Smarter: 10 lessons for a more productive and less-stressed life

by Emily M. Austen

A practical guide and manifesto for those who want to live and work SMARTER.

Busyness has become a status symbol, colloquially used to intimate success. The 'more is more' philosophy still prevails, running us into the dirt and out of natural energy. We jostle for our position balancing work, family life, fertility, misogyny and mental health, and we have been told that working late, over-caffeinating, being the first in and last out, sacrificing our personal lives, and eating on the go, are conducive to succeeding long-term. But instead, we are burnt-out and less motivated than ever. That's where SMARTER steps in.

SMARTER reframes the idea of over-productivity equalling success, and will ultimately show that those who work smarter, are those who achieve more long-term success. Featuring 10 achievable steps, and the experience of successful entrepreneur, E.M Austen, SMARTER will show you how to reframe previous systems that your brain predicts, switch your mindset from one of scarcity to one of abundance, join the 8am club, conduct a busyness detox, define what success means to you, track your energy not your time, identify and set healthy boundaries, time block, habit pair and switch to mono tasking, and so much more. Inside you'll discover how to embrace your talents, harness your productivity, create a consistent work-life balance and empower you to reach your goals.

This is not for the bare minimum Mondays or the take it easy Tuesdays. It's for those who strive for success; for ambitious women wanting to do it all, those who understand that you have to make a deposit to be able to make a withdrawal. For those who have skin in the game. For the overlooked, the under appreciated. The full timers and the 'not quite made it yetters'. Those looking for a smarter way to do it.

With this essential guide you'll find it's not about unlearning what you've been taught, it's modifying what you already know, so that you can unlock your power and lead a life that's SMARTER.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 7, 2024

Reviews

[Sabina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts of this were great (the focuses on internal monologue, energy tracking and self acceptance) but a lot was fairly rudimentary. It seemed like the author wanted to deviate from ‘high achiever’ advice but still echoed a lot of it, like being on a ~higher vibrational frequency~ than others and making sure to be as productive as possible. If there had been more interrogation into why being a high achiever was so integral to the author’s personality and exactly where the author thought this was unhealthy vs good for you I think it would’ve been good, but as-is it felt half baked :/

[Charlotte Goulding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was happy to see a few things I already do in here and felt happily smug about it.

Mixed bag of helpfulness I’d say.

[Bryan Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

Busyness is cosplay.

Executive Summary

Emily Austen’s Smarter argues that productivity is a function of decisive focus, not heroic output. Here are my favorite elements of her book:

1) The Four Ds: Do, Defer, Delegate, Delete — a fast triage lens for any inbox or backlog.

2) Thinking in Minutes: estimate and schedule in realistic attention units to reduce friction and overblocking.

3) Authentic Efficiency: reject performative busyness and measure value, not visible effort.

4) Rest as Strategy: protect recovery as a prerequisite for high-quality cognition.

Review

I’m Bryan Tanner, an instructional designer who lives inside calendars, kanbans, and course builds. Austen’s premise clicked with how I design learning: cognition happens in pulses, not marathons. Her “thinking in minutes” nudged me to refactor my microlearning sprints into crisp, 12–25 minute packets (called “lessons”) that start with a concrete “definition of done.” The effect mirrors what we see in cognitive load research—short, scoped challenges beat sprawling sessions every time.


The Four Ds are deceptively simple. I embedded them into my design backlog and saw two shifts: I stopped hoarding low-value tasks (“Delete”), and I moved handoff work faster (“Delegate”) with tighter acceptance criteria. I felt the promised emotional relief immediately. Like Austen, I’ve worn busyness as a badge. Naming the costume made it easier to take off.


Austen writes cleaner than most productivity gurus—fewer chest-thumps, more testable moves. Where the book stretches thin is team-level complexity. Coordination costs and interdependencies get lighter treatment than I’d like. Still, the book now sits beside Newport’s Deep Work in my “focus stack,” but with friendlier on-ramps and fewer absolutist rules.

