3 Productivity Books Every Adult Should Read

The key ideas in these 3 books were incredibly effective in boosting my productivity and they will boost yours too.

Eat That Frog

Brian Tracy's classic on how to stop procrastinating.

Key Idea: If you begin the day doing the worst and grossest thing possible (like eating a frog), everything else after that will be much easier to achieve.

My Thoughts: This definitely changed my approach to procrastination. When I've tackled the biggest or ugliest task first not only did I feel more accomplished but everything else did pale in comparison.

80/20 Principle

Rochard Koch writes about the Pareto Principle named after Italian Economist Vilfredo Pareto.

Key Idea: The principle states "that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes (the 'vital few')". Koch's book examines this and applies to other aspects of our life.

My Thoughts: Life-changing view point. Questions I asked myself included which 20% of my business will yield 80% of my expansion? Which 20% of people in my life give me 80% of my stress? Which 20% of acitivities bring my 80% of my joy? Once you understand the principle you can apply

The 5am Club

Robin Sharma popularised this concept that you can own your life by first owning your mornings. (Shout out to my wife who first found out about this book!)

Key Idea: Wake up at 5am and complete a set of 20/20/20s – 20 minutes in intense exercise, 20 minutes reflecting on your goals and 20 minutes learning a new skill.

My Thoughts: In the past I've been an early bird as well as a late riser. Waking up early definitely gets my vote. I personally find I can cram so much before 8am. Rising at 5am is still something I'm working on, as if the division of 20/20/20 but I agree with the principles of dividing short burst of intension activity time - and of course the early starts.

Conclusion: These three books could absolutely be used in conjunction with each other. Imagine rising at 5am and crushing the 20% of challenging tasks which yield 80% of your results. Not only would you have the most productive start to your day, you'd feel hella accomplished and have the rest of your day to schedule as your own pace.

Have you read any of these books before? Which principle would you implement?

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