Recent college graduate, Chris Bailey, had two awesome full-time job offers. But like many recent grads looking to delay their foray into the real world, he took a year off instead to delve into a project he hoped would change his life forever in a good way.
Like many others before him, Bailey started a blog to chronicle his experiences. But unlike many other blogs that start off with lofty goals and fall flat somewhere along the way, Bailey channeled his experiments and lessons into shareable advice and the blog AYearOfProductivity.com became a book called The Productivity Project 
In it, Bailey offers tips on how to make the most of your time, even going so far to give estimates on how much time you should set aside to read each chapter (I loved timing myself and beating the estimate).
Bailey talks about the Pareto principle – 80 percent of your overall productivity comes from about 20 percent of your total effort – and which items from your To-do list you should focus on to make the most of your day. It’s not about doing more things, it’s about doing the right things.
Expect to find topics in the book like:
- why you might be going to lunch at the wrong time of day
- how to decide what you work on when
- how to figure out how much your time is really worth – is it valued at minimum wage or a consultant’s fee rate –
- what should be on your “Waiting For” list.
I’m a chronic procrastinator. I often put off tasks until the last minute. I’ve studied my habits so I know I don’t procrastinate everything. In fact, most tasks, I enjoy doing right away. But I do a lot of the easy things so time runs out on the hard stuff. Bailey says this is common.
The tasks we are most likely to procrastinate are:
- boring
- difficult
- frustrating
To trick yourself into wanting to do them instead of putting them off, you have to make the task more fun. Or simply, list the cost – what is procrastinating actually costing you. If you don’t file your taxes on time and have to pay a late fee, that’s the cost of procrastination. Writing down those costs can help you view challenging tasks in a more positive light and might help you moving towards doing it. Great advice, right?
The most important lesson Bailey shares about productivity, however, is in a quote on page 16:
The absolute best place to start is determining the right things to become more productive on. Your effort toward taking control of your time, attention and energy will be fruitless when you don’t first take stock of what tasks are the most valuable and meaningful to you.
The Productivity Project is chock full of diagrams and tables and tips. It’s no secret that I read a lot and that I always have several books that I am reading or are waiting to read but The Productivity Project makes me excited. I have several Post-its all over the book marking tips I want to incorporate into my time management and goal-setting exercises. I don’t know if I’m more accomplished yet but I feel more productive just having read the book and isn’t it all in the mind anyway?
Click the following links for more info about:
- The Book: The Productivity Project
- The Author: Chris Bailey
- The website, A Life of Productivity
Note: I received a free copy of The Productivity Project from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
If you click here to purchase a copy of The Productivity Project, I also make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for your support.
RUN WRIGHT 
I procrastinate on boring tasks more… difficuly or challenging I find more engaging. It’s monotony I hate, but there’s some good principles in this thinking.
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I suppose so, Simon. It’s because your scientific brain seeks stimulation.
Call it the curse of the curious 🙂
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Nor necessarily for knowledge, I’m an abstract and creative person as well… but I get what you’re saying. 🙂
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Hi my name is Tamieka amd I am a procasinator!!!! Uuugh! Book sounds interesting for sure!!
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It really is. I think we all have a little bit of that in us, although I think in your case, you’re just tired from all the other things you do. You’re busy and so accomplished, lady! I know you didn’t get that way from putting things off. You get things done!
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Ha! !it’s the illusion that everything is done. ..it does get done but totally at the last minute!!
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As usual another GREAT book review. I want this book and I want it now!
My fave (and only trick) is telling myself that I’m “re-organizing” rather than cleaning. I don’t know why, but the thought of organizing is much more energizing and gets me to do stuff that I can’t seem to do otherwise.
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Love that trick, Patrice. Whatever works for you is the best trick.
I think you’ll definitely love the book. Hope you check it out.
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I really like that idea of working out how much your procastination costs. That would definitely motivate me to get things done!
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Haha. So true. Sometimes money is the best motivator, Becky.
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Very interesting. I was watching the news last week and they talked about how some of the most influential characters of our times (Steve Jobs, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison) where known procrastinators. Hmm Kind of interesting. Great read
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Interesting. I didn’t know that. I tend to think of those people as always working. Thanks for sharing that tidbit. Makes me feel a little better too.
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This book sounds like a good read – especially for me as I am a person who probably wastes too much time thinking about what needs to be done. I really could benefit from less thinking and better time management.
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Thanks for the comment, Constance. It is a really useful book. I am also reading Intentional Living by John Maxwell and trying to apply that inspiration too – he talks a lot about moving from thinking and over-thinking to just doing. Sometimes, we really need to stop talking ourselves out of doing things and just try them.
I recommend both books – Productivity Project to help you figure out how to plan and spend your time and Intentional Living to help make that time significant.
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The Pareto Principle is actually fairly relied upon in the statistical world (I know this since I am working on a statistical project that I keep PROCRASTINATING), but it really is an interesting concept. I’ll leap out of bed in the morning to go for a run in the cold on a Saturday, but I’ll drag my feet for DAYS when it comes to putting away clean laundry (that I could do in 5 minutes).
I’ve found at least for me that I’m much more likely to get a task done if I set it as the barrier between me & dinner. Like okay, Jessie, you can make dinner just as soon as this laundry is folded. It works 99% of the time. & then I question if I’m treating myself like a dog. Haha. Good girl.
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Whatever works, I always say. Nothing is off limits if it works. I sign up for time challenges so I can cross things off my list and I promise myself treats for whatever I accomplish. At the end of the day, whatever gets you to the place you want to be, is the right thing to do.
Thanks for the comment and all the best with your statistics project.
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This looks like a great book, thanks for sharing!
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Ok – I love books like this. Sounds like a good one!
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Yes. I have been reading a lot of Non-Fiction and Personal Development books lately and I am loving it.
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I’m going to look into this book because it’s exactly what I need right now! I look at a lot of productivity stuff on pinterest sometimes it’s better having it all in front of you in a book!
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You should definitely check out this book, Amy. There’s a link in the post to purchase the book from Amazon (I’m an affiliate) but however you read it, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Oooh… right on point. .. i might have to check this one out!
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