TL;DR

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Practical and paradigm-shifting. I’ll keep the Four Ds and the “minutes mindset” in daily rotation, especially when scoping lessons, sprint reviews, and stakeholder feedback cycles. Read it if you’re tired of feigning busyness and want a cleaner operating system for your time.

Similar Reads

Deep Work by Cal Newport — a rigorous case for sustained focus.

Atomic Habits by James Clear — behavior design that compounds in small steps.

Make Time by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky — tactical attention management for real calendars.

Authorship Note: This review was co-authored using a time-saving GPT I built to help structure and refine my thoughts.

[Jung]

In "Smarter: 10 Lessons for a More Productive and Less-Stressed Life", Emily M. Austen offers a refreshing and practical antidote to burnout culture. She challenges the glorification of overwork and the misguided belief that being perpetually busy equals success. Through her own experiences as an entrepreneur who built a multimillion-dollar agency, Austen reveals how ambition doesn’t have to come at the cost of well-being. Instead, she presents a clear roadmap for breaking free from the cycle of exhaustion, reframing productivity, and learning to work with - rather than against - your natural rhythms. The book dismantles the myth that constant motion leads to progress, showing instead that strategic rest, focused energy, and mindful systems create far greater impact. The essence of Austen’s message is simple yet profound: success isn’t about working harder, it’s about working smarter - with intention, boundaries, and self-awareness.

Austen begins by exposing what she calls the 'busy trap,' the tendency to mistake frantic activity for genuine accomplishment. Many ambitious individuals, she observes, use busyness as a shield - a way to feel important or to avoid facing deeper insecurities about worth and success. She reminds readers that being overwhelmed is not a badge of honor, but a warning sign. Through her 'eight and two' principle, Austen encourages readers to recognize that of every eight tasks on their list, only two should truly be urgent; the rest can wait. By focusing only on what genuinely drives progress, people can release the anxiety of doing everything at once. Her advice to ask 'Will it make the boat go faster?' - borrowed from Olympic rowers - becomes a simple but transformative filter for decision-making. This question helps eliminate meaningless activity and keep focus on what truly contributes to one’s goals. To break free from this addiction to busyness, she suggests a seven-day detox that includes silencing notifications, eliminating the habitual 'I’m busy' response, and tracking when actions are motivated by others’ approval rather than personal value. The goal isn’t to reduce ambition, but to redirect it into actions that actually matter.

From there, Austen introduces one of her most important ideas: that managing energy is far more powerful than managing time. She likens human energy to a phone battery - finite, fluctuating, and requiring regular recharging. Instead of trying to pack more tasks into a day, she urges readers to align work with their natural energy peaks and rest periods. Her four-level system - Silence, Hum, Sing, and Shout - helps individuals recognize their energy states and schedule tasks accordingly. Peak creativity might occur mid-morning for one person, while another might find their focus highest after sunset. Fighting against your natural rhythm, she explains, drains mental capacity and increases stress. Small changes like preparing for the next morning the night before, reducing unnecessary decisions, and maintaining a consistent sleep pattern preserve mental bandwidth. Austen’s larger lesson is that productivity should flow with one’s biology, not against it. When you honor your natural patterns, you accomplish more with less effort and greater satisfaction.

Equally central to Austen’s philosophy is the need to reprogram the inner voice that dictates how we think about success. Most people, she argues, are trapped by self-limiting beliefs - the quiet, constant narrative that says we’re not enough, not ready, or not capable. The fastest way to change outcomes is to change this inner script. She cites studies showing that identity-based language creates real transformation: people who say 'I don’t smoke' quit more successfully than those who say 'I’m trying to quit.' The same mindset applies to productivity - those who see themselves as capable, balanced individuals naturally make better decisions that reinforce that identity. Austen encourages vivid visualization of one’s future self, engaging all the senses to create a mental picture that feels real and attainable. By imagining success in tangible detail, the brain begins to recognize and pursue aligned opportunities. She also emphasizes the power of compassionate self-talk, suggesting that we speak to ourselves as kindly as we would to a friend. Replacing phrases like 'I have to work late' with 'I’m investing in my success' shifts perception from pressure to purpose. Language shapes reality, and by choosing words that signal confidence and abundance, individuals retrain their minds to operate from possibility rather than fear.

