New year, new you? Or new year, same but improved you? I go back and forth on how I feel about New Year’s resolutions, but one thing I am definitely wanting to achieve this year is reading even more than I did in 2021. And not just any books, either, but informative, intentional, inspirational books that encourage me to get and stay productive in all aspects of life! A lot of these are old favorites of mine, and some are ones I just picked up! I purposely chose 12 books, so you could read one a month. I also included the books I use daily. So let’s get into it – here are the best productivity books.
The Best Productivity Books
Atomic Habits
Habits are hard, whether you’re trying to form new ones or break old ones. The problem is rarely you; it’s your system and how it’s wired. Atomic Habits claims to reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits! This book really changed my life – I’ve read it twice now!
Miracle Morning Millionaire
This book was recommended to me months ago by a very successful friend. He has stuck with everything in this book for over a year, so I knew I needed to try it. Happy to announce that so far, so good! There were plenty of interesting tidbits to take away from this book. This book is the one that stuck with me the most from last year. And now that Kenlee is sleeping a little bit better, I can’t wait to implement my findings again!
Think Again
We’re always being taught to practice what we know, but what if what we know isn’t exactly right? This book challenges the reader to rethink and unlearn ideas that have been instilled in us since forever. It teaches you to not see disagreement as a threat, but as a conversation. To work to surround ourselves with individuals who may not share the exact thoughts that we do. So interesting! It’s on the top of the charts and I can’t wait to get into this one!
Indistractible
It feels basically impossible to stay on task anymore. Our phones are going off, our watches are going off, our kids are needing us from the other room, we get unexpected emails when we’re in the middle of something. This book provides practical, novel techniques to control your time and attention. I read this in 2019 and love going back to it when I’m feeling unfocused or unproductive.
Deep Work
This book works as a 4-step model:
- Work Deeply
- Embrace Boredom
- Quit Social Media
- Drain the Shallows
Think you can do it? I kept hearing Lauryn Evarts talk about this book on her podcast, and I am so excited to read it!
Rich Dad Poor Dad
I remember my dad making me read this in high school, but I didn’t absorb any of it because I didn’t get it at the time; I was way too young! But the time has come and one of my biggest goals next year is to be better with money, so I figured this was a great place to start. One of my goals for 2022 is to be better about money, and this definitely helped lay a good foundation for my goals.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone
This biography is stellar. The story is about a therapist, her own therapist, and all the intertwined lives of it all. Super insightful thought-provoking! I loved her episode on Chelsea Handler’s podcast and ordered this book right when I was done listening!
Unwinding Anxiety
The best two years have been incredibly triggering for those who suffer from anxiety, to say the least. This book teaches the reader how anxiety exists in the part of the brain that resists rational thought, and how to be best equipped to combat that and ultimately feel better.
Mindfulness Solution
This book was a recommendation from my therapist. Her instructions were to read it slowly, so that’s what I did. I found it super helpful and was grateful that it offered a ton of great resources and exercises that I’ve been working on. If you’re someone who suffers from anxiety, definitely check this one out.
Set Boundaries Find Peace
Achieving healthy boundaries can feel impossible, but this book exists to help guide you through a sometimes difficult but always rewarding process. You’ve probably heard that saying that “No” is a full sentence, and this book leans into that. This is something I really want to work on this year.
Make Your Bed
This book is full of great life lessons – I listened on Audible while I was cleaning out my office. It was super uplifting and inspiring. And I will always think of it when I am feeling too lazy to make my bed.
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
I can’t believe I just now listened to this book! I feel like it’s such a classic. I chose Audible so I could listen throughout the day as I did other tasks but it was super interesting & helpful!
Daily:
The Six-Minute Diary
The best thing you can do for yourself and your day ahead is wake up and take a beat to set your intentions. The 6-Minute Diary helps you do exactly that. Each morning, wake up and either while you sit up in bed or sip your cup of coffee, answer the day’s prompts to go into the day with a plan.
Daily Stoic
Once you’ve filled out your 6-Minute Diary for the day, treat your mind and body to one of 366 daily meditations in this book to further set yourself up for success. I read it every single morning and also love his podcast!
The High-Performance Planner
This planner leaves no stone unturned in the way of productivity. Each day, you decide on the day’s mindset, write down your top 3 goals of the day, write down the tasks that absolutely have to be done today, and that’s just the beginning of this high-performance planner. I cannot recommend this enough if you’re hellbent on doing everything in your power to succeed this year!
