Being productive is simple for certain people while the vast majority of us do admittedly spend an embarrassing chunk of our time watching cat videos or daydreaming. Even if you’re a chronic procrastinator or want to improve your mind, here is a short list of books we recommend you open up to boost your productivity. 

1. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

If you’re going to really get any book from this list, it should be this one. David Allen’s Getting Things Done is at the top of everyone’s list of productivity books. The book uses methods of taking plans and bringing them outside of the mind. Once you’ve created an external list, you break things down into doable actions instead of them running in a continuous loop in your mind. The book uses a lot of writing things down to help you visualize your goals and the reasoning is to help reduce your stress.

2. Superhuman By Habit: A Guide to Becoming the Best Possible Version of Yourself, One Time Habit at a Time

Creating and breaking habits is one of life’s most difficult tasks, we do them subconsciously after all. Tynan’s book discusses the habit forming techniques that change your lifestyle to reach its optimal form. How we do our work, view the world, and even our own self image are all habits that can be altered if desired. The secret is to start with smaller habits then increase in time. This book is filled with tips and reasoning for bettering and uncluttering your mind.

Related: How to Improve Work Productivity 

3. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Another all-star of this list is 7 Habits. This book may be the most popular book of this generation if I do say so myself. Students and working professionals alike are seen reading this in their spare time, and it’s with good reason. Achieving your goals starts with ethics. The book begins with shifting the reader’s perspective by suggestion that there are different perspectives to every situation. With that notion in mind come the seven habits and these habits are not changing the way you brush your teeth. These habits are mental and do take time but hey, it’s still popular after nearly 30 years so it’s worth a try if you’re looking to improve your self.

4. The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy

Author Chris Bailey has compiled a list of 25 experience turned lessons into The Productivity Project. This book weaves through his countless experiments in trying to find the best productive procedures for personal growth. The book also contains interviews from experts like David Allen and Charles Duhigg. Inside you’ll find interesting tactics like caffeine consumption strategies and 20-second distraction rules. Filled with charming habits in about 300 pages makes this a fairly quick read!

5. What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast: And Two Other Short Guides to Achieving More at Work and at Home

I’m sure you’ve skimmed through the infographics and short articles with the inside scoop on what famous entrepreneurs do for breakfast or how they schedule their time. Laura Vanderkam’s book takes all these tips and adds her expert opinions in her comprehensive guide that consists of her three mini e-books. These tips are for living a happier and more productive lifestyle. Through interviews and clever anecdotes you can find out the secret breakfast of the successful.

Related: 5 Habits to Quit to Become More Successful

6. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

Habit consist of three elements: a cue, a routine, and a reward. Understanding this is the first step to changing your habits. Ideally your unwanted habits to new, more productive ones. Cues trigger your brain to instantly react in a certain way. Duhigg breaks these three elements down to a science. Whether your routine reaction is emotional, mental or physical you realizing that and having a better habit take its place is the secret.

7. Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System

Zen to Done is our final choice in this curated list of books. It takes the teachings from the most popular productivity books like 7 Habits and Getting Things Done and simplifies them. The basis of this book is to be productive by leading a more simplified lifestyle. How to create these habits and staying organized in a simpler fashion is the goal. If you’re someone you likes minimalism this may be the book for you.