The 5 Best Time Management Books to Transform Your Productivity
Last Updated January 3, 2026
Your to-do list is getting longer and longer.
There never seems to be enough time to do all the things you want to do.
This leaves you feeling busy, overwhelmed, and pretty exhausted.
Sound familiar? Time management and productivity to the rescue!
Improving my time management and productivity skills has made a world of difference for my life. Which is why I shout the benefits from the rooftop (or furiously type them in my blog for all to read.)
As someone who's read over 50 time management and productivity books (and counting!), I've tried every strategy, technique, and framework out there. Some have been total duds. But others? Total game-changers that have completely transformed how I spend my time and energy.
For me, books are the best way to spark new ideas and break through old patterns. They remind me of the bad habits I should stop doing and reinforce the good habits I'm already working on. But with so many options out there, where do you even start?
I've made the decision simple. Here are the top 5 books you absolutely must read to amp up your time management and productivity.
Quick Overview: The 5 Best Time Management Books to Transform Your Productivity
168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam - Best for rethinking how you spend your weekly hours
Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte - Best for managing information and boosting productivity
Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu - Best for women juggling work and home life
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman - Best for embracing your limitations and living intentionally
Brave Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani - Best for perfectionists who need permission to be imperfect
New to time management books? Start here:
If you're overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, I recommend starting with "168 Hours" - it's the most practical and immediately actionable. Then move to "Four Thousand Weeks" for the mindset shift.
#1. "168 Hours" by Laura Vanderkam
Goodreads Rating: 3.6/5 (over 11,000 ratings)
Summary
"168 Hours" challenges the belief that we don't have time for the activities that we look forward to and enjoy.
Everyone has the same 168 hours each week to work with. By analyzing the habits of successful people, the book offers practical advice and strategies to make the most of those hours. You'll learn how to align daily activities with long-term goals to lead a more balanced and fulfilling life.
My Take
I love anything Laura Vanderkam puts out there – i.e. Off the Clock, Tranquility by Tuesday, and Juliette's School of Possibility (for a fictional spin on some time management basics).
Her strategies are approachable and I've adopted many of her concepts along my time management journey. The biggest influence she's had on me? Learning to plan my time for a full week, not just a day at a time, so I can see the full picture and balance of my life. She also introduced me to the List of 100 Dreams that pushed me to intentionally plan time to get a taste of all of my wild and crazy whims!
3 Time Management Strategies from “168 Hours”
Track your time for one week. Write down everything you do in 15 or 30-minute increments. You'll be shocked at where your hours actually go versus where you think they go.
Create your List of 100 Dreams. Write down 100 things you'd love to do, try, learn, or experience. Don't filter yourself, just dream big. Then pick 2-3 to schedule into your calendar next month.
Plan your ideal week. Block out your 168 hours on paper, including work, sleep, and all those "I wish I had time for..." activities. You'll discover you might just have more time than you think…
Sneak Peak
"The key to spending more time on what matters is spending less time on what doesn't."
Want to Know Where Your 168 Hours Are Actually Going?
Most of us have no clue how we're really spending our time. We just know we're busy and overwhelmed.
That's why I created a free Time Audit Guide to help you track, analyze, and redirect your hours toward the things you actually love. It's the perfect companion to “168 Hours” and will show you exactly where you're leaking time.
Inside you'll discover:
A simple time-tracking template (no fancy apps required)
How to identify your "time wasters" without judgment
Strategies to reclaim 5-10 hours per week for what matters most
Join 100s of readers who have already downloaded the guide.
Stop guessing where your time goes. Start making intentional choices about how you spend your 168 hours every week.
#2. “Building a Second Brain” by Tiago Forte
Goodreads Rating: 4.03/5 (over 21,000 ratings)
Summary
"Building a Second Brain" dives deep into the benefits of structured note-taking.
Notes allow you to manage information overload while capturing your personal insights that allow you to turn ideas into action. This practice not only makes you massively more productive (hint: less time searching and recreating from scratch) but will also unlock your creativity like never before.
The book will also help take the confusion out of where to store your notes by introducing a method called PARA so you always know exactly where a note belongs. You'll work smarter, achieve your goals, and unlock your creative potential.
