Productivity Project by Chris Bailey Summary
In "The Productivity Project," Chris Bailey documents his year-long productivity experiment, revealing counterintuitive insights like slowing down to achieve more. Described as "practical Buddhism at its best" by Marshall Goldsmith, this international bestseller translated into eleven languages challenges everything you thought about efficiency. What's your biggest productivity myth?
About the author
Chris Bailey is the Canadian productivity expert and bestselling author of *The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy*. A Carleton University business graduate, Bailey gained recognition for his year-long series of radical self-experiments documented on his blog *A Life of Productivity*—from limiting smartphone use to 30 minutes daily to analyzing 296 TED Talks in one week. His book distills these findings into actionable strategies for optimizing focus, energy, and task management, blending neuroscience insights with real-world testing. A top TED speaker and contributor to *Harvard Business Review*, Bailey expanded his productivity framework in subsequent works like *Hyperfocus* and *How to Calm Your Mind*, establishing him as a leading voice in personal effectiveness. His practical approaches have been featured in *Fortune*, *WIRED*, and his co-hosted podcast *Becoming Better*. *The Productivity Project* became a #1 Audible bestseller, translated into 11 languages, with *The Globe and Mail* naming it among 2016’s top business books. Over 500,000 readers worldwide have adopted his systems for stress-free productivity.
From Columbia University alumni | built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
12
117"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
12108"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
25417"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
964.5K"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
201
16"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
37483"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
12117"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
12108"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
25417"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
964.5K"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
20116"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
37483"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
12117"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
12108"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
25417"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
964.5K"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
20116"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
37483"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
See More Stories?
Your personalized audio episodes, reflections, and insights — tailored to how you learn.
Get the Productivity Project summary as a free PDF or EPUB. Print it or read offline anytime.