Best productivity books every freelancer should read

Do we actually have twenty-four hours in a day?

Asking for a friend because some days it seems like there are a million things to do and not enough hours in the day to do them all! Time is money, and when you work for yourself, every second counts.

Freelancers seem to always be in a race against time. Managing multiple projects with strict deadlines and juggling your daily work obligations can be a lot to take on. We get it, and we're here to help!

You've probably read a few articles about how to boost your productivity, so we'll take a different approach in this article. We've compiled a list of the best productivity books ever written (in our opinion). You'd have a great time reading these books and learning useful tips on turbocharging your productivity. Continue reading.

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Best productivity books - our all-time favorites

Reading is a productive way to pass the time, but reading productivity books can completely transform your professional life. Here is a carefully curated list of seasoned books on productivity to help you better manage time and increase output.

1. The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons on personal change

This book is by multi-talented American educator, author, and businessman, Stephen Richards Covey. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is unquestionably a timeless masterpiece. In this book, Stephen Covey offers more than just a system for getting things done; he provides a philosophy for life and work. The author explains the impact that one's values have on their productivity and how having the right perspective is at the core of any meaningful or lasting change. For more than 25 years, the book has been dubbed as one of the best on productivity of all time. Workers of all levels have adopted its principles to create a sustainable system for life at work.

2. Getting things done: The art of stress-free productivity

In this book, the American productivity consultant best known for creating the "Getting Things Done" time management method teaches efficient techniques for stress-free, optimum performance. The book's practical hacks have assisted many people in decluttering their workspace and focusing on the essentials. According to the author, an individual's mental state influences productivity. Because stress reduces productivity, he teaches real techniques for planning programs, staying focused, overcoming overwhelming emotions, and always keeping the work desk clear. This book will enable freelancers who frequently face the challenge of juggling multiple tasks to live in the moment.

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3. Deep Work: Rules for focused success in a distracted world

This book, written by a computer science professor who is also a New York Times bestselling author, emphasizes the importance of blocking distractions and stretching your cognitive abilities through deep concentration. According to the author, these efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are difficult to replicate. Shallow work is the direct opposite. Many freelance jobs require cognitive effort, so you'll learn how to set aside time and space for deep work to increase your productivity and work quality.

4. Eat that frog: 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more done in less time

As Mark Twain famously said, “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. Also, if it's your job to eat two frogs, do the biggest one first.” Brian Tracy, a Canadian-American motivational public speaker, and self-development author, had the insight to write this book after reading this famous quote. The book centers on the idea that you should prioritize your work every day by completing the activity that will impact your progress toward your goals. There will never be enough time to get everything done, so focus your time and energy on the activities that are most important to you. The book's 21 practical tips provide a system for maximizing productivity.

5. The productivity project

According to Chris Bailey, a productivity expert, and bestselling author, working hard does not always equal productivity. This book discusses efficient working methods such as the Rule of Three, which assists you in determining the three most important tasks of the week and the three major goals of each day so you can work on them first. It also suggests writing down tasks to clear the mind and boost productivity. Being organized relieves stress and frees up mental space.

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6. Daily Rituals: How Artists work

This book by Mason Currey is unique among productivity books because it takes a different approach. It provides a compilation of the routines of various contemporary geniuses, each of whom had atypical work patterns rather than guidelines. One of the many takeaways from the book is that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to productivity; however, a clearly defined approach is required. Everyone must discover and follow their path.

7. Zen to Done: The ultimate simple productivity system

Among the many books on efficiency, this 80+ page book by Leo Babauta provides an ultrasimple productivity system that can be easily customized to fit your unique life situations. The book's suggestions assist in tackling daunting tasks by breaking them down into simple, practical steps. Zen To Done is a quick read that provides practical tips for streamlining the work process.

8. Free to focus: Accomplishing more by managing your time, attention, and energy

Because focus affects productivity, the ideas outlined in Michael S. Hyatt's productivity book can help one distinguish important tasks, eliminate non-essentials, reduce interruptions, set boundaries, and protect focus. Productivity is not about having more time but about making time work for you, which is accomplished by efficiently channeling resources such as time, attention, and energy.

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9. Scrum: The art of doing twice the work in half the time

Scrum is a term coined by author Jeff Sutherland to describe a framework for initiating, planning, and executing a specific goal. Though the book was written primarily for corporate teams, freelancers can also benefit from some tips. Multitasking, for example, is counterproductive in both teamwork and personal work.

10. Extreme Productivity: Boost your results, reduce your hours

Extreme Productivity by Robert Pozen is a guide about increasing productivity through time management and control over the scope and demands of one's work. The book offers practical advice on planning and prioritizing tasks, eliminating procrastination, and boosting efficiency.

Workee can help you improve productivity

Imagine reading any of these books and having a tool to help you organize your workspace and focus on what is truly important — your work. Well, such a tool does exist and it's free! With Workee managing all your administrative tasks, your productivity is sure to be at its peak. Everything you need for your freelancing business is in one place.

• Free website creation: This allows you to create your personal website in less than 5 minutes.

• Automated reminders: Reminders inform clients of upcoming appointments, payments, etc. Workee ensures that you never miss an appointment or a deadline.

• Booking and scheduling: Your clients can book you, and you can schedule appointments and synchronize your calendar.

• Integrated payments and automated invoicing: Manually tracking payments and issuing invoices can be time-consuming and reduce productivity. Workee automates these tasks and gets the job done.

• Video calling/conferencing: You don't need as many tools to collaborate with your clients. You can make video calls with Workee.