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Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing
Google’s Executive Productivity Advisor offers insights on how to make the new way of work work for you, providing actionable steps to optimize your productivity, accomplish more, prevent burnout, and cultivate a harmonious work-life balance.
Every day, tens of thousands of Google employees, from executives to interns, rely on Laura Mae Martin’s tips and best practices for how to make the most of their time. Now, with Uptime, Laura brings her unique approach to productivity and wellbeing to anyone who wants to be more effective and experience “calm accomplishment” whether at work, at school, or in their own personal lives.
Laura began her Google career in sales, but quickly carved out a niche for herself as a productivity expert. For more than a decade, she’s been coaching Google executives and employees on how to achieve a state of “productivity Zen” — a holistic approach to conquering everything from the avalanche of emails in their inboxes to becoming the master of their own calendars and running excellent meetings. Her strategies have been widely adopted from entry level employees looking to amplify their individual impact to top executives working across global teams.
As many of us have moved to a hybrid environment blending work and home, managing our time efficiently and remaining productive is more important than ever. In Uptime, Laura shows us how to thrive no matter where you’re working with an approach she calls “calm accomplishment,” a focus on your priorities with good systems, routines, and tactics in place.
Uptime explains how to make technology work for you and make “productive Zen” your new normal. It’s a blueprint for operating at the highest levels of productivity while enhancing your own personal wellbeing.
Illustrations by Ma’ayan Rosenzweig
Every day, tens of thousands of Google employees, from executives to interns, rely on Laura Mae Martin’s tips and best practices for how to make the most of their time. Now, with Uptime, Laura brings her unique approach to productivity and wellbeing to anyone who wants to be more effective and experience “calm accomplishment” whether at work, at school, or in their own personal lives.
Laura began her Google career in sales, but quickly carved out a niche for herself as a productivity expert. For more than a decade, she’s been coaching Google executives and employees on how to achieve a state of “productivity Zen” — a holistic approach to conquering everything from the avalanche of emails in their inboxes to becoming the master of their own calendars and running excellent meetings. Her strategies have been widely adopted from entry level employees looking to amplify their individual impact to top executives working across global teams.
As many of us have moved to a hybrid environment blending work and home, managing our time efficiently and remaining productive is more important than ever. In Uptime, Laura shows us how to thrive no matter where you’re working with an approach she calls “calm accomplishment,” a focus on your priorities with good systems, routines, and tactics in place.
Uptime explains how to make technology work for you and make “productive Zen” your new normal. It’s a blueprint for operating at the highest levels of productivity while enhancing your own personal wellbeing.
Illustrations by Ma’ayan Rosenzweig
233 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 2, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
July 28, 2024
I'll start out with the elephant in the room: at its core, Uptime is basically a thinly-veiled and uncredited regurgitation of Dave Allen's classic Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, updated for the 2020s digital age and with a dash of energy management philosophy sprinkled in. Martin uses many of Allen's concepts with slightly-altered names --i.e., Allen's concept of "mind sweep" (brainstorming and centrally collating everything on your to-do list) becomes Martin's "brain dump," and many other obvious parallels will emerge as readers who've previously read Allen's book will read this one.
Martin's platform for writing yet-another book in the oversaturated genre of personal productivity is her work as an Executive Productivity Advisor at Google, with her job duties including providing 1:1 productivity coaching to Google executives as well as collating and sharing productivity tips in an organization-wide email newsletter. She mentions her Google career started in sales, but her role evolved as she became known for her productivity hacks. She cites many other productivity gurus in her book, including Brian Tracy (Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time) and Cal Newport (Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World), though noticeably leaves out Dave Allen and Laura Vanderkam (whose time and energy management philosophies seem very closely aligned with Martin's --i.e., Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think).
But maybe a reason why there's so little originality in this genre is that while one-size-fits-all time management systems don't exist (i.e., Allen's GTD is certainly not for everyone), the underlying concepts and underpinning philosophies are similar enough that all the good books (including this one!) sound very similar.
So despite my comments above, I would still recommend this book to the past-entry-level office dweller demographic. What I found most helpful were Martin's suggestions for managing email and scripts for making people who want to meet with you or delegate work to you do extra work on their end before being granted your time and attention (obviously your success with these scripts depends on your leverage and seniority). And I most definitely agree with Martin's statement near the end of the book that:
My statistics:
Book 164 for 2024
Book 1767 cumulatively
Martin's platform for writing yet-another book in the oversaturated genre of personal productivity is her work as an Executive Productivity Advisor at Google, with her job duties including providing 1:1 productivity coaching to Google executives as well as collating and sharing productivity tips in an organization-wide email newsletter. She mentions her Google career started in sales, but her role evolved as she became known for her productivity hacks. She cites many other productivity gurus in her book, including Brian Tracy (Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time) and Cal Newport (Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World), though noticeably leaves out Dave Allen and Laura Vanderkam (whose time and energy management philosophies seem very closely aligned with Martin's --i.e., Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters, Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done and 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think).
