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The Productivity Project

Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy

by Chris Bailey

A year of productivity experiments distilled into practical lessons on time, attention and energy.

  • Published 2016
  • Easy read
  • Practical guidance
  • 1 min analysis
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Introduction

After university, Chris Bailey spent a year running productivity experiments on himself, from meditating for hours to working 90-hour weeks to living in isolation. The Productivity Project, published in 2016, shares what worked.

He defines productivity as accomplishing what you intend to, and argues it depends on managing time, attention and energy together.

Who should read this book?

Students and young professionals who enjoy experiments and want a broad, friendly guide to getting more done.

Helps with: Beat procrastination, Focus and get more done

The central message

Productivity is about accomplishing what matters to you, which requires managing time, attention and energy.

Key ideas and concepts

  1. Productivity is intentional

    Being productive means accomplishing what you set out to do, not just being busy.

  2. The Rule of 3

    Each day, choose three things you want to accomplish.

  3. Biological prime time

    Notice when your energy peaks and schedule important work then.

  4. Procrastination triggers

    Tasks that are boring, frustrating, difficult or unstructured invite procrastination; make them less so.

  5. Energy

    Sleep, exercise, caffeine timing and food affect productivity.

Deeper analysis

The Productivity Project is engaging and practical, and Bailey's experiments make the advice feel tested. The Rule of 3 and 'biological prime time' are especially useful, and the book covers a wide range of tactics.

Many tactics will be familiar to readers of productivity books, and some experiments are more entertaining than generalizable. Bailey's own situation, young and with few obligations, differs from many readers'. Still, it's a friendly, broad introduction.

Practical applications

  • Write three daily intentions each morning.
  • Track your energy each hour for a week.
  • Schedule important work during your peak energy hours.
  • Make a dreaded task more structured or interesting.
  • Review what you accomplished each evening.

Your 7-day action plan

  1. Day 1

    Write your Rule of 3.

  2. Day 2

    Track energy levels hourly.

  3. Day 3

    Identify your prime time.

  4. Day 4

    Schedule hard work for prime time.

  5. Day 5

    Rework a procrastinated task.

  6. Day 6

    Improve one energy habit.

  7. Day 7

    Review the week's accomplishments.

Outcomes to expect

What readers who apply this book can realistically take away from it:

  • Clear daily priorities
  • Work scheduled around energy
  • Less procrastination
  • A personal productivity toolkit

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Engaging experiments
  • Practical, useful tactics
  • Covers time, attention and energy
  • Friendly writing

Limitations

  • Many familiar tactics
  • Some experiments not generalizable
  • Author's situation differs from many readers'

Reflection questions

  1. What three things matter most today?
  2. When is your energy highest?
  3. Which tasks do you procrastinate on, and why?
  4. What does productive mean to you?

About the author

Chris Bailey

Canadian productivity writer; author of The Productivity Project and Hyperfocus.

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Book details (title, author, year) are factual. Everything under the headings above is MindsetProdigy's own editorial analysis and interpretation, written to help you decide whether to read the book and how to apply it. It is not a substitute for reading the book itself. Last updated September 30, 2026.