Austen’s insights extend into the realm of time perception with her principle that 'minutes matter more than hours.' She exposes how loosely structured time blocks encourage distraction and procrastination, leading to false productivity. By viewing an eight-hour day as 480 minutes, she encourages readers to assign precise time allocations to tasks and to hold themselves accountable with physical timers. This granular approach increases focus and reveals how much time is wasted on low-value activities. More importantly, she connects time management to personal values. When your schedule aligns with what matters most - whether that’s family, creativity, or health - saying no becomes an act of integrity rather than guilt. Honest time tracking not only boosts productivity but restores a sense of control over one’s life.

Another major misconception Austen challenges is the glorification of multitasking. Despite cultural praise for 'doing it all,' neuroscience proves that multitasking is both inefficient and exhausting. The brain doesn’t process multiple complex tasks simultaneously; it switches rapidly between them, reducing performance and increasing stress. Each switch costs focus and energy, making multitaskers 40 percent less efficient. Instead, Austen promotes single-tasking - devoting full attention to one thing at a time. She introduces the 4Ds framework - Do, Defer, Delegate, and Delete - as a tool to prioritize effectively and eliminate unnecessary demands. To make unpleasant tasks easier, she suggests habit pairing, such as combining chores with enjoyable activities like listening to a podcast. These strategies cultivate deep focus, mental clarity, and a calmer working rhythm that sustains long-term success.

Austen also redefines how we relate to emotions, arguing that feelings are not enemies of productivity but essential guides. Logic and emotion must coexist for wise decision-making. She replaces the traditional pros-and-cons list with the 'Pros and Cons Pie,' a visualization exercise where factors are weighted by importance rather than quantity. This helps clarify what truly matters - such as family proximity outweighing salary in a job decision. She applies similar reasoning to life balance, rejecting the idea that all areas must receive equal attention. Through her 'Personal Balance Circle,' Austen teaches readers to allocate focus according to current priorities, acknowledging that imbalance can be healthy and temporary when chosen consciously. The power lies in intentional trade-offs, not rigid equality.

As the book moves toward its conclusion, Austen addresses one of the most insidious habits of modern work culture - what she calls 'productivity theater.' Many people perform busyness to appear valuable, staying late or filling calendars with meaningless tasks. This performative behavior, she warns, creates exhaustion without progress. Her remedy is a shift from outcome obsession to system design. Instead of vision boards that showcase distant dreams, she recommends 'Daily Dos' - small, repeatable habits that shape how each day feels. By focusing on consistent micro-actions, readers cultivate sustainable success rather than chasing unrealistic ideals. She also urges readers to stop measuring themselves against others and to define success personally. Exercises like creating custom definitions of happiness, success, and balance foster authenticity. Complementing this, the 'to-don’t' list helps identify habits and commitments that drain energy, such as unnecessary social media or people-pleasing. True productivity, Austen concludes, is about subtraction - removing distractions and self-imposed obligations to make space for what truly fulfills you.

In short, the 10 lessons from the book by Emily M. Austen are:

1. Track your energy, not just your time - match demanding tasks with your peak focus hours and use low-energy times for lighter work.
2. Forget rigid routines like the '5 a.m. club' - build a schedule that fits your personal rhythm and lifestyle.
3. Do a busyness detox - cut out tasks and commitments that look productive but add little real value.
4. Redefine success on your own terms instead of chasing external approval or arbitrary productivity standards.
5. Set clear boundaries to protect your time, focus, and mental well-being from unnecessary overload.
6. Use time-blocking and habit-pairing to create structure - dedicate blocks for deep work and connect good habits to existing routines.
7. Replace multitasking with monotasking - focus on one task at a time for higher quality results and less mental fatigue.
8. Build your workflow around your strengths and natural abilities rather than trying to force what doesn’t suit you.
9. Aim for consistency over intensity - sustainable progress is more effective than short bursts of overwork followed by burnout.
10. Adopt a mindset of choice and abundance - focus on what truly matters, delegate or delete the rest, and let go of perfectionism.

