What do you think?
Rate this book
Praxis #1
Design Your Work: Praxis Volume 1
After returning from the Peace Corps in 2011, Tiago Forte moved to San Francisco to join a product development consulting firm. There he learned the power of design in helping some of the world’s most innovative companies bring new products to market. Working amidst technology startups in the heart of Silicon Valley, and later starting his own productivity training business, Forte Labs, he became obsessed with a single “What is the future of work?” Design Your Work chronicles his journey to answer that question, in 16 essays written between 2014 and 2016. Previously published on the Praxis blog, they’ve been edited and updated here for clarity and accuracy. The essays touch on topics ranging from meditation to science fiction, habit formation to network science, metaphysics to gratitude, organizational theory to email workflows, innovation to mood-hacking, and much more. Tiago’s writing reflects his unusual ability to connect the abstract and the practical, and converges on a the theory and practice of modern knowledge work − how it is defined, how it is practiced, and how it is evolving. This collection explores an overarching that you can design your work. You can adapt, tweak, customize, and reframe any part of it, from how you process emails, to how you organize information, to how you structure your attention, to how you measure your performance.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 21, 2017
294 people are currently reading
700 people want to read
About the author
Tiago Forte
14 books1,574 followersTiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity and has taught thousands of people around the world how timeless principles and the latest technology can revolutionize their productivity, creativity, and personal effectiveness.
He has worked with organizations such as Genentech, Toyota Motor Corporation, and the Inter-American Development Bank, and appeared in a variety of publications, such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harvard Business Review. Find out more at Fortelabs.com.
He has worked with organizations such as Genentech, Toyota Motor Corporation, and the Inter-American Development Bank, and appeared in a variety of publications, such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harvard Business Review. Find out more at Fortelabs.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 17, 2018
Tiago Forte (@fortelabs) is one of the experts in what I call modern productivity. Some others I put in this category are David Allen (@GTDguy, probably the pioneer of this era, with his Getting Things Done book), Taylor Pearson (@TaylorPearsonMe), Graham Allcott (author of Ninja Productivity), Shane Parrish (@farnamstreet), and Eric Barker (@bakadesuyo).
A quick explanation of what I call "modern productivity". Some people's entire conception of time management stops at what they call Covey's Urgent-Important 2X2 grid (properly attributed as the Eisenhower matrix) but traditional 20th century time management books (and I have read a dozen of them) did not have the benefit of recent neuroscience and behavioral research nor did they have the context of the always-connected, FOMO-inducing social media and devices that have taken over our lives and minds. The above-mentioned gurus mine recent research to provide profound perspectives and practical hacks in areas such as habit installation, work-life-passion integration, and creative workflow management in all areas of our lives.
The volume being reviewed is a Kindle collection of essays by Tiago that he wrote as blog posts. It outlines his view on modern workplace and individual aspirations, posts explaining his initial and original take on organizing workflows, habits, happiness, his experience with the secular meditation practice in a Vipassana retreat, and specific aspects of using Evernote (one of the top productivity apps) and tags.
It is a good introduction to modern productivity and many of us would like the non-preachy, curious experimenter style of writing that Tiago has. A while ago I tweeted that he is on his way to become a much more famous productivity guru. Recently (mid-2018) his second volume of premium blog posts got published (titled, Extend Your Mind) on Kindle and a book is in the making, too.
A quick explanation of what I call "modern productivity". Some people's entire conception of time management stops at what they call Covey's Urgent-Important 2X2 grid (properly attributed as the Eisenhower matrix) but traditional 20th century time management books (and I have read a dozen of them) did not have the benefit of recent neuroscience and behavioral research nor did they have the context of the always-connected, FOMO-inducing social media and devices that have taken over our lives and minds. The above-mentioned gurus mine recent research to provide profound perspectives and practical hacks in areas such as habit installation, work-life-passion integration, and creative workflow management in all areas of our lives.
The volume being reviewed is a Kindle collection of essays by Tiago that he wrote as blog posts. It outlines his view on modern workplace and individual aspirations, posts explaining his initial and original take on organizing workflows, habits, happiness, his experience with the secular meditation practice in a Vipassana retreat, and specific aspects of using Evernote (one of the top productivity apps) and tags.
It is a good introduction to modern productivity and many of us would like the non-preachy, curious experimenter style of writing that Tiago has. A while ago I tweeted that he is on his way to become a much more famous productivity guru. Recently (mid-2018) his second volume of premium blog posts got published (titled, Extend Your Mind) on Kindle and a book is in the making, too.
September 24, 2018
I probably would have not finished this book if it was only about business/productivity. I find most books like that are a handful of ideas at most, then long anecdotes to confirm the author's perspective/bias. Zzzzzzz. Tiago brings a fresh and creative angle to making information work for you. I've been trying to "Build a second brain" outside of my head (to forget and have beginner's mind) the last 10 years and his system has influenced the way I've been doing it.
