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Mind Management, Not Time Management: Productivity When Creativity Matters
OVER 40,000 COPIES SOLD“An exhilarating but highly structured approach to the creative use of time. Kadavy’s approach is likely to spark a new evaluation of conventional time management.”—Kirkus Reviews
You have the TIME. Do you have the ENERGY?
You’ve done everything you can to save time. Every productivity tip, every “life hack,” every time management technique.
But the more time you save, the less time you have. The more overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted you feel.
“Time management” is squeezing blood from a stone.
Introducing a new approach to productivity. Instead of struggling to get more out of your time, start effortlessly getting more out of your mind.
In Mind Management, Not Time Management, best-selling author David Kadavy shares the fruits of his decade-long deep dive into how to truly be productive in a constantly changing world.
Quit your daily routine. Use the hidden patterns all around you as launchpads to skyrocket your productivity.Do in only five minutes what used to take all day. Let your “passive genius” do your best thinking when you’re not even thinking.“Writer’s block” is a myth. Learn a timeless lesson from the 19th century’s most underrated scientist.Wield all of the power of technology, with none of the distractions. An obscure but inexpensive gadget may be the shortcut to your superpowers.Keep going, even when chaos strikes. Tap into the unexpected to find your next Big Idea.Mind Management, Not Time Management isn’t your typical productivity book. It’s a gripping page-turner chronicling Kadavy’s global search for the keys to unlock the future of productivity.
You’ll learn faster, make better decisions, and turn your best ideas into reality. Buy it and start reading today.
You have the TIME. Do you have the ENERGY?
You’ve done everything you can to save time. Every productivity tip, every “life hack,” every time management technique.
But the more time you save, the less time you have. The more overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted you feel.
“Time management” is squeezing blood from a stone.
Introducing a new approach to productivity. Instead of struggling to get more out of your time, start effortlessly getting more out of your mind.
In Mind Management, Not Time Management, best-selling author David Kadavy shares the fruits of his decade-long deep dive into how to truly be productive in a constantly changing world.
Quit your daily routine. Use the hidden patterns all around you as launchpads to skyrocket your productivity.Do in only five minutes what used to take all day. Let your “passive genius” do your best thinking when you’re not even thinking.“Writer’s block” is a myth. Learn a timeless lesson from the 19th century’s most underrated scientist.Wield all of the power of technology, with none of the distractions. An obscure but inexpensive gadget may be the shortcut to your superpowers.Keep going, even when chaos strikes. Tap into the unexpected to find your next Big Idea.Mind Management, Not Time Management isn’t your typical productivity book. It’s a gripping page-turner chronicling Kadavy’s global search for the keys to unlock the future of productivity.
You’ll learn faster, make better decisions, and turn your best ideas into reality. Buy it and start reading today.
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2020
1247 people are currently reading
8206 people want to read
About the author
David Kadavy
26 books278 followersDavid Kadavy (@kadavy) is a bestselling author, blogger, podcaster, and speaker. Through his blogging at kadavy.net and his podcast, Love Your Work, he helps people find satisfaction through following their crafts, even if it takes them down unconventional paths. David's writing has appeared in Quartz, Observer, Inc.com, The Huffington Post, McSweeny’s Internet Tendency, and Upworthy. He has spoken in eight countries, including appearances at SXSW at TEDx. He lives in Medellín, Colombia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
November 12, 2020
I enjoyed the book and also felt it was a bit too long.
Mind management is very interesting and the thoughts on it in this book are similar to ones I’ve developed over the years. It wasn’t exactly clear to me what mastering your mind meant by the end of the book though.
There were a number of practical ideas all crowded into small chapters with personal stories which made it difficult to follow. Some of the stories felt a bit extended by the end of the chapter. My one takeaway from this book is that I wish it was a bit more organized, it felt a bit all over the place although the content was great!
Thanks for the book David!
Mind management is very interesting and the thoughts on it in this book are similar to ones I’ve developed over the years. It wasn’t exactly clear to me what mastering your mind meant by the end of the book though.
There were a number of practical ideas all crowded into small chapters with personal stories which made it difficult to follow. Some of the stories felt a bit extended by the end of the chapter. My one takeaway from this book is that I wish it was a bit more organized, it felt a bit all over the place although the content was great!