Ultimately, "Smarter: 10 Lessons for a More Productive and Less-Stressed Life" redefines what it means to achieve. It’s not about squeezing more output from every hour, but about designing a life that honors your energy, values, and individuality. Through practical frameworks and compassionate insight, Emily Austen shows how to trade stress for strategy, chaos for clarity, and burnout for balance. Her message resonates deeply in an age obsessed with constant hustle: that genuine success is not found in endless striving, but in intentional living. By mastering energy management, focusing on single tasks, transforming inner dialogue, and redefining success on your own terms, anyone can build a life that is both ambitious and sustainable. In the end, Austen reminds readers that the smartest way to work - and to live - is to create systems that support joy, focus, and purpose, proving that real productivity begins when we stop performing and start truly living.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw Smarter available for review at a time when I was feeling overwhelmed by things I had to do and constantly fatigued, so I wondered if it would contain any useful advice for me. The answer: maybe, but not as much as I'd hoped. Let me reverse my usual practices and do the negatives first, and in this case the main negative was that the information in the book was already 85% familiar to me. If you have read even one book on this basic topic in the past you'll already have encountered a large number of the ideas presented. The other thing I struggled with was the author's digressions into complaining about how women have it tougher on multiple occasions. I felt that was not the purpose of the book and that these feminist messages diverged too much from what I had wanted to learn from the text. For the positives, the book was generally well presented, the information clear, and one or two ideas were new to me or at least different takes on things I had heard before. One of the ideas I will try to incorporate into my own life to see if it helps me. Overall, I am giving this book 3 stars. It may not be worth reading if you have already read extensively on this theme, but if you are new to it, this book contains many ideas you may find interesting.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jako osoba wiecznie zabiegana, zdecydowanie powinnam robić coś sprytniej, by znaleźć chwilę dla siebie, podeszłam więc do tej książki dość wymagająco. Sam opis mnie przekonuje, mają to nie być kolejne złote rady z Instagrama, z których i tak nic nie wynika, a ma być to konkret. Zainteresowani? Ja bardzo.
No to teraz co najbardziej spodobało mi się w tej książce, mianowicie mierzenie nie czasu, a energii. Sama zauważyłam, że staram się najtrudniejsze rzeczy wykonywać rano, gdy tej energii mam najwięcej, bo po południu moja produktywność leci w dół. Może być tak, że nasza wewnętrzna energia nie jest utrzymywana cały czas tak samo i zapewne w różnych momentach życia może wyglądać różnie. To ważne by zaobserwować ile jej mamy, by móc jak najpełniej z niej korzystać.
Mamy tu też konkretne 10 kroków do zmiany, ja uwielbiam konkrety, a ćwiczenia w niej zawarte sprawiają, że naprawdę zaczynamy wdrażać plan w życie. Co prawda nie wszystkie wskazówki do mnie docierają, mam poczucie "ok, rozumiem, ale...".
Gdybym miała bardzo uporządkowane życie, być może łatwiej byłoby mi pracować z tą książką. Ja natomiast robię wiele rzeczy jednocześnie, każdy dzień wygląda u mnie inaczej, czasami pracuje mniej, a czasem więcej, muszę znaleźć czas na dom i dziecko. I ja rozumiem, że czasem moja energia jest już zupełnie wyczerpana, ale są takie sytuacje, że po prostu trzeba wykrzesać z siebie ostatnie iskry by coś domknąć.
Mam poczucie, że ta książka nie do końca sprawi, że będziemy bardziej produktywni, ale może zmieni nasz punkt widzenia. Może odkryjemy, że nie musimy być cały czas w biegu i ciągle czegoś robić?
To co cenie w tej książce to nie kolejny poradnik "mocniej, więcej, szybciej" ale bardziej w stylu "mądrzej, w swoim czasie, świadomie". To przypomnienie, że mogę działać, ale nie muszę poświęcać zdrowia dla efektywności.
Polecam jeśli jesteście na etapie, kiedy czujecie, że dzień to lista zadań, a nie życie. Ale z zastrzeżeniem, jeśli jesteście w środku totalnego chaosu, to może być dla trudno zastosować wszystko od razu.

