Last month’s read was The Productivity Project and I absolutely loved it. After reading Atomic Habits (twice), this book complimented a lot of the concepts and tips I learned in AH. The author Chris Bailey is really passionate about productivity and his enthusiasm for it really rubs off on you through the pages.
Chris was fortunate enough to take a year off after college to dive deep into his research of productivity. He started a site – A Year of Productivity – where he applies various techniques of productivity to his life and work day, sharing what works and what doesn’t. This book is a result of the best techniques he found throughout the year.
The book does a great job of sharing ideas in a conversational way which makes it an easy read. I also really enjoy how the end of each chapter presents the reader a challenge to implement what was just shared in the chapter. (Chris breaks down how much time and energy is required to complete the challenge, in addition to value it adds and how fun it is. He sets clear expectations.)
If you’re someone who loves being productive or needs some tips on how to be more productive, this book is for you. I found myself highlighting and underlining so many notes. Today, I’ll be sharing my 10 favorite takeaways from The Productivity Project. Definitely a book to add to your reading list.
“…productivity has nothing to do with how much you do, and everything to do with how much you accomplish.” (page 12-13)
“Productivity isn’t about doing more things — it’s about doing the right things.” (page 32)
“The dread of doing a task uses up more time and energy than doing the task itself.” (page 66)
“The best time of day by far to work on your highest-impact tasks is during your Biological Prime Time…during your BPT, you bring at least double the energy and focus to whatever you’re working on.” (page 102)
“…on Maintenance Days, I completely review and empty all my inboxes that accumulate items over the course of a week. I also make sure to clear out the ideas and tasks I accumulated over the weekend in my Notes app.” (page 155)
“To this day, if I don’t carve out at least thirty minutes of attentional space every day for my mind to wander, my productivity suffers.” (page 170)
“Smaller changes are also far less intimidating, which makes them more likely to stick.” (page 158)
“The most productive people are the ones who work deliberately…” (page 211)
“As far as productivity is concerned, habits are insanely powerful.” (page 236)
“Investing in your productivity is a worthwhile goal, but life is too short to not be kind to yourself in the process.” (page 255)
This is such a great read because it will encourage you to apply what you have learned immediately. That’s why it made such a big difference to me. I personally feel like this book is the perfect read after Atomic Habits. If you were considering reading both, I say go with Atomic Habits first and then this. You’ll get so much more from it. (Plus, he references Atomic Habits in the book.)
The Productivity Project is an easy – and yes, productive – read that gives you actionable tips that can be applied immediately. That’s exactly why I loved it.