Thanks for the book David!
May 4, 2022
Kadavy enjoys two things: namedropping others and writing about himself. This could, and should, have been a blog post
November 13, 2020
Here's another go-to book to add to my author entrepreneur reference shelf. I've been listening to David Kadavy's podcast for a long time, and I'm very glad he published this book because I always had the impression that a lot of what worked for him would also work well for me.
And that, really, is the beauty of Mind Management, Not Time Management. Like many books, it is about getting things done, but it faithfully serves its specific audience: creatives. Synthesizing many core ideas from other productivity books (as a lot of my favorite nonfiction books nowadays do) as well as Kadavy's own insights, this is the book I needed to form a more effective writing practice.
The structure of Kadavy's approach to creative work is incredibly flexible, giving you a concrete place to start with your efforts while also leaving room to shape every part of the process to your specific needs.
The recap of the central concepts at the end of the book is especially helpful for putting Kadavy's approach into practice. Becoming a happier, more productive creative feels more doable than ever.
And that, really, is the beauty of Mind Management, Not Time Management. Like many books, it is about getting things done, but it faithfully serves its specific audience: creatives. Synthesizing many core ideas from other productivity books (as a lot of my favorite nonfiction books nowadays do) as well as Kadavy's own insights, this is the book I needed to form a more effective writing practice.
The structure of Kadavy's approach to creative work is incredibly flexible, giving you a concrete place to start with your efforts while also leaving room to shape every part of the process to your specific needs.
The recap of the central concepts at the end of the book is especially helpful for putting Kadavy's approach into practice. Becoming a happier, more productive creative feels more doable than ever.
December 25, 2022
I understand how the author perfected his own creativity system, and there are some useful nuggets there, but is it something applicable to every life? I doubt it. At points, it felt like a privileged person’s obsession with creating the perfect system to nurture and replenish creativity. It only became relatable when the author opened up to share his own vulnerability. Yes systems, rituals, whatever you may call it etc do help, but I find them not repeatable. What we learn here is a quite long tale of at the end it’s about breathing in life and whatever it may bring, being kind to others and ourselves and finding our own rhythm to produce what we can be proud of.
July 7, 2021
Excellent book. This reading give me some nice examples of how our mood and spiritual state can relate with our performance in any task. More than manage our time, we should be able to identify our mental state to execute the tasks that better fits to each one. Understand and control our mind is for sure something that worth the reading.
February 7, 2022
The author shows how he developed systems and hacks to increase his productivity while working on creative projects. I particularly enjoyed the Four Stages of Creativity, the Seven Mental States of Creative Work, the Minimum Creative Dose, and the Creative Sweet Spot. Lots of good stuff here, along with interesting information about the author’s life. While I enjoyed this book and found some good tips, I liked the previous book in the series, THE HEART TO START, even more.
August 16, 2022
Loved the book, we all have 24 hours a day but not all hours in those 24 hours are equal… it’s not your typical productivity style book, it links productivity with the state of mind and mood you are in which is key… life is not about waking up an hour earlier or spending more time doing things to be productive, it all depends on how you manage to be in the right state of mind to deliver something…
August 13, 2021
Fine. Didn't speak to me.
March 28, 2023
Love the ideas in this book! I had been excited to read this since I saw @alexandbooks_ post about it ages ago and am glad I finally read it :)
I feel there is ALOT of valuable content in this book but it was less immediately actionable than I would have hoped, since David tells many stories along the way. Whilst this made it an easy read, I’ll have to go back through my notes to apply what I’ve learnt. I’d still recommend though!
I feel there is ALOT of valuable content in this book but it was less immediately actionable than I would have hoped, since David tells many stories along the way. Whilst this made it an easy read, I’ll have to go back through my notes to apply what I’ve learnt. I’d still recommend though!
April 17, 2023
This may be the best book on productivity and time management I've read. I would probably recommend this before reading Deep Work, Atomic Habits, and The 12 Week Year (though I did get a lot out of all of those books as well).
I'm going to be gradually shifting my work practices for a while based on the ideas in this book.
