5 Books to Help You Do Less and Achieve More
We’ve all been there. It’s the 11th hour before a deadline, and a project you’ve had plenty of time to complete is suddenly about to be overdue. You kick yourself for not finishing it sooner and wonder how this happened yet again.
But there’s no need to beat yourself up! Just realize you need to find your perfect path to productivity.
There are tons of techniques designed to help you increase your efficiency. Yet, ironically, taking the time to research your options can be a bit unproductive.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend hours buried in books. With the Blinkist app, you can learn techniques from today’s top productivity titles in a matter of minutes, not hours. That’s thanks to our diligent bookworms, who transform bestsellers into powerful insights you can read or listen to in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee.
The Blinkist library includes a treasure trove of the best insights from life-changing nonfiction books to help you hunker down and tackle your to-dos. Here are some gems from five of our favorites:
1. Work in consistent chunks of time
from The Pomodoro Technique by Francesco Cirillo
The Pomodoro Technique
- 13 min reading time
- audio version available
See your productivity skyrocket when your chop your tasks into uninterrupted, 25-minute chunks followed by short, mandatory breaks. Start by splitting your to-dos into two lists—one for today and one for the future—and you’ll find your work much more manageable when you commit to consistent bursts of productivity.
2. Focus on the few tasks that actually matter
from Eat That Frog by Brian Tracy
Eat That Frog!
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
Odds are that only two of 10 tasks on your to-do list will actually move the needle, so focus on those “frogs” first, rather than working on smaller, less consequential efforts. Prioritize your subtasks into a list labeled A to Z, then leap through the alphabet till you attain your goal. Ribbit!
3. Show your distractions who’s boss
from Singletasking by Devora Zack
Singletasking
- 13 min reading time
- audio version available
Quit letting distractions derail your productivity, and hack your habits to eliminate anything that takes you off track. Not only will ‘singletasking’ make you a more industrious worker, but you’ll also become a more present person, which could benefit every area of your life.
4. Get out of your head
from Getting Things Done by David Allen
Getting Things Done
- 22 min reading time
While the brain is capable of many magnificent feats, using it as a storehouse for all of your tasks isn’t necessarily its strength. Instead, supercharge your productivity by freeing up your mindspace. Jot down every task on an always-accessible list, then revisit your “collection bucket” once a week to eliminate unnecessary efforts and prioritize those that matter most.
5. Look at the big picture
from Personal Kanban by by Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria Barry
Personal Kanban
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
If you’re up to your eyeballs the tasks, the best way to see the forest for the trees is by visually plotting out everything you seek to accomplish. By using sticky notes, a whiteboard, or a project management app to track your progress, you can finalize projects in a fraction of the time.
For a deeper dive into any of these titles, download the Blinkist app today and test-drive a free trial of our transformative app.