But maybe a reason why there's so little originality in this genre is that while one-size-fits-all time management systems don't exist (i.e., Allen's GTD is certainly not for everyone), the underlying concepts and underpinning philosophies are similar enough that all the good books (including this one!) sound very similar.
So despite my comments above, I would still recommend this book to the past-entry-level office dweller demographic. What I found most helpful were Martin's suggestions for managing email and scripts for making people who want to meet with you or delegate work to you do extra work on their end before being granted your time and attention (obviously your success with these scripts depends on your leverage and seniority). And I most definitely agree with Martin's statement near the end of the book that:
The biggest obstacle to productivity is putting something on your to-do list with no idea when you're actually going to do it.
My statistics:
Book 164 for 2024
Book 1767 cumulatively
August 13, 2024
This book, at its most helpful, tells you how to organize your To-Do lists to make them more productive. I feel like the thesis of the book is “Everything on your To-Do list should have a time when you plan to do it”.
Other than that, it is very similar to other self help books from the past ~20 years.
I found the multiple chapters on how to say “No” particularly repetitive and would say I gained the least from those.
Lastly, the title “Uptime” was mentioned but not very central to the points of the book, and that title + her Google position is why I picked up the book in the first place.
Other than that, it is very similar to other self help books from the past ~20 years.
I found the multiple chapters on how to say “No” particularly repetitive and would say I gained the least from those.
Lastly, the title “Uptime” was mentioned but not very central to the points of the book, and that title + her Google position is why I picked up the book in the first place.
January 5, 2025
Truly an incredible book!!
From identifying your flow (your peak hours of productivity) and organizing your schedule around it, to learning about procrastination and how to beat it, to getting ahead of distractions, to using the “laundry method” to master email, every chapter was impactful.
I highlighted so much. 🤣
I’ve already put several of these strategies into practice (and seen a change) and can’t wait to implement more.
If you’re an enneagram 1, you’ll especially love “Uptime.”
From identifying your flow (your peak hours of productivity) and organizing your schedule around it, to learning about procrastination and how to beat it, to getting ahead of distractions, to using the “laundry method” to master email, every chapter was impactful.
I highlighted so much. 🤣
I’ve already put several of these strategies into practice (and seen a change) and can’t wait to implement more.
If you’re an enneagram 1, you’ll especially love “Uptime.”
February 19, 2024
I read a ton of nonfiction books, as you can see from my Goodreads account I read 54 books last year. I have a podcast, Raising Daughters, and am always looking for good books and authors to interview for the show. And I LOVED the new book, Uptime, by Laura Martin. There are so many practical insights and ideas to help you become more balanced and productive in all aspects of your life, i.e. work, family, and personal. This book will be valuable for parents, individuals, people in the workforce, and young adults starting out.
February 16, 2025
"Uptime" est un guide pratique qui aide les individus à optimiser leur productivité personnelle et leur bien-être. Le livre se concentre sur la fourniture de stratégies et de techniques actionnables pour gérer le temps, l'énergie et l'attention de manière plus efficace.
L'auteur, Laura Mae Martin, soutient que les méthodes de productivité traditionnelles donnent souvent la priorité à l'activité plutôt qu'au bien-être, ce qui conduit à l'épuisement professionnel et à une diminution des performances. Au lieu de cela, elle préconise une approche holistique qui intègre les soins personnels, la pleine conscience et la fixation d'objectifs intentionnels.
Le livre est divisé en quatre parties :
1. Comprendre votre temps de disponibilité : cette section aide les lecteurs à identifier leur style de productivité unique, leurs forces et leurs faiblesses.
2. Gérer votre énergie : cette partie fournit des stratégies pour optimiser les niveaux d'énergie, notamment le sommeil, la nutrition, l'exercice et la gestion du stress.
3. Concentrer votre attention : cette section offre des techniques pour améliorer la concentration, prioriser les tâches et minimiser les distractions.
4. Maintenir votre temps de disponibilité : la dernière partie fournit des conseils pour maintenir la motivation, surmonter les obstacles et cultiver une mentalité de croissance.
