Work in 25-minute blocks. Turn off your phone notifications. Buy noise-canceling headphones. Yes, there’s no shortage of time management advice out there, all of which promises to make us more productive than ever. But too many proposed solutions just place a Band-Aid over the problem of distraction, without addressing its underlying causes.
So if you’re ready for a true shift in perspective and priorities, it’s time to go deeper. Armed with the knowledge from the five books below, you’ll be ready to finally focus on what matters and be able to build a life that is equal parts productive and profoundly meaningful.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
By Oliver Burkeman
At best, we all get about 4,000 weeks (or, almost 77 years) of life. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, a Guardian columnist delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management.
When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing
By Daniel Pink
It has never been this tempting to take a nap in the middle of the workday—our bed is just down the hall! But that might just make us more tired, or maybe mess up our sleep schedule. . . . So in When, a world-renowned business thinker draws on cutting-edge research to explain when and how we should exercise, pitch a new idea to our boss, and yes, take the perfect nap.
A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, and Do Your Best Work
By Juliet Funt
Whether you are an individual trying to build a more sane and humane flow of daily work, a team that wants new levels of efficiency and effectiveness, or an entire organization changing your culture toward thoughtfulness, this book will lead you there.
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life
By Nir Eyal, with Julie Li
A Stanford lecturer lays bare the secret of finally doing what you say you will—with a four-step, research-backed model. Indistractable reveals the key to getting the best out of technology, without letting it get the best of us.
At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor
By Carey Nieuwhof
Overwhelmed. Overcommitted. Overworked. That’s the false script an inordinate number of people adopt in order to be successful. But At Your Best gives you the strategies you need to win at work and at home by living in a way today that will help you thrive tomorrow.
This article originally appeared on Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
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