Best Time Management Books

Book rating updated 27.04.2024

Master the art of productivity with our list of the best time management books of all time.

  1. The 4-Hour Workweek

    4.5
    26 453 ratings
    This guide breaks from the normal 9-to-5 work parameters, in that it provides a plan for leaving the rat race by outsourcing money-making and task completion processes. It is a book about lifestyle design with ways to have more of life while working less. Packed with personal stories, pragmatic advice, and step-by-step strategies, readers learn how to best manage time by cutting out unnecessary work while seeking financial freedom. Aimed at all the enthusiasts out there who look for their big life change, it lays down a roadmap towards traveling the world and living the dreams of your youth without being shackled by a full-time job.
  2. Essentialism

    4.6
    18 543 ratings
    Greg McKeown
    The heart of this book, embracing the way of the essentialist, is all about less doing and more finding. This is an ascetic, systematic approach in seeing where our highest point of contribution lies and then making the doing of those things nearly effortless. The author is of the view that by focusing on the vital few instead of the trivial many, then the highest possible contribution toward what really matters is likely to be attained. It teaches us, through practical tips and real-life examples, how to prioritize your task, say no to the things not of great importance, and get back our own choice again.
  3. Deep Work

    4.6
    31 093 ratings
    Cal Newport
    It argues strongly that intense, unbroken concentration matters even more in today's distraction-filled world. The book outlined pragmatic steps towards a culture of deep work in order to heighten the ability of workers to be very effective in producing quality work. In this sense, by outlining basic constraints that help to facilitate concentrated work and ways of minimizing distractions, the article is used for anyone who sets goals to improve productivity and make significant strides in personal as well as professional life.
  4. The ONE Thing

    4.6
    19 608 ratings
    Gary Keller
    Recommended by: Matt Ogus, Codie Sanchez
    Master the art of focus on the single most important thing that will make everything else easier or unnecessary. This guide maintains that spreading your efforts too thinly dilutes your effectiveness. This book will help you get more done, be less stressed, and live a more rewarding life by narrowing your focus down to one task, one goal, one project at a time. It offers how one is able to pin down his or her main priority, how one is able to manage time well, and also suggests one on how he or she can counter distractions and things that block his or her way to achieve his or her goal. Ideal for those seeking efficiency and effectiveness, the approach enables both personal and professional growth.
  5. Getting Things Done

    4.5
    9 478 ratings
    David Allen
    Recommended by: Chris Williamson
    It will aid you to put your productivity on autopilot with a stress-less approach to your tasks. You will be educated to capture all of your tasks into a trusted system outside your mind, so that you can focus on executing tasks, not on remembering them. This will help you be more productive in checking off the to-do list by organizing tasks to actionable steps, setting priority, and using this system to review your activities regularly. Good for anyone who is feeling overrun by their responsibilities, this system will not only increase your productivity but help to clear your mind so that you can be more creative and strategic in both your personal and professional life.
  6. Four Thousand Weeks

    4.6
    8 998 ratings
    Oliver Burkeman
    And an exploration into how human beings relate with time, the author sincerely highlights the fact that human beings only get about four thousand weeks to live. It is a challenge to the obsession with modern efficiency, offering a refreshing perspective on how to live meaningfully in our limited time. Instead of the pursuit of productivity, it suggests embracing our constraints and focusing on what really matters. A guide in finding satisfaction and meaning in life, the book encourages the reader to challenge the beliefs they previously held on priorities and the ways in which they live their lives while on this planet, with only a limited amount of time.
  7. Eat That Frog!

    4.7
    7 439 ratings
    Brian Tracy
    Master time management and boost productivity by tackling your most challenging tasks first. This book is based on the advice of Mark Twain that if the first thing in the morning you do is to eat a live frog, then nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day. The book deals with a practical methodology for the prioritization of tasks, avoidance of procrastination, and for getting more in less time. This takes you through the disciplines to organize your day, the rule of "touch it once," and 21 effective strategies of defining your biggest and most important tasks ("frogs") and then taking immediate action on them. Learn to embrace the discipline of doing your toughest jobs first, hence transforming your life and work habits for good.
  8. Make Time

    4.5
    4 776 ratings
    Jake Knapp, John Zeratsky
    In "Make Time," authors Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky describe how to liberate yourself from constant busyness and daily distractions. They offer a straightforward but novel framework through which to select just a single priority each day, and then to design one's time around it. The book gives valuable advice on how to get rid of time-wasting habits and leave the space for something that matters. It's a guide on how to rethink your routine so that you can pay attention to what's important and gain more satisfaction from your life.
  9. First Things First

    4.6
    1 602 ratings
    Recommended by: Lewis Howes
    It displaces the emphasis on the clock to the compass, proposing a transformational way of handling time. This book will challenge you to order your priorities not in regard to what is urgent, but in regard to what is really important, bringing your actions in line with your innermost values. It brings a principle-centered framework to help the reader handle the demands of daily living while focusing on relationships and results and not schedules and tasks. It really redefines productivity as it takes the reader through a path that shows him or her more meaningful achievement leading to a balanced life. Perfect for anyone looking to live more mindfully, with meaning and purpose, this book provides practical tools and insights for how to spend your time and life.
  10. 168 Hours

    4.2
    1 006 ratings
    Laura Vanderkam
    Imagine there were 40 hours hiding out there each week. In this book, Laura Vanderkam insists that they really are, only arguing that the key to unlocking those hours in the 168 hours of a week is time management. It debunks the myth of busyness and gives solutions on prioritizing things which really matter in life. The author uses examples from real lives to show how to spend one's time in an efficient way for work, family, and personal purposes. Rethinking of our schedules to use the total 168 hours every human being has could see one living productively and fulfillment of life. A call to act and rethink your schedules for the best use of your time.
  11. The Power of Focus

    4.7
    523 ratings
    Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen, Les Hewitt
    Recommended by: Hal Elrod
    The secret behind amazing success and personal fulfillment unlocked through the art of focus. This guide uses step-by-step strategies to help a person gain victory over a number of common distractions and barriers that come in the way of progress. It only highlights the need for setting clear goals, priorities, and focusing power to turn dreams into reality. It teaches the reader to focus his or her energies on what will make the most difference in application of the principles laid down, and the results are far much better in the professional as well as the personal life of an individual. A must-read for all who are poised to surf through the chaos of modern life with grace to realize aspirations powered by unflinching intent.
  12. The Pomodoro Technique

    4.5
    297 ratings
    Francesco Cirillo
    Find out a really simple yet effective time management tactic that can actually help you power through distractions, maintain focus, and get things done in short bursts, while taking frequent breaks to come up for air and relax. This way of working is going to be working with time rather than against it. Dividing up a workday into 25-minute chunks of work with five-minute breaks in between will be one way of ensuring better productivity and being able to get things done more efficiently without succumbing to burnout. For everyone who wants to focus, and become more productive in life, this system is made to simplify achievements.
  13. The 80/20 Principle

    4.4
    100 ratings
    Richard Koch
    Discover the secret to gaining more with less effort through the 80/20 principle. The book is insightful in pointing out that most effects come from only a few causes, thereby making it clear that 80% of results are achieved by 20% of actions. It applies this concept to every dimension of life and work, how to focus on the most productive things, how to improve efficiency, and finally, how to eliminate waste. In understanding and leveraging this principle, readers can enhance personal effectiveness, streamline operations of the business, and find greater balance and happiness in their life. A real paradigm shift in working smarter, not harder.

FAQ

  • What are the most popular authors of time management books?

    Here are authors of good books about time management:

    • David Allen - productivity methods, organizational skills.
    • Stephen Covey - personal effectiveness.
    • Cal Newport - focus, deep work.
    • Brian Tracy - time management, personal productivity.
    • James Clear - habits, performance improvement.

List of top rated Time Management books everyone should read. Best sellers only!