Here are five books that have had an impact on how I live, prioritize, and manage my time this year. Read these to be more productive and creative in 2017.
When it comes to self-improvement and productivity, I prefer audiobooks–which turn chores like laundry and dishes into education hour. With that in mind, I’ve provided the Audible links, along with links to the paperback and ebook editions. If you don’t have an Audible account, you get two free books when you sign up (warning:Audible is somewhat addictive).
THE ONE THING: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results, by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan
Learn how to cut through the noise and do what matters. I only read this book in December, but I wish I’d read it months ago. If you’re spreading yourself too thin, achieving less by trying to do too many things, this book is for you.
The primary message is to figure out the one thing that matters to you in each area of your life and make it happen by spending the lion’s share of your time on that one thing. My husband has been telling me for years, “Quit the other stuff. Just write. Writing is your thing. It’s also how you make a living.” And he’s correct, as usual. Why did it take a book by a stranger to finally convince me to make it jettison the time-wasters in favor of the work that matters?
Listen to THE ONE THING on Audible
SMARTER FASTER BETTER, by Charles Duhigg
I picked this up because I loved Duhigg’s previous book, THE POWER OF HABIT. In Smarter, Faster, Better, Duhigg jumps on the productivity bandwagon; but the interesting stories of high achievers, combined with eight concepts you can put into action in your own life, make this productivity tome soar above the rest. As a self-employed author and small press publisher, I skimmed some of the stories of corporate success to focus on the techniques individuals have used to improve their performance.
GET THE AUDIOBOOK of Smarter Faster Better
THE YEAR WITHOUT A PURCHASE, by Scott Dannemiller
How tied are you to your things? How much time do you lose shopping? How many times a day do you click an email leading you to an online sale? In addition to being financially harmful, our culture of endless shopping is a colossal waste of time–time we could be spending with our families or achieving our goals. The Year Without a Purchase serves as a reminder that we already have most of what we need. Of course, the paradox of the book is that you have to buy it to read it, which goes specifically against the tenets of the book. But you can at least minimize the feeling of consumption by reading the ebook instead of bringing the physical book into your home.
Read The Year Without a Purchase
MONTAINGE, by Stefan Zweig
This biography Montaigne is a beautiful reminder of why intellectual thought, freedom of expression, and self-examination matter. A highly readable biography of one of the world’s most influential thinkers and writers, particularly apropos for our time.
Read Montaigne, by Stefan Zweig
THE CREATIVE HABIT, by Twyla Tharp
Most of us will never be choreographers. That’s part of what makes this treatise on creativity by renowned choreographer Twyla Tharp so fascinating. Whether you’re a writer, artist, musician, dancer, or someone who has yet to discover your creative outlet, Tharp provides exercises and inspiration to help you to live a creative life. Tharp offers advice on clearing mental and physical clutter, getting out of a creative rut, getting your ideas down on paper (and in a box), and more.
Listen to The Creative Habit on Audible