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Take the Top 5 Productivity Books Challenge!

It’s a useful exercise in examining your sources and inspiration.

“ Do you have a top 5 favorite/most influential productivity or organization books?”

The question in chat took me by surprise, but it was at a slow point in the staff meeting and most of my brain wasn’t needed, so I noodled it around for a while. It didn’t take long for the little dominos to click into place in my brain, and in no particular order I started feeding her titles:

1. Start Finishing by Charlie Gilkey. I read this simultaneously while joining his “Productive Flourishing Academy” (affiliate link) and the group has become a key part of my mental health and support during the pandemic.
   Oh, the various systems also helped me excel at one job, transition to a better one, move into a house, sell that house, and more.
   Charlie’s great, and his team and community is even better. I’m looking forward to his next book, Workways, which will talk about applying some of his anti-hustle-culture philosophy to the workplace.
2. Do the Work & Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield.
   These are classics for writers and other creatives, and are more collections of proverbs and inspirational essays than a guidebook. But he has the motivational ability of a tough-as-nails football coach, and anytime I’m…