Au fil du livre, Martin partage des exemples de la vie réelle, des études de cas et des exercices pour aider les lecteurs à appliquer les concepts à leur propre vie. En suivant les principes exposés dans "Uptime", les lecteurs peuvent s'attendre à améliorer leur productivité, réduire le stress et améliorer leur bien-être global.
L'auteur, Laura Mae Martin, soutient que les méthodes de productivité traditionnelles donnent souvent la priorité à l'activité plutôt qu'au bien-être, ce qui conduit à l'épuisement professionnel et à une diminution des performances. Au lieu de cela, elle préconise une approche holistique qui intègre les soins personnels, la pleine conscience et la fixation d'objectifs intentionnels.
Le livre est divisé en quatre parties :
1. Comprendre votre temps de disponibilité : cette section aide les lecteurs à identifier leur style de productivité unique, leurs forces et leurs faiblesses.
2. Gérer votre énergie : cette partie fournit des stratégies pour optimiser les niveaux d'énergie, notamment le sommeil, la nutrition, l'exercice et la gestion du stress.
3. Concentrer votre attention : cette section offre des techniques pour améliorer la concentration, prioriser les tâches et minimiser les distractions.
4. Maintenir votre temps de disponibilité : la dernière partie fournit des conseils pour maintenir la motivation, surmonter les obstacles et cultiver une mentalité de croissance.
Au fil du livre, Martin partage des exemples de la vie réelle, des études de cas et des exercices pour aider les lecteurs à appliquer les concepts à leur propre vie. En suivant les principes exposés dans "Uptime", les lecteurs peuvent s'attendre à améliorer leur productivité, réduire le stress et améliorer leur bien-être global.
April 26, 2024
Practical, down-to-earth, and wise advice for not only getting stuff done, but doing the right stuff at the right time at the right place in the right way — all while keeping in mind what you want your life to be about.
November 30, 2024
An enneagram 1’s dream book
April 5, 2024
Good but the content is already familiar.
January 13, 2025
“It never fails that twenty-four hours later I have a gut feeling of what I should have said or done—and many times it’s the opposite. One of my favorite things to do is to read something that comes into my inbox or listen to a proposal from someone and then let it go without immediately deciding what I am going to do with it”
“Buy yourself time. “It was great to hear about the new tool you’re working on and where you’d like my help. I’m going to think about it and get back to you with the level of commitment I can provide, if any.”
Share your thought process. “Hi! Just reviewing some of my speaking requests and after thinking about it, unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll have time for this, given some of my current priorities. Best of luck with the event!”
“I close my eyes and imagine how things would play out if I said yes, and if I said no. For example, let’s say someone has asked me to travel to be part of an executive summit as a speaker.”
“Blocking your Power Hours for your own work, even one to three times a week, or even just one hour of your three Power Hours, will make a huge difference in how much control you feel over your work and to-do lists.”
“On your Daily List, or any to-do list, you can also write out the time you estimate something will take.”
“A huge part of productivity is being good at estimating how much time something will take because it helps you slot tasks more effectively. ”
“So make sure the things you don’t want interrupting you are more than twenty seconds away.)”
“Buy yourself time. “It was great to hear about the new tool you’re working on and where you’d like my help. I’m going to think about it and get back to you with the level of commitment I can provide, if any.”
Share your thought process. “Hi! Just reviewing some of my speaking requests and after thinking about it, unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll have time for this, given some of my current priorities. Best of luck with the event!”
“I close my eyes and imagine how things would play out if I said yes, and if I said no. For example, let’s say someone has asked me to travel to be part of an executive summit as a speaker.”
“Blocking your Power Hours for your own work, even one to three times a week, or even just one hour of your three Power Hours, will make a huge difference in how much control you feel over your work and to-do lists.”
“On your Daily List, or any to-do list, you can also write out the time you estimate something will take.”
“A huge part of productivity is being good at estimating how much time something will take because it helps you slot tasks more effectively. ”
“So make sure the things you don’t want interrupting you are more than twenty seconds away.)”
May 27, 2026
A fabulous resource with amazing ideas! Changed the way I think about productivity.
July 18, 2024
read this because my boss lent it to me 🫡 but i actually found it to be very useful and inspiring!!! i'm excited to implement some of the author's tips both personally and professionally. i never read this genre, but i genuinely recommend this book. it's short, to the point, and i think everyone can glean at least one thing from it.
September 12, 2024
Read this for some work goal setting inspiration and it did the job. Ground-breaking? No. But it put me in the right headspace and grabbed enough ideas to implement that this felt worth my time.
