200 Self-Development Books in One Article
Here is what I have learned by reading hundreds of books on self-development and productivity.
I am a well-known influencer in Russia in the productivity and self-development sector. I have helped hundreds of people to improve their planning skills, performance, and get more satisfaction. During my lifetime, I have read several hundred books on productivity, and I decided to summarize them in one short article. Nevertheless, as an expert, I still read new self-development books and often find at least a couple of useful thoughts even in books that are boring and uninteresting at first glance.
Here is the summary of hundreds of books on productivity.
Form habits
Our life consists of habits. They simplify life and make it more structured.
Reading 15 minutes a day, you can read 90 hours a year, and these are dozens of books. The same thing with other skills like meditation, planning, etc.
Implement one habit at a time (It’s harder to form a few habits at once, and the risk that you quit is higher). Use a habits tracker to analyze their effectiveness.
Do not blame yourself for not being able to form a habit. It’s not always possible to implement everything the first time. This is normal. Just keep moving in the right direction.
Reduce time for something that does not help you grow and does not bring pleasure
Such tasks usually take time, and more importantly, a lot of energy. If you do not like to clean up at home or fill out spreadsheets but are doing it now, then it takes a lot of energy. Try to find an opportunity to get rid of this or delegate.
For example, I found a cleaner, and it brings me great pleasure (I save a lot of time and energy, the cleaner cleans up much better than me, and I spend my time usefully). Even if it is expensive for you, try it anyway. In the long run, it will help you a lot.
Plan your day and take stock
Without planning, you spend a day unproductively. It’s hard to keep track of what you want to accomplish and what you have done. It’s better to plan a day in the evening, so it’s more comfortable in the morning to start planned tasks. Plan challenging tasks in the morning when no one is distracting you. Summarize the day in the evening and write out what you can improve.
Be grateful
Write out a few items for which you are grateful for the day. Or you can do it in the morning during a meditation session. Think about what you are grateful for. This switches the brain to a different state. Fear and anxiety decrease, and you feel happier. Plus, it helps to focus on the positive aspects of work.
Work on mindfulness
It makes no sense to work hard if you do not feel conscious. Awareness and the skill of being in the present are important things. We spend most of our time in memories or thoughts of the future, and often do not notice the present. Daily meditations work great to increase awareness.
Even better is if you find a few moments in the day when you can stay in the present for at least a minute. This helps to better focus on tasks and enjoy the process.
Happiness is one of the most crucial things
Often we focus on tasks, money, projects, goals, but we think little about happiness. Focusing on happiness and doing what makes your happier changes everything. In the end, we all want to feel happy. So why not to start with a feeling of happiness, and then continue to grow with this feeling inside?
Pomodoro technique is the most powerful productivity technique
Perhaps the central method is the Pomodoro timer. There are a lot of articles on the Internet and a bunch of books about this.
In short, you split your tasks into intervals. Then you estimate how many minutes the task took, or why there are differences. For example, you need to write an article on Medium, and it will take two intervals (1 interval = 25 minutes). Then you estimate how many intervals the task took or why there are differences. Between the intervals, there is a rest of 5 minutes. There are long breaks of 15 minutes each.
Everyone has different tasks, and everyone adjusts intervals for themselves. Some people may work 15 minutes without a break, others may work 50.
Do important things in the morning
Find 90 minutes in the morning to do the most necessary tasks. After that, you will feel that you have done the most crucial goals of the day, and it will be easier to move forward. Moreover, it is easier to focus on important but not urgent tasks in the morning, for which you do not have enough strength or energy later.
Sleep well and with good quality
Sleep is essential. Sleep at least 7 hours a day. Ventilate the room before going to bed. Use blackout curtains. Stop using electronic devices an hour before bedtime. Use quality pillows and a mattress. In the morning, drink a glass of water, do exercises. It is best to go to bed and get up at the same time.
Do not overwork
Often people work too much until they become burned out, and then they rest for several months and try to recover. It is better to work in a balanced manner at the same level than to reach burnout. Try to limit working hours, work more efficiently in less time, and rest and recover regularly.
That’s all of the main recommendations. In this article, I have saved you hundreds if not thousands of hours of reading books on productivity and self-development. Perhaps I forgot something, so if you have any points to add, leave a comment and suggest your ideas!