Basic outline:
Compressing thoughts and information into notes that connect out like a constellation.
Distilling the core parts that will be useful and inspiring to your future self.
Combining the bits into something deliverable like a product, podcast, etc.
In an increasingly noisy/algorithmic world having a system to capture things that matter and ways to quickly pull those back up so you can act on them spontaneously is going to be important.
Similar to generative music popularized by Brian Eno, you plant seeds, let them grow and push them in new directions. It's my belief that working with technology like this, will be one of the few ways to have an advantage over technology.
Basic outline:
Compressing thoughts and information into notes that connect out like a constellation.
Distilling the core parts that will be useful and inspiring to your future self.
Combining the bits into something deliverable like a product, podcast, etc.
In an increasingly noisy/algorithmic world having a system to capture things that matter and ways to quickly pull those back up so you can act on them spontaneously is going to be important.
Similar to generative music popularized by Brian Eno, you plant seeds, let them grow and push them in new directions. It's my belief that working with technology like this, will be one of the few ways to have an advantage over technology.
October 26, 2017
Some really innovative and deep ideas here; a rare occurrence in this space of work/creativity/productivity. A couple that really stood out to me:
1. The importance of mood in triggering certain types of work/ideas. In retrospect it sounds bloody obvious, but if you keep this in mind when deciding on what task to do next, you can either adjust your mood or task accordingly, to get better results (or experiment and get unexpected results).
2. Habits as emergent phenomena. From environment, beliefs, precedence and cognitive structures. One of the most surpassing ways of changing this is via major disruption IE moving or news of a disease. This furthers the antifragility + tribe thesis I am so confused about.
3. The importance of narrative in our behaviours. I knew of this already but it's importance being highlighted through a few examples that resonated with me sealed the deal. For instance, is willpower finite or not? Your belief will strongly affect how you act in this regard. Regardless of the 'science'.
Overall a great set of essays.
1. The importance of mood in triggering certain types of work/ideas. In retrospect it sounds bloody obvious, but if you keep this in mind when deciding on what task to do next, you can either adjust your mood or task accordingly, to get better results (or experiment and get unexpected results).
2. Habits as emergent phenomena. From environment, beliefs, precedence and cognitive structures. One of the most surpassing ways of changing this is via major disruption IE moving or news of a disease. This furthers the antifragility + tribe thesis I am so confused about.
3. The importance of narrative in our behaviours. I knew of this already but it's importance being highlighted through a few examples that resonated with me sealed the deal. For instance, is willpower finite or not? Your belief will strongly affect how you act in this regard. Regardless of the 'science'.
Overall a great set of essays.
January 30, 2023
2.5
Oh my god. This book is too much for me. Too many ideas left undeveloped. Tips are taken from the author's own system which is much different from mine so those are inapplicable. The author tone is also too enthusiastic, which is a turn-off for me considering this is a self-help book.
Having said that, I can't deny I still managed to get some useful ideas from this book. However I won't recommend this to anyone. System Thinking and Deep Work do a much better job in helping improve system.
This book is a nice collection of ideas but nothing more.
Oh my god. This book is too much for me. Too many ideas left undeveloped. Tips are taken from the author's own system which is much different from mine so those are inapplicable. The author tone is also too enthusiastic, which is a turn-off for me considering this is a self-help book.
Having said that, I can't deny I still managed to get some useful ideas from this book. However I won't recommend this to anyone. System Thinking and Deep Work do a much better job in helping improve system.
This book is a nice collection of ideas but nothing more.
November 28, 2017
A unique take on productivity, habits, and work
The main thrust: productivity is an emergent behavior, not isolated 'tips' and 'hacks'.
If Forte's manifesto resonates with you, you'll enjoy this collection of articles:
https://praxis.fortelabs.co/a-manifes...
The main thrust: productivity is an emergent behavior, not isolated 'tips' and 'hacks'.
If Forte's manifesto resonates with you, you'll enjoy this collection of articles:
https://praxis.fortelabs.co/a-manifes...
October 24, 2017
I feel at least 2 times smarter after reading
Every single article (i.e. essay) is a mind-trip. It will challenge your thinking while being surprisingly simple to apply the ideas.
Every single article (i.e. essay) is a mind-trip. It will challenge your thinking while being surprisingly simple to apply the ideas.
February 19, 2020
Machtig veel geleerd, smaakt naar meer.
November 30, 2021
Very good insights, but too technical at times
Like the title said, I felt there was great information here but the author often uses very technical language, and at times I felt the book was too wordy. It's the inverse (but just as bad) problem as being too flowery with language. His way of thinking these ideas though probably led to some of his insights and I recommend the book.
It's set up in mostly unrelated chapters so you can go thru it at your own pace or pick the parts you like
Recommended
Like the title said, I felt there was great information here but the author often uses very technical language, and at times I felt the book was too wordy. It's the inverse (but just as bad) problem as being too flowery with language. His way of thinking these ideas though probably led to some of his insights and I recommend the book.