[Joanna Mucha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kiedy ostatni raz robiłaś coś dla siebie, a nie dla kolejnej pozycji z listy zadań?

Poradnik, który podchodzi do tematu produktywności z niezwykłą lekkością i empatią. Autorka nie sprzedaje złudzeń o tym, że możemy wcisnąć w dobę więcej zadań. Zamiast tego zaprasza nas do świata, w którym ważniejsze od robienia jest mądre działanie. Jeśli nosisz w sobie poczucie ciągłego zabiegania, presji i wiecznego biegu bez tchu, tę książkę czyta się jak oddech ulgi. Zwalnia, porządkuje i przypomina, że można inaczej.

Największą wartością poradnika jest jego praktyczność. Autorka proponuje konkretne, proste narzędzia, które można wdrożyć właściwie od zaraz. Jak chociażby zasadę natychmiastowego wykonywania drobiazgów zajmujących kilka sekund. Z kolei pomysł stworzenia „listy rzeczy do nierobienia” to mała rewolucja. Pozwala nam świadomie rezygnować z zadań, które pochłaniają energię, a nie przynoszą żadnej wartości.

Choć książka pełna jest inspiracji, momentami można poczuć, że niektóre wątki zostały jedynie zarysowane. Autorka wskazuje kierunek, ale nie zawsze prowadzi czytelnika krok po kroku przez trudniejsze procesy wewnętrzne. Rady typu „zrozum swój lęk” czy „pozwól sobie na luz” są trafne, lecz nie każdemu wystarczy ogólna sugestia. Czasem potrzebujemy bardziej szczegółowej mapy.

Książka jest jak rozmowa z dobrą znajomą, która nie udaje, że zna wszystkie odpowiedzi, ale potrafi zapalić Ci w głowie światło w odpowiednim miejscu. To poradnik dla kobiet, które chcą realizować swoje cele bez wypalania się po drodze. Dla tych, które czują, że „moda na bycie zapracowaną” już im nie służy. Nie obiecuje cudów, ale zmianę, jeśli tylko pozwolisz sobie zrobić pierwszy krok.

[Valeria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new or revolutionary. The 80% of the book are ideas borrowed from other authors and already known. I give it 3 stars only because it’s well written and practical, it gives real tips that can be easily applied. But if you have read other books on the subject, you can definitely skip this one.

[Beverly Barta · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pithy advice is to be observant of your hi & low energy states.
Many may already subconsciously do this, like not making financial decisions late in the afternoon. And, being aware of creative pings early in the morning.

Aside from noting one’s typical energy states (which are not dissimilar to Montessori sensitive periods) the author had nothing new to offer me.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It's the first one that DIDN'T recommend waking up at 5 am to get everything done before work, but emphasized the importance of sleep and being well rested in productivity. A lot of points resonated with me.

[Maya Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Everyone should read this book. It’s amazing!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually Practical. Every tip she gives is entirely customizable.
Looking for a better start to optimize productivity? Start with this.

[Emma Boyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good reminder of things we should be doing a business owners ; lots of stuff I knew already but good to be told it from someone so successful that hustle culture isnt and shouldn't be the be all and end all
I found the first half quite interesting and insightful and thought the last 40% ish to be little bit surface level and not really delving into topics fully. However, that could be that parts were written for company owners with staff etc rather than sole traders (which is obv a me problem), found the few digs at personal trainers harsh hahaha

Unsure what rating just now; did read this in bits across a few months which could be why I'm struggling to decide.

[Ashleigh Spiliopoulou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book every ambitious woman needs 💥 so honest, practical & easy to read, I felt so motivated after it and will definitely be using the smarter method to improve my work/life balance going forward 🩵