Top 10 Productivity Books to Read

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School – John Medina

Ever wanted to know how your brain works when approaching specific tasks? Dr John Medina, a molecular biologist, explains the hidden facts on optimizing brain activity and performance. Each chapter identifies a new rule that the brain follows when it learns new material; he even explores other topics such as the effects of stress and sleep on the brain and the differences with how men and women learn new information. Along with these studies, the book also offers ways to implement optimal brain habits that can result in greater productivity and daily satisfaction.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – Carol Dweck

As a world-famous Stanford University psychologist, Carol S. Dweck, PhD, introduces her argument to why one's mindset can be the determining factor to achieving one's goals. She explains that people who possess a "fixed mindset" and believe that they can't improve on a talent, skill, or ability will be less likely to reach their desired goal. However, if one were to have a "growth mindset" and believe that they can improve, they may be surprised by what they could accomplish. She also emphasizes that this idea must be developed in kids early on by parents, teachers, and coaches to teach them how to pursue their goals healthily.

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Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience – Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

From her world-renowned investigations as a psychologist, Csikszentmihalyi explores the state of mind know as flow—when the brain gets so absorbed in an activity that it tunes everything out. While this is usually felt during moments of channeling creativity or profound enjoyment, you can control these moments' sensation by reorganizing how we take in information while we are conscious. Through accessing our flow, we can unlock our greater potential in everything from work to meaningful creative activities.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing – Marie Kondo

Self-help guru and TV personality Marie Kondo has become a celebrity from her life-changing methods of organization and decluttering even the messiest of living spaces. Her book will bring you joy as she breaks down how to categorize items based on their significance and create positive energy for your home. Many prominent sources have referred to her methods as influential and revolutionary since they have proven to be effective in even the untidiest of homes and have maintained long-lasting results.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business – Charles Duhigg

In this bestseller, award-winning reporter Charles Duhigg explores the nature of habits, how they form, and how we can change them to improve our work ethic. He argues that if anyone wants to get any closer to accomplishing a certain goal, they must understand how habits function during our work. Many of his lessons are presented in entertaining and memorable real-life stories that act as examples for his observations on human behavior. Through this unique approach, he also asks you to look inward at your own habits and the potential to manipulate your brain for the better.

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The Productive Person Action Guide – James Roper and Chandler Bolt

This book is primarily aimed at individuals with their own self-made schedules that they must strictly follow, such as students. It states that they need to complete work through a system of prioritization and consistency for one to have time for more enjoyable activities. Many educators and self-employed entrepreneurs have found this book helpful in how it offers a step-by-step guide toward creating an action plan, along with examples of schedules that could apply to your typical weekday. The Action Guide was written by two entrepreneurs who coached students for years in the world of business.

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time – Brian Tracy

The book is named after the saying that eating a live frog should be the first thing one does in the morning; then they will continue their day having completed their worst task of the day. Brian Tracy realigns this metaphor with completing the most challenging task of the day to increase the positivity in one's life. It focuses on organizing tasks daily every week to get jobs done on time while also identifying determination, decision, and discipline as the defining factors to effective time management and productivity.

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The War of Art: Breaking Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles –Steven Pressfield

From bestselling author Steven Pressfield, this text is all about approaching and overcoming obstacles to your creative ambition. He lays out his lessons by first stating that it all starts with creating discipline for oneself to combat the "resistance" inside that prevents us from realizing our true potential. He says that our greatest foe is our internal foe that acts as a naysayer to all of our dreams and pursuits and how one must tune it out through vigorous work ethic and steadfast determination.

The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph – Ryan Holiday

Inspired by the classic Greek philosophy of stoicism, Ryan Holiday explains that the best tactic and mindset to achieving your goals is to remain unaffected by any instance of adversity. If one can learn to control how they are affected by pain and hardship, they will put themselves in a different mentality that will uplift them rather than keep them in victimhood. Instead of seeing a problem as a demoralizing situation, it should be viewed as an obstacle that can assist one to grow into a stronger person once it is overcome.

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10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life Management – Hyrum W. Smith

As the Franklin Day Planner creator, Hyrum W. Smith wrote this book for anyone struggling to fit everything into their overloaded schedule while finding time to work. To combat the so-called "time famine," Smith explains his Franklin system method as something to apply to all aspects of daily life, from an individual routine to strategizing for businesses. Since its initial release in 1995, the book has benefited millions of people as a bestseller and remains a definitive productivity guide.