If you’re familiar with my writing, you know I hate seeing people reinvent the wheel. We need you at your best, focused on solving the next big problem, not stuck on problems that have already been solved.

When it comes to productivity, there’s a lot we already know. But there are only so many hours in the day, so you may not even be aware of some of the solutions others have already discovered. 

That’s why I asked a capable member of my team (Thanks Lizzie!) to summarize the top selling books that have to do with getting things done. By reading these quick summaries, you may notice a book that speaks directly to a weak spot in your own productivity systems.

This is an unbiased collection (filtered for relevance to entrepreneurs) based solely on popularity of sales from three businesses: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and NY Times.

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life

We’re starting with a book about one of the...

When You Think for a Living, Less is More 

Here’s the thing most entrepreneurs don’t realize. When you live life at the extreme edge of your capacity, you significantly damage your creativity, drive, and productivity. 

Existing at the limit of your capacity creates stress. Stress causes you to think small and play small in an effort to conserve energy, protect against failure, and hunker down just to survive. 

You can and should use controlled sprints to expand your capacity to get things done. Just don’t let it become a marathon. If you try to constantly operate at full capacity, your mind automatically and subconsciously puts on the brakes, holding you back from your true potential. 

Fortunately, there’s an antidote, and I’m going to explain that in a moment. But first I want to ensure you understand the problem. ...

Jump-Start Your Brain’s Natural Drive With “Certainty-Circuits”

Regardless of what you’re trying to accomplish in life, one universal principle can help you succeed. I’m talking about the power of absolute certainty.

Moving from a state of uncertainty to a state of certainty is like magic. And whether you’ve recognized it or not, I’m sure you’ve felt it before.

Here’s what it feels like…

You’re at the beach, standing at the edge of the surf, dipping your toe to see how cold the ocean feels. You came here to swim, get some exercise, and let your kids play around in the ocean.

But now you feel sleepy, not much like exercising. And the ocean feels colder than you expected. Then something catches your eye.

It’s a flash of color floating 30 yards out in the waves. You realize it’s the back of your son’s swimsuit. He’s face down, bobbing aimlessly in the waves. He appears to be unconscious.

Your...

How Entrepreneurs Increase Profit and Scale Faster with the Art of Ruthless Elimination

Life is different for entrepreneurs. We don’t get paid for just showing up. 

We can spend a whole week working hard, head down, diligently pursuing an endless list of tasks, only to find ourselves more behind, overwhelmed, and in the hole than when we started. 

Now, as an entrepreneur, you know we don’t do this on purpose. If you’re like me, you hate spending time away from hobbies, friends, and family without having anything to show for it. 

So why does this happen so often? As a psychologist and productivity coach for entrepreneurs, I’ve noticed one culprit that sneaks in, starts small, and gradually sucks the life, energy, and joy out of the entrepreneurial journey. 

If you want to build your business, you must learn to recognize this time-wasting thief before it’s too late.

The Relentless Power of Entropy

In physics they talk about a...

How to Get More Done in Less Time by Giving Distractions a Place to Live

Do you ever get to the end of your day and wonder where the time went?

That’s a normal experience for entrepreneurs, but then again, it’s also normal to go out of business within the first two years. You can do better than that.

Let’s fight back against the waves of distraction that try to wash away your progress every time you start making any headway. We’ll begin by using the power of foresight to build a barrier against the tides of distraction.

Start by thinking about your personal time as an asset you want to carefully invest. Some things you invest your time in will have a significant ROI. Others won’t. Your job is to get better at differentiating between the two. Here’s how.

Start with your business goals. Does your calendar reflect those goals?

For example, if you value the idea of hiring a business development manager to bring in new sales, where does that...

How to Use “Artificial Constraints” to Get More Done in Less Time

Nobody cares how long you work. They only care about the results you’re able to produce. So I challenge you to get more done in less time.

No doubt you’ve heard of Parkinson’s law. It says, “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”

But do you believe it’s actually true? What I mean to ask is whether you believe this principle is true for you personally.

Could you finish your daily routine faster if you gave yourself less time to finish? Is it just a concept that’s true in theory? Or does it work in real life?

Pause to consider the implications if it really is true. Does it mean you could finish your workday in six hours if you put your mind to it?

Imagine having an extra two hours per day. That would certainly be fun, wouldn’t it?

What do you think? Is it worth an experiment to see if it works in real life?

Before you answer that...

How to Beat Subconscious Sabotage with “Disciplined Pleasure”

Who is more productive, a person who works eight hours every day, or a person who works six hours every day?

If you’ve been studying productivity for long, you already know this is a trick question. We’ve been conditioned to equate “busy” and “productive.” When in reality, productivity is about getting things done. It’s not about working long hours.

Here’s a better question. “How can I finish eight hours of work in six hours?” 

The “trick” to pulling that off may be easier than you think, and a lot more enjoyable than you might imagine.  

The Surprising Truth About Productivity

Humans love novelty. As a productivity hacker myself, I’m fascinated by cutting-edge ideas for getting things done faster.

Despite this, I force myself to periodically review the basics. I’m talking about tried-and-true,...

The secret to scaling your business fast.

“Bootstrapping” is noble in concept but more expensive than you think. 

I’ve bootstrapped a business enough times to understand the benefits and the allure of building something without spending much cash. Unfortunately, the bootstrapping method is slow. It typically goes like this:

1. Learn and practice new tasks yourself.
2. Create a set of standard operating procedures so you can…
3. Eventually hire someone else to run those procedures for you.
4. Take on the next growing edge of the business and repeat steps one through three.

It’s how most people grow a business. You do each job yourself (initially doing five jobs at once), and gradually hire people to help as cashflow allows.

There’s a Better Way

What is the specific transaction that will generate cash for your business? Do you have a crystal-clear answer to that question?

If so, you can fast-forward the process of scaling...

Learn the one habit that serves as an anchor for all other productivity habits

No one cares how busy you are or how long you work. They only care about the results you’re able to produce.

That’s the reality for entrepreneurs.

Despite this, many entrepreneurs spend their whole day rushing. Or worse, we spend the whole day feeling scattered and overwhelmed. That’s not a good formula for success. In fact, the more hectic your workday feels, the less likely you are to succeed as an entrepreneur. Why?

As a psychologist and productivity coach for entrepreneurs, I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty. It’s not the hard workers who succeed in business. Rather, it’s the entrepreneurs who slow down to think. Let’s examine why.

Slow is Fast: The Power of Planning

In the world of entrepreneurship, slow is fast. If you want to make rapid progress, rushing around like a chicken with your head cut off will never get you there. You’ll just...

Would you get more done if you drank a bit more water?

A few years ago, I was reading a funny and informative book by Mary Roach called Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War. It’s a book about the scientists who work behind the scenes to support the US military.

In one interview, the author was put on a treadmill so the research scientist could demonstrate his work. They monitored her exertion and subsequent rehydration. Later, they informed her that she is what they call a “reluctant drinker.”

Apparently, some of us have a natural instinct to avoid drinking much water. We just don’t feel very thirsty. As a result, we often fail to drink enough water to replenish states of mild dehydration.

I immediately knew I was in that group. My wife often asks if she can drink my nearly full cup of water at restaurants after she has finished her entire glass. As a child, I used to wonder why people took water bottles with them on long hikes.

But now, as a...