April 29, 2024
I can't recommend this book enough! This is a refreshing new take on productivity that recognizes the importance of overall wellbeing & in the era of hybrid/remote work. It is filled with practical tips and actionable strategies (for both work and home life) and that are also used by senior level employees at Google. As a working mom with what's felt like never-ending to-do lists, I know I'll be referencing this multiple times in the future as there is so much useful information.
For audiobook listeners, I recommend downloading the attached PDF as it is a very helpful reference paired with the book.
For audiobook listeners, I recommend downloading the attached PDF as it is a very helpful reference paired with the book.
April 10, 2024
Loved it
September 21, 2024
The advice in this book is much of the same things — keep to-do lists, learn to say no, make meeting agendas, maintain work hour boundaries, etc. It's good advice but repetitive if you've ever read any productivity book or watched a productivity video on YouTuber.
I think an issue I had with this book was that it's very obviously written for a specific audience, and I don't think that audience is me. There's the age-old advice that you should pay money to save time and while I understand and agree with the concept here, when combined with just how often the author pats themselves on the back for helping out so many top-level Google executives and being in so high-demand they have to make their trainings more exclusive...there's a level of privilege in her target audience that seems to go completely unaddressed.
You could argue it's not the point of the book and I would accept that — there are definitely certain people that would enjoy this read more than I did.
I think an issue I had with this book was that it's very obviously written for a specific audience, and I don't think that audience is me. There's the age-old advice that you should pay money to save time and while I understand and agree with the concept here, when combined with just how often the author pats themselves on the back for helping out so many top-level Google executives and being in so high-demand they have to make their trainings more exclusive...there's a level of privilege in her target audience that seems to go completely unaddressed.
You could argue it's not the point of the book and I would accept that — there are definitely certain people that would enjoy this read more than I did.
August 13, 2024
good productivity refresher. was gonna be a 3-star, but i loved how she reframes the definition of productivity:
productivity is (1) clearly defining what you want to do, (2) setting the right time and place to do it, and (3) executing well within the designated time.
“I spent last weekend binging TV for 10 hours. And it was one of the most productive days of my life.”
productivity is (1) clearly defining what you want to do, (2) setting the right time and place to do it, and (3) executing well within the designated time.
“I spent last weekend binging TV for 10 hours. And it was one of the most productive days of my life.”
November 24, 2024
This book is a quick read and packed with tips and tricks for saving time and increasing productivity. I ate it up!
This is a must read if you are constantly drowning in emails, always running around but never accomplishing anything, or just need a check in on your efficiency and output.
This book paired with Atomic Habits- you will be unstoppable.
This is a must read if you are constantly drowning in emails, always running around but never accomplishing anything, or just need a check in on your efficiency and output.
This book paired with Atomic Habits- you will be unstoppable.
June 17, 2026
This had much on the professional side of life, contrary to the title siting only personal. I feel no knowledge is ever truly wasted- but as a factory worker I certainly couldn’t relate to chapters about managing work emails or meetings. Still, lots of good advice and ideas here, I think this could be a five star productivity book for someone with an office job
April 19, 2024
It's been a while since I read a productivity book that excited and inspired me. This was a good one -- nothing particularly earth shattering or ground breaking for fans of the genre, but just a solid productivity wellness check that came at an opportune time for me as I seek to add new activities and juggle an increasingly busy schedule coming off a long period where I didn't have as much to manage. I kind of wish I had Laura's job and this book deal...someday!
April 29, 2024
A superb and approachable guide to living a life with greater focus and clarity. Put this one atop your to-do list.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2024
Surprisingly useful!
October 2, 2024
Great book and engaging audiobook, Laura is so inspiring and the way she explains and digs into organization and productivity was so helpful!
March 12, 2025
Lots of good simple tips in here. Listened to, but want to go back and Buy to reference.
March 18, 2025
Not bad, just not my cup of tea
August 31, 2025
LOVED this - such practical advice about productivity, wellbeing, and balance. Highly recommend!
August 26, 2024
Clear, concise and practical. Recommended for all people managers. Intend to implement some of these best practices for myself and my team.
September 30, 2024
Really awesome tips and ideas for being more productive and successful at life. I plan on implementing many of the suggestions in this book to my own life to try to improve myself.
December 28, 2024
4.5 stars. Practical advice that I will try to implement in the new year!
July 24, 2026
One of the best personal/professional development books I’ve ever read. So many great and applicable ideas!
March 26, 2025
Audio, but next time I'll read the digital so I can take notes
Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews