The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy by Chris Bailey is a solid guidebook enabling you to maximize your productivity.  He describes productivity in a holistic manner, “I think the best way to measure productivity is to ask yourself a very simple questions at the end of every day:  Did I get done what I intended to?  When you accomplish what you intend to, and you’re realistic and deliberate about the productivity goals you set, in my opinion you are productive” (p. 29).

This book grew out of a year of productivity study project to investigate the best practices of productivity.  He discovered that productivity is the product of three categories: how to better manage your time, how to better manage your energy, and how to better manage your attention.

All three ingredients are essential if you want to be productive on a daily basis.  Some people have good energy and focus, but they’re not good at managing their time, so they don’t work on the right things and therefore are not productive.  Other people are good at managing their time and have good energy, but they’re distracted and they procrastinate.   Finally, other people have good focus and they know how to manage their time well, but they’re not good at managing their energy so their productivity suffers.  Productive people effectively manage all three.

There are a number of principles and practical tips throughout the book to help you increase your productivity.  Here’s a sampling of some of the principles he develops,

Busyness is no different from laziness when it doesn’t lead you to accomplish anything.

Productivity isn’t about how busy or efficient you are – it’s about how much you accomplish.

Just because you feel productive doesn’t mean you are – and the opposite is often true.  (p. 190)

If you desire to take your productivity to the next level, you will find this book helpful.  You can also access practical tips on his website:  alifeofproductivity.com.  (I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review).

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark

Professor of Discipleship, Columbia International University

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