It's set up in mostly unrelated chapters so you can go thru it at your own pace or pick the parts you like
Recommended
March 31, 2021
A Broad Mix of Topics
I greatly enjoyed the productivity tips and the mix of topics at times were enlightening and other times the items were distracting. I read the Kindle version of this book and the greatest majority of links did not work.
I greatly enjoyed the productivity tips and the mix of topics at times were enlightening and other times the items were distracting. I read the Kindle version of this book and the greatest majority of links did not work.
December 13, 2022
Libro molto interessante questo Praxis volume 1.
Argomenti affrontati con testa e approccio pratico, cosa molto rara. Alcune parti sono riuscite ad applicarle quasi subito, altre le devo rileggere e sistemare, ma se portano ai risultati promessi il libro potrebbe diventare un Must have. Anche la formula "raccolta di articoli di blog" - che potrebbe far storcere il naso a qualcuno - la trovo vincente: si perde molto meno in chiacchere rispetto a molti altri autori (Ryan Holiday style) e si va subito al succo. E' un peccato che sia solo in formato digitale dato che alcune parti avrei avuto bisogno di scorrerle più volte per impararle e con gli ebook non mi trovo bene.
Il suo libro Building a second Brain riprende ed espande alcuni dei temi di questo libro.
Argomenti affrontati con testa e approccio pratico, cosa molto rara. Alcune parti sono riuscite ad applicarle quasi subito, altre le devo rileggere e sistemare, ma se portano ai risultati promessi il libro potrebbe diventare un Must have. Anche la formula "raccolta di articoli di blog" - che potrebbe far storcere il naso a qualcuno - la trovo vincente: si perde molto meno in chiacchere rispetto a molti altri autori (Ryan Holiday style) e si va subito al succo. E' un peccato che sia solo in formato digitale dato che alcune parti avrei avuto bisogno di scorrerle più volte per impararle e con gli ebook non mi trovo bene.
Il suo libro Building a second Brain riprende ed espande alcuni dei temi di questo libro.
October 21, 2017
A fresh approach to design and productivity.
Tiago's writings are a collection of triggers that stimulate the mind to see things differently.
Tiago's writings are a collection of triggers that stimulate the mind to see things differently.
June 19, 2018
Unclear objective but with some helpful hints and words for thought.
October 9, 2020
DONT TAG
THE HABITH GRAF WHICH HABIT IS THE CORE HABIT ( GET UP EARLY SO YOU CAN RUN EXERCIZE WRITE AND ....)
ZERO INBOX
DO WHAT PLEASES YOU
FOCUS FOR LONG TIME ?
THE HABITH GRAF WHICH HABIT IS THE CORE HABIT ( GET UP EARLY SO YOU CAN RUN EXERCIZE WRITE AND ....)
ZERO INBOX
DO WHAT PLEASES YOU
FOCUS FOR LONG TIME ?
October 17, 2022
Praxis is a very interesting and productive series by Forte Tiago. His series talking about how to build a second Brain and start in the creative and beautiful journey of PKM. (Personal Knowledge Management)
October 5, 2021
This book is a collection of Tiago Forte's blog posts/essays about knowledge work. Reading Forte is always an experience for me because I find it challenging to determine whether he's written something brilliant or completely bullshit; however, I'm deeply interested in knowledge work and his writing has exposed me to lots of new ideas and frameworks. As an actual book, the collection was not that cohesive. I liked "The Secret Power of Read It Later Apps" and "Productivity for Precious Snowflakes" the most.
Let's rewind a bit. Productivity as we know it is based on delayed gratification, which described a world that was predictable and structured. It was clear what you had to do and in what order — it was just a matter of scheduling and pain tolerance. But delayed gratification is obsolete in a world dominated by VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity), because the pain you're pulling into the present might not even be necessary, and the gratification you're pushing into the future might never materialize. It is not at all clear what must be done and in what order; in fact, it becomes ever more clear that most of the tasks we execute don’t make much of a difference, while a tiny percentage randomly and dramatically influence the course of our work and our lives. It makes sense to invest more and more resources in making that distinction, because the absolute fastest way to complete a task or reach an objective is to realize you don’t have to.
Let's rewind a bit. Productivity as we know it is based on delayed gratification, which described a world that was predictable and structured. It was clear what you had to do and in what order — it was just a matter of scheduling and pain tolerance. But delayed gratification is obsolete in a world dominated by VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity), because the pain you're pulling into the present might not even be necessary, and the gratification you're pushing into the future might never materialize. It is not at all clear what must be done and in what order; in fact, it becomes ever more clear that most of the tasks we execute don’t make much of a difference, while a tiny percentage randomly and dramatically influence the course of our work and our lives. It makes sense to invest more and more resources in making that distinction, because the absolute fastest way to complete a task or reach an objective is to realize you don’t have to.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews