For anyone feeling frayed, scattered or pressed for time. A stack of books full of ideas, encouragement, and perspective (+free PDFs)
This stack of books represents a special interest of mine.
I inherited from my mom’s family (specifically Granddad) a love of time management and life organizational skills. I have used planners, time trackers, and schedule tools since elementary school. Including fun highlighters and neon Lisa Frank stickers.
My love for planning and time management hit a new level in 2019 when recovering from burnout.
I didn’t want to burn my life down, but I needed to make drastic changes to keep a more sustainable schedule. Thus began my stacks of reading and gathering information.
Here are my favorites.
Big Time byLaura Vanderkam—
Listening to this on audio sparked this post. I just started it but I am really enjoying it so far. It is a new release and I’m excited to see what her research will show that will be new to the productivity space.
I found this one when Meagan Francis did a recent Substack Live conversation: “Is time really as scarce as we think?”. (I know I reference Meagan a lot, she is one of my current favorites so sorry, not sorry.😜)
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Effortless by Greg McKeown —
Highly practical book that feels like a breath of fresh air while you are reading it.
“As high-achievers, we’ve been conditioned to believe that the path to success is paved with relentless work. That if we want to overachieve, we have to overexert, overthink, and overdo. That if we aren’t perpetually exhausted, we’re not doing enough… Getting ahead doesn’t have to be as hard as we make it.
No matter what challenges or obstacles we face, there is a better way: instead of pushing ourselves harder, we can find an easier path.”
And check out his podcast it is “focused on learning how to put what matters to you first and do less, but better.”
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Getting Things Done by David Allen —
David Allen has been transforming the productivity space for a long time and I was thrilled to come across his resources. His YouTube series helped me recalibrate through some of the chaos of 2020 and all his books have been helpful. It can be a bit tricky to apply his ideas to a lifestyle that is not in a typical office setting, but I’ve made GTD a lifestyle and I love it.
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The Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman —
I have followed Emily from the beginning of my burnout journey. I love her idea of soul minimalism and how we need to declutter our minds and hearts. She also has a guided journal and audio reflections to walk you through seasons of the year. Being part of Hope*Writers (that she co-founded) gave me the resources I needed to start my writing work. One of the resources there is where I found my favorite productivity quote that I say to myself often:
“Your pace is your pace, there is no such thing as behind.” – Emily P. Freeman
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Rhythms of Renewal by Rebekah Lyons —
This book is an excellent overview of ways to structure balance in all areas of your life. It leans into rhythms for each season and makes space for demanding jobs, raising kids, and being active in your community. It’s a great resource to overcome anxiety with practical daily habits that strengthen you mentally and physically.
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The PLAN by Kendra Adachi —
Kendra approaches time management from her Lazy Genius perspective. Her writing in grounded in the chaos of real life and all the things that moms have to balance. She even mentions hormones and cycles (which has been missing in much productivity culture). She is a champion of “living in your season” and not wasting energy on things that only matter to other people.
I just listened to one of her summer podcasts while doing some cleaning yesterday morning and was reminded of so many nuances to this season. [#473 How to Deal with a Messy House All Summer Long]
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Productivity for Authors by Joanna Penn —
A guide for writers on overcoming obstacles to writing, managing time, and focusing on essential tasks to become more productive. The book covers topics like goal setting, time management techniques (like dictation and outsourcing), setting boundaries, and maintaining physical and mental health to prevent burnout, offering practical advice. I have enjoyed all of Joanna Penn’s non-fiction author series!
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and 2 books that are my unique “April specific” picks 😉
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry —
I fell in love with the slower pace and the strong community base in this novel. It is a glimpse into a different time and reminds me that life was not always so instant, fast, and stressed.
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The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook by Mary Younkin —
This cookbook is a great example of recipes based on time to make them. Search online for “20 minute meals” or go to your library and browse the cookbook section for time-based cooking inspiration. It is a great way to get back some time in your evening while still making great meals.
Pay attention to what sparks your interest. If any of these books grabbed your attention, put them on your TBR list.
And don’t miss the video for more details on what I loved about each book.
➡️ I would love to hear from you!
What books have you read that changed the way you think about time?
For those of you who are still reading…
Bonus Post and Free PDF –
check out this post on Time Tracking:
A while ago I decided that the answer is NOT:
- becoming superhuman and trying to fit more into my already busy day
- getting up early and stealing hours of sleep (eww.. no thanks!)
- it’s not yelling or becoming impossible to live with (because I feel like a failure)
However, I often do not know what change to make. What would be the most effective? The answer often rests in realizing how much time my tasks take.
The tool that I use is my Time Inventory tracker.
Understanding your time usage can reduce stress and create space for self-care. This will make it easier to handle all your responsibilities and be your best self in every role you have.
This broken world needs more moms, homemakers, and leaders who live intentionally.
I hope that something here will help you do that.
📚Happy Reading! –
