The Productivity Project Book Summary - The Productivity Project Book explained in key points
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The Productivity Project summary

Chris Bailey

Proven Ways to Become More Awesome

4.4 (212 ratings)
13 mins
Table of Contents

    The Productivity Project
    summarized in 6 key ideas

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    Key idea 1 of 6

    Productivity is about working smarter by managing your time, attention and energy.

    Some people think productivity is about doing more. They’re wrong! In fact, productivity is about working smarter and getting the important things done.

    Let’s look at two extremes of the working spectrum: a frantic Wall Street trader and a Buddhist monk. Ideally, what you want to find is the perfect meeting place between these two.

    The prototypical stock trader works at such a frenzied pace that his intentions become scattered and he fails to see the meaning and value of his work. Meanwhile, the monk takes the time each day to meditate and reflect upon what’s meaningful, yet he works at such a deliberate place that he doesn’t accomplish very much.

    So, it’s only when you position yourself between the rhythms of the monk and the Wall Street trader that you find true productivity. This ideal working pace is deliberate enough to identify what’s important and purposeful enough to accomplish your goals.

    To find this perfect pace, you need to manage your time, attention and energy.

    After all, you can have all the energy in the world, but it won’t accomplish much without a well-managed schedule. And the opposite holds true as well: you might have a perfectly structured plan to finish your dream project, but it’s useless if you’re wasting all your energy elsewhere.

    However, both time and energy can be wasted if your mind is constantly wandering and unfocused, which is why attention is the third key to the productivity puzzle.

    In the blinks ahead, we’ll explore a number of techniques that will help you strike the perfect balance between your inner monk and Wall Street trader, so that you can be the most productive version of yourself.

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    Key ideas in The Productivity Project

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    What is The Productivity Project about?

    The Productivity Project (2016) is a practical guide to how to live a life that’s both productive and meaningful. With easy-to-understand techniques and reliable advice, you’ll find out how to work smarter and accomplish the work that really matters. Stop wasting time and procrastinating, and pick up some new tools to take control of your life!

    Who should read The Productivity Project?

    • Students looking for new ways to be productive
    • Overworked employees
    • Busy or stressed-out entrepreneurs and business owners

    About the Author

    Chris Bailey is an expert in productivity who has been hard at work discovering the secrets to living an efficient life since he was a preteen. He’s collected the results of his experiments on his website, A Life of Productivity. He’s also a popular public speaker with his own TED Talk: A More Human Approach to Productivity.

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