Achieve more goals with less stress

It’s probably no surprise that productivity researchers are always looking for new ways to use time wisely. They need guidance just like the rest of us, says Sahar Youssef, a cognitive neuroscientist and lecturer at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. “When you think you really know it all, it’s usually a sign that you know very little.” Reading books on productivity can provide both practical tips and a “perspective change,” Dr. Youssef says.

We asked organizational psychologists, researchers, and business school professors for the books that have helped them in their professional and personal lives. Here are their favorites—some of these recommendations are classics, while others may be new to you.

1. “Get It Done” (Author: Ayelet Fishbach)

Katy Milkman, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said the 2022 book is written in a warm, engaging tone and is “full of value.” Dr. Fishbach, a behavioral psychologist who studies the science of motivation, is “arguably the world’s leading expert on motivation,” Dr. Milkman said.

Dr. Fishbach explores the idea that many people believe they should pursue their goals in the most efficient way possible, but Dr. Milkman says we are more effective “when we find a more enjoyable, less efficient path.” He adds, “If we enjoy pursuing our goals, we’ll persist longer.”

2. “Slow Productivity” by Cal Newport

Several experts recommended books by Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University, including his 2024 book, Slow Productivity. The book is built around three principles: Do less, work at a more natural pace, and focus on what Dr. Newport calls “impressive qualities, not performative activities.” “This allows you to think more deeply, be more creative and innovative, and be less stressed,” said Kandi Wiens, a workplace researcher at the University of Pennsylvania.

3. Four Thousand Weeks (Author: Oliver Burkman)

One sentence in this 2021 book establishes its premise: “The average human lifespan is absurdly, horribly, infuriatingly short,” Burkman writes. (The average lifespan is about 4,000 weeks, hence the title.)

So how should we best use those weeks? As Burkman writes, “The true measure of any time-management technique is whether it helps you ignore the right things.” Among the many books on productivity, this is a “unique gem,” Dr. Youssef says. “Once we realize that we can’t do everything, and shouldn’t even try, we unlock a new ability to prioritize what’s most important.”

4. Getting It Done by David Allen

Yollanda London, chief business development and planning officer at Yale School of Medicine, says the book is a great one to have on your desk to refer to when you feel overwhelmed, especially with so many distractions in today’s world. “It helps me recover and focus.” First published in 2001, Getting It Done is a classic. “It encompasses the core principles of many productivity books,” Ms. London said, such as making to-do lists, breaking down big tasks into smaller ones and identifying your priorities. “In a sense, those skills are logical, but you just need those reminders,” Ms. London said.

5. When by Daniel H. Pink

In this 2018 book, Daniel Pink writes that our lives are a series of “when” decisions — when to change jobs, when to start a family — that are often based on intuition and guesswork. But there is a science to timing, he writes, and we should use it to make decisions big and small.

One of the book’s main points is exploring “how our body clocks and circadian rhythms dramatically impact how productive we are at different times of the day,” said Laura Mae Martin, executive productivity consultant at Google, adding that the book changed “everything” for her. “It was the first time I really understood that not all time periods are created equal,” she said.

6. Getting Your Own Way (by Mark Goulston and Philip Goldberg)

Preston Lindsay, an organizational psychologist and assistant professor at Rutgers University, said the 1996 book is a guide on how to overcome the 40 most common forms of self-sabotage.

Dr. Lindsay said the authors delve into the psychological roots of self-sabotage and explore how early life experiences, cognitive distortions, and emotional patterns perpetuate self-defeating cycles, adding that for those working in the field of organizational productivity, “the importance of Getting Out of Your Own Way cannot be overstated.”

7. The Sabbath, by Abraham Joshua Heschel

Although Cal Newport’s work is recommended by several experts, Dr. Newport’s own favorite book on productivity is, he says, “perhaps unexpected.”

In “The Sabbath,” a classic meditation published in 1951, “Heschel stressed the importance of having one day of rest each week — what he called the ‘Palace of Time,'” Dr. Newport said.

He added that the book emphasizes that “you rest not to prepare for more work later, but to make sure you haven’t forgotten all that makes life sacred and worthwhile.”

8. The Right Mistakes by Amy Edmondson

Sarah Wolford, assistant professor of strategy at Cornell University’s Johnson College of Business, says fear of failure can hinder her productivity. “If I’m afraid of making a mistake, I’m most likely to put off doing something and not finish the task at all,” she says. Dr. Edmondson’s book 2023, which shows how to “fail well,” made Dr. Wolford realize that “learning to accept failure is key to being productive,” she says. That includes “acknowledging and taking responsibility quickly” when you make a mistake, she says, rather than running away, which can actually make the problem worse.