and, well, Atomic Habits.
Is there really so much to habits? Turns out there is.
And James Clear does a great job of summarising it all. Atomic Habits is, in my view, the best overview of the art and science of habit creation. While it doesn’t suggest any groundbreaking ideas, it combines what we know about habits so far in a structured and easily digestible read.
It’s been the top seller on Amazon for a few years now so go and check it out if you haven’t already.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Do you have dreams and big goals that, for some reason, you never seem to pursue fully?
The War of Art introduces the concept of Resistance — an invisible force that keeps us from doing what we know, deep in our hearts, we should be doing. Whether it’s getting in shape, writing a novel, starting a business or a new career.
The book tends to show up at the right time and place for people — and I hope that for some of you reading, this is it. If you feel like you don’t follow through with your real goals and dreams, it might be time to meet Resistance and learn how to overcome it.
Check out the book here.
Deep Work by Cal Newport
If the concept of time-blocking resonates with you, this book will too.
Deep work, as I see it, is anything that directly contributes to your goals in life or work AND requires a concentrated effort for a prolonged period of time (often blocks of 1.5–3 hours).
Whether it’s creating that report, preparing a big presentation or writing a book chapter, the crucial work that moves the needle for most people takes a dedicated stretch of uninterrupted time.
The issue is that Shallow work — short, unfocused bursts of ticking seemingly urgent tasks off our to-do list — is often prioritised and so it eats into our time and willpower to do deep work.
The book calls for a reevaluation of the way we work and prioritising those long stretches of important contribution.
Deep Work is available here.
The ONE Thing by Gary Keller
Another tribute for focus, this book prescribes a very simple question to help navigate your life:
What’s the One Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?
By making a habit of asking this focusing question whenever you plan or execute your work, it becomes easier to filter out the noise and see what’s truly important.
And that’s just one of many insights in The ONE Thing. Learn more about it here.
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Ever felt like you lost track of time while being immersed in an activity?
Whether it is playing a particular sport, learning about a new subject or giving a talk in front of an audience, there are certain activities in life that require our full, undivided attention.
In Flow, the author calls for recognising and creating more of these moments in an effort to improve happiness and productivity.
As a leading psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi found that entering these “Flow states” contributes immensely to our performance and well-being.
These moments often lie at the edge of our abilities, when the challenge in front stretches us just enough to exit our comfort zone, but not go well beyond it (which may trigger a state of anxiety and unmanageable stress).
In contrast to anecdotal evidence typically presented in personal development literature, Flow is based on research and facts. If you want to learn how to create more flow in your life, check out the book.
Final thoughts
I find myself often ending these Medium articles on a similar note:
Get off yer butt and do stuff.
Even if it’s one, tiny step from a project that looms over your head like a dark cloud, do it now.
Ultimately, that’s what productivity is all about. Achieve peace of mind by doing what needs to get done.
As for the books and resources above — just a make a note of what you liked and check it out when the time is right. That is:
- When you can dedicate a stretch of Deep Work to reading.
- When learning is the answer to the focusing question from The ONE Thing.
- Or when you’d like to experience a new state of Flow.
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