My Take
My inner productivity nerd definitely lit up within the first few pages of this one.
I was even inspired to write a whole blog series on the concepts I learned and was most excited to apply. You can check them out here:
There was a significant increase to my productivity as I rethought how to organize and leverage the many notes I take throughout the day. I also got more strategic about where I could templatize my work so I'm never staring blankly at a screen wondering where to start.
The work I'm creating these days is of higher value than it used to be. And this book isn't just for personal development, I would highly recommend any team read this as a group to create an efficient and productive dream team.
3 Time Management Strategies from “Building a Second Brain”
Set up your PARA folders. Create four main folders in your note-taking app: Projects (active work), Areas (ongoing responsibilities), Resources (topics of interest), and Archives (inactive items). Move everything into these categories.
Start capturing with progressive summarization. When you read something valuable, highlight the best parts. Then bold the best of the best. Finally, write a 2-3 sentence summary at the top. Your future self will thank you.
Create three templates. Identify three things you create regularly (meeting notes, project plans, weekly reviews…etc.) and turn them into templates. Never start from scratch again.
Sneak Peak
"A second brain allows you to live more in the present, knowing your past insights and future ideas are safely captured."
#3. “Drop the Ball: Achieving More by Doing Less” by Tiffany Dufu
Goodreads Rating: 3.84/5 (over 4,000 ratings)
Summary
"Drop the Ball" is a helpful guide for women struggling with the demands of work and home life.
The book is a personal journey of learning to let go of perfectionism and delegating tasks to others to focus on what truly matters to you. You'll get an inside look at the ups and downs of getting clear on your priorities and communicating your needs and goals to your partner.
Following the advice offered in the book will help you achieve more balance and fulfillment in your life by embracing a little more imperfection and giving yourself permission to do a little less.
My Take
This book helped me understand the mental load I was carrying around that was making me exhausted and overwhelmed. I wasn't necessarily doing all the things, but I sure was constantly thinking about them.
The biggest change I immediately put into practice was learning to delegate with joy to my partner. I've gotten so much better at asking for help, without shaming myself into thinking it's a weakness. This has allowed me to spend more time on the pieces of my life that bring me passion, fulfillment, and joy.
I'm still in the works of being a little less controlling when things aren't done exactly my way… But we're all a work in progress.
3 Time Management Strategies from “Drop the Ball”
List everything on your mental to-do list. Write down every single thing you're thinking about or feel responsible for from "schedule dentist appointment" to "plan holiday dinner." Getting it out of your head is the first step to letting it go.
Identify your highest priorities. Circle the 3-5 items on your list that truly align with your values and goals. Everything else? That's what you're going to start dropping or delegating.
Have the delegation conversation. Sit down with your partner or family and discuss redistributing responsibilities. Come prepared with specific tasks you're ready to hand off and be willing to let go of controlling how they're done.
Sneak Peak
"It is only by being intentional about what we can remove from our calendars that we gain control of what they should contain."
#4. “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman
Goodreads Rating: 4.18/5 (over 125,000 ratings)
Summary
"Four Thousand Weeks" contests conventional time management and productivity approaches by embracing the finite nature of our lives.
With an average lifespan of about four thousand weeks, the book urges readers to embrace limitations so they can focus on what's really important. It questions productivity culture and even discourages striving for efficiency. The book promotes a mindful approach to time, so you can live a more intentional and fulfilling life.
My Take
"Arguably, time management is all life is." I didn't need to read any further. I was sold.
I read this book in a season of my life where I needed to rethink my approach to my time and how I could achieve even my wildest goals, without falling into the trap of burnout again.
You can't do everything. Those are the facts. That realization was freeing and I started getting more intentional about what I wasn't going to get done, and feeling really damn good about it. I started consciously focusing on fitting in more of the want-tos in my day and giving myself permission to have unproductive nothing time (despite my internal protests.) This all helped me reclaim some of the balance I had lost.
3 Time Management Strategies from “Four Thousand Weeks”
Make your "not-to-do" list. Write down 10 things you're actively choosing not to pursue right now. This isn't failure. It's intentional choice. Keep this list visible to remind yourself that saying no to some things means saying yes to what matters.
