3 Best Books on Productivity | Productivity with Visuals
These are my best books on Productivity :
- Atomic Habits
- Make Time
- Getting Things Done
1. Atomic Habits By James Clear :
a) Big changes are not by big decisions but by small changes.
Making big not promises and taking large actions make you victorious.
Being 1% better every day results in 37 times better at the end of the year.
The trajectory is important than your current condition.
b) Build systems, screw goals.
Focus on building systems that automate the completion of goals.
Focus on processes than consequences.
Focus on the current drill at this very moment.
“ The score takes care of itself.”
-Bill Walsh
c) Change your identity, outcomes follow.
A new identity when is affiliated with you creates a sense of pride.
It can drive you through rough patches as well.
Behind every system of acting, are a system of beliefs.
As James Clear says:
“The goal is not to read a book, the goal is to become a reader
The goal is not to run a marathon, the goal is to become a runner
The goal is not to learn an instrument, the goal is to become a musician.”
i) Beliefs define your actions.
ii) Actions define your behavior.
iii) Your behavior reflects your identity.
Get the book (affiliate link):
2. Make Time by John Zeratsky and Jake Knapp:
a) Being busy is not a badge of honor.
We try to be productive every time.
There are insecurities we have not doing anything. We feel useless we are not doing anything. That is called as “ Busy bandwagon.”
Another thing is “ “Infinity Pools.” There is always more information present online.
We always tend to consume more and more of it. Busy bandwagon points to endless tasks and Infinity pools refer to endless procrastination.
b) Have a single highlight of the day.
Prioritize a certain task and do your fullest to at least complete it.
It will bring you joy and a sense of control. You have done the most significant task completely.
Your highlight can be anything. It’s all up to you. As Jake and John say in the book:
“Focusing on a daily highlight stops the tug of war between infinity pool distractions and the demands of the busy bandwagon.”
c) Ramp up the friction for distractions.
When the sources of amusement are pretty obvious, procrastination is most likely to happen.
If you can increase the friction between you and the busy bandwagon or infinity pools, you can channel your energy in a good way.
And on the other make doing tasks which matter, part of your daily highlight frictionless to do.
Get the book (affiliate link):
3. Getting things done:
a) Write down open loops.
Open loops create tension in people consciously or unconsciously.
Open loops are defined by the author as:
“Anything pulling at your attention that doesn’t belong where it is, the way it is.”
Anything which is occupying space in your mind creates an open loop.
Writing that open-loop allows you to think about it more clearly and work towards it more precisely as well.
Otherwise, they will remain cemented in your brain.
b) Have actionable to-dos.
People make to-do lists that are not distinctly defined.
Tasks do not have a start point and endpoint. They do not clarify stuff into small actionable tasks. So interpreting your to-do list is very crucial.
That’s where you can get a positive outcome from your commitment.
c) Write Reviews.
Having accountability is crucial.
By writing, reviews make yourself accountable. They may be weekly/ monthly and yearly. Weekly reviews are the best because you can have a bird-eye view of all of your to-do lists.
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Do check the series of “Writing with Visuals” here :
How to knock out writer's block? | Writing with Visuals # 01
Can six showers a day make you a more creative writer? |Writing with Visuals #02
Open for gigs: ansrehman2@gmail.com
