According to Worpress, there are over 31 million bloggers who post at least once a month in the USA alone. This means it could take a very long time to sift through them all to find the ones that give you the best productivity advice.
To save you time (which is a key part of productivity), we have compiled this list of the 10 best productivity blogs, with average reading times included.
These blogs cover almost all aspects of productivity, from work to time management to psychology, so the list provides a good overview of what is out there for those seeking to improve their productivity.
Note, these are not in any particular or ranked order.
1. Work Smarter, Not Harder
Scoro creates software that helps companies be more productive and efficient. The Scoro blog is called Work Smarter, Not Harder (WSNH).
The focus of this blog is on improving productivity at work. As experts in the field of productivity, WSNH uses facts, data, and anecdotal evidence to enhance their articles and give a unique perspective on work productivity. This means that readers are learning tips and gaining advice from the real world productivity solutions of hundreds of companies.
WSNH is fairly unique because it is hyper-focussed on the operational changes and practices to adopt to make work more productive.
Why do you want to be more productive at work? Because being more productive at work helps companies perform better. Research conducted by the Harvard Business Review states that ‘the best companies are more than 40% more productive than the rest…and this results in significantly higher profits — operating margins 30%–50% higher than industry peers — and faster growth.’
Average reading time: 8 minutes
2. Time Management Ninja
The Time Management Ninja(TMN) blog is written by Craig Jarrow, who has lectured on time management and productivity at companies and organizations ranging from The Home Depot to the U.S. Navy.
TMN is about time management, productivity and goal setting. TMN contains tips about technology and tools that you can use to help you be more productive and manage your time efficiently. Time Management Ninja also features advice articles on why you should change certain elements of your time management and goal setting processes to boost your productivity.
The overall aim of the TMN blog is to help you get some time back so that you can focus on what’s important in order to get more done.
Average reading time: 7 minutes
3. Barking up the Wrong Tree
Barking Up The Wrong Tree stands out from the other productivity blogs because it’s all about scientific and evidence-based facts and tips.
The science of productivity is studied by research institutions around the world because a more productive society is a more successful one. Productivity is also important to individuals like business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians and economists because of its benefits to improving commercial results.
The writer of Barking up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker, takes the results of scientific research on productivity and puts it into an easy to read and understand format.
Average reading time: 10 minutes
4. Dumb Little Man
Productivity blogs that deal with financial matters teach readers how to make money faster or more efficiently. To teach people these financial productivity skills, Dumb Little Man covers a range of topics that tie in to economic productivity.
Dumb Little Man has been around since 2006 and features contributions from over 7000 authors. This means that you are receiving a wide range of opinions and advice from thousands of writers and experts, making this one of the most comprehensive productivity blogs in the world.
You will find benefits in this blog if you are looking to improve your financial situation.
Average reading time: 5 minutes
5. Clare Evans
Clare Evans is a UK-based Time Management and Productivity Coach and author of the book Time Management for Dummies.
The posts on Evan’s blog give you practical productivity advice on a range of topics, such as using journals and planners, getting enough sleep, and changing your working habits when you’re busy.
Each blog entry is a stand-alone lesson detailing exactly what you need to change in order to become more productive. Evans makes a point of focussing on advice that can be implemented immediately.
Average reading time: 4 minutes
6. Becoming Minimalist
Joshua Becker’s Becoming Minimalist blog focuses on the productivity benefits of decluttering your life.
According to WebMD, decluttering benefits most people by improving their mental and physical health and promotes better productivity.
Examples of topics on Becoming Minimalist include a practical guide to owning fewer clothes and ways to make your life less busy.
Who will benefit from reading this blog? People who find that untidy or chaotic environments are causing stress and preventing them from maintaining the focus that will help them be more productive.
Average reading time: 10 minutes
7. Chris Bailey
Chris Bailey spent the whole of 2013 studying all aspects of productivity. He interviewed experts, read through many journal articles on productivity, and even conducted a variety of productivity experiments on himself.
Bailey’s blog is all about sharing the knowledge he gained during this year and in the time since. The aim is to become as productive as humanly possible.
The site is filled with information and advice on maintaining and controlling focus, setting your priorities, the problems with multitasking and how to avoid interruptions, all in search of greater productivity.
Average reading time: 5 minutes
8. Tim Ferriss
Tim Ferriss is one of the world’s most popular influencers when it comes to leadership, entrepreneurship and personal productivity advice. His podcast featuring productivity advice has been downloaded 900 million times and has been ranked as Apple’s Number 1 podcast many times.
Ferris came to prominence through his 4-hour lifestyle series of books, like The 4-Hour Work Week, The 4-Hour Body, and The 4-Hour Chef. These books all focussed on ways to optimize every aspect of your life to be more productive.
Ferriss’ site takes the lessons from his books and turns them into a multimedia experience, with blogs, videos, podcasts and celebrity interviews, all of which have a connection to productivity.
Average reading time: 15 minutes
9. Keep Productive
Apps are a relatively new tool in the search for greater productivity and there are literally thousands of productivity apps available in the app store. But how can you tell which ones are good? By reading Keep Productive, the blog that brings you detailed reviews and lists of the best productivity apps, grouped by theme and topic.
Keep Productive makes productivity software easier to understand. This site creates blogs to help you find the right productivity tools for your needs.
Average reading time: 15 minutes
10. Zen Habits
Productivity has a psychological component, so some productivity blogs will feature motivational content that aims to inspire readers. The idea is to get them to change their habits or mindset in order to become more productive.
Zen Habits teaches readers about finding simplicity and mindfulness in the daily chaos of our lives. Mindfulness is the practice of being fully in the moment and experiencing the present without conscious evaluation.
Clinical studies have documented the benefits on both physical and mental health provided by the practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness has also been established to have a very beneficial effect on productivity.
Written by Leo Babauta, this blog focuses on changing our habits and developing mindfulness. Zen Habits features several free productivity training courses.
Zen Habits’ productivity blog has over 2 million readers.
Average reading time: 10 minutes