Schedule "nothing time." Block out 2-3 hours this week for absolutely nothing productive. No agenda, no goals, no output. Just be. Notice how uncomfortable it feels at first, then notice how refreshing it becomes.
Pick your "one big thing." If you could only accomplish one meaningful thing this year, what would it be? Write it down. Now ruthlessly protect time for it, even if it means other things don't get done.
Sneak Peak
"It can't be the case you must do more than you can do. If you truly don't have the time, no matter how grave the consequences might be, you don't have the time. It's irrational to feel troubled by an overwhelming to-do list."
#5. “Brave Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder” by Reshma Saujani
Goodreads Rating: 3.87/5 (over 8,000 ratings)
Summary
Okay, you probably didn't think you'd find this in a post about time management and productivity books. But this is for my perfectionist people-pleasing ladies out there who need to rethink how we're spending our time.
"Brave Not Perfect" encourages women to abandon the pursuit of perfection and embrace bravery instead. The book highlights how societal expectations push women towards perfectionism, stifling their potential and creativity. When you finish reading, you'll feel empowered to take risks, embrace failure, and prioritize growth over flawlessness.
My Take
After I read this book, I've never been more brave in how I approach my life and goals.
I realized the things I no longer have time for:
Striving for perfection before I even try something
Obsessively analyzing and weighing every decision out of fear of making a mistake
Backing away from opportunities because I don't think I'm good enough
Losing sleep ruminating over the slightest mistake
Prioritizing my time based on what others think instead of what I want
These things are all now on my to-don't list. Imagine how differently you would spend your time if you stopped doing just one of these. Talk about a transformation… This is hands-down a must-read.
3 Time Management Strategies from “Brave Not Perfect”
Do the "5-minute brave thing." Think of something you've been putting off because you're waiting to be ready or perfect. Give yourself 5 minutes to take one imperfect action on it. Send the messy email. Post the draft. Make the ask. Done is better than perfect.
Track your "brave moments." Create a running list of times you chose bravery over perfection. Celebrate every single one, big or small. This builds your confidence muscle over time.
Reframe one failure. Think of a recent "failure" or mistake you've been beating yourself up about. Write down three things you learned from it. This is what growth looks like, not perfection.
Sneak Peak
"Bravery is not about feeling fearless; it's about acting despite the fear."
Time Management Tips for Reading More Books
So you're sold and ready to add a brand new pile of books to your nightstand. But…how will you make the time to read them all?
Try these tips!
Leverage audiobooks. Turn on an audiobook when you're working out, cleaning, commuting…etc. Whatever low brain power activities you do throughout the day. You'll fly through all your must-reads in no time. (And, bonus tip, listen on 1.25x speed for maximum efficiency.)
Put time for reading on your calendar. You know the drill: scheduled tasks get done.
Find small pockets of time for reading. This can be as simple as 10 minutes a day to sneak in a few pages. Or even make this small pocket a part of your daily routine. For instance, use 10 minutes of reading as your transition task between work and home or as a part of your bedtime wind-down routine.
Struggling to feel motivated to make the time? Try having both a self-help and a "fun" book on hand. You may not feel like a thought-provoking deep dive all of the time. So jump into your "fun" book in those moments. Or when you're feeling more inspired, grab that time management read. This can make reading seem more appealing and like a get-to-do, not a must-do.
Start Reading: Shop the Best Time Management Books
These five time management books have the power to completely change how you approach your time, productivity, and life. Whether you start with one or dive into all five, each offers unique insights that will help you reclaim control of your schedule and start living more intentionally.
Ready to start reading? Pick your biggest struggle:
If you want to…
Enjoy your weeks again → Start with 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam
Stop recreating work from scratch and boost your productivity → Start with Building a Second Brain by Tiago Forte
Let go of the mental load → Start with Drop the Ball by Tiffany Dufu
Escape burnout culture → Start with Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Stop perfectionist habits wasting your time → Start with Brave Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani
You can also get all my best time management strategies delivered free to your inbox every week. Subscribe to My Newsletter.
Happy reading, my friends!
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About Me
Hi, I’m Kara. I’m a former workaholic turned time-management expert. I help women stressed out in their 9-5 get more done, in less time, so they can get back in the driver’s seat and start living a life they love.