I'm going to be gradually shifting my work practices for a while based on the ideas in this book.
May 19, 2022
It started of well but the last part became overwhelming .
August 27, 2025
2.5/5
Pick đại một cuốn trong tủ sách của bố để đổi gió, mixed feelings, càng đọc về cuối càng nản.
Điểm sáng: có một số concept về productivity khá hay mà mình có thể áp dụng luôn như là
1 - hiệu quả làm việc mỗi giờ trong ngày, hay mỗi ngày trong tuần là khác nhau => cần quan sát bản thân để tối ưu loại công việc mình nên làm ở mỗi thời điểm
2 - đặt mình vào đúng trạng thái tinh thần phù hợp với task sẽ giúp mình hiệu quả hơn
3 - môi trường xung quanh ảnh hưởng đến trạng thái tinh thần -> set up môi trường để set the mood for the task
4 - không phải cứ ngồi tập trung là sẽ sáng tạo/ tạo ra được sản phẩm => mình phải có đủ sự chuẩn bị, nghiền ngầm, tạo không gian nghỉ ngơi để ý tưởng đến dễ dàng hơn
Điểm trừ:
1 - nhiều personal stories không thực sự liên quan đến conclusion của chương đó, cảm giác không logic lắm
2 - có quá nhiều concepts mượn từ những cuốn sách khác và chỉ phát triển thêm chút hoặc twist nó đi một tí
Pick đại một cuốn trong tủ sách của bố để đổi gió, mixed feelings, càng đọc về cuối càng nản.
Điểm sáng: có một số concept về productivity khá hay mà mình có thể áp dụng luôn như là
1 - hiệu quả làm việc mỗi giờ trong ngày, hay mỗi ngày trong tuần là khác nhau => cần quan sát bản thân để tối ưu loại công việc mình nên làm ở mỗi thời điểm
2 - đặt mình vào đúng trạng thái tinh thần phù hợp với task sẽ giúp mình hiệu quả hơn
3 - môi trường xung quanh ảnh hưởng đến trạng thái tinh thần -> set up môi trường để set the mood for the task
4 - không phải cứ ngồi tập trung là sẽ sáng tạo/ tạo ra được sản phẩm => mình phải có đủ sự chuẩn bị, nghiền ngầm, tạo không gian nghỉ ngơi để ý tưởng đến dễ dàng hơn
Điểm trừ:
1 - nhiều personal stories không thực sự liên quan đến conclusion của chương đó, cảm giác không logic lắm
2 - có quá nhiều concepts mượn từ những cuốn sách khác và chỉ phát triển thêm chút hoặc twist nó đi một tí
February 1, 2023
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. —Robert Louis Stevenson
As busy people we have all manner of methods for managing our time. For some…of a certain age, we had day-planners. Expensive notebooks with annual inserts to keep track of our time and our daily tasks. In the past two decades we have seen the introduction of digital assistants, smartphones, and smart watches. All offering tools and resources for making better use of our time. For some, these tools are to increase free-time and for others, it increases productivity.
We have the gall to refer to unused time as “free” time. Do we call our unused money “free” money? No! Ironic, in a world where “time is money. ― David Kadavy,
In Mind Management, Not Time Management author David Kadavy offers insight into managing our thought processes and our approach to creativity. The premise that really stands out is that not all time is created equal. Kadavy explains that we often cite the concept that we all have the same 24 hours per day which can lead us to falsely assume that they are created equal and we can simply map out the hours to schedule all that we must do. However, Kadavy will walk readers through his research and show how some time is better for some tasks for some individuals compared to others. As a result, if we can structure our time to take advantage of these differences we may see exponential results. A simple example is how one person can benefit from and thrive on early morning exercise. However, if that exercise were to be scheduled at another time of day, its benefits would be reduced.
If we are truly to get the most out of this life, we must take the time to understand how we function at our best and begin to allow that to be the basis of how we use our time.
Your edge as a human is not in doing something quickly. No matter how fast you move, a computer can move faster. Your edge as a human is in thinking the thoughts behind the doing. ― David Kadavy
As busy people we have all manner of methods for managing our time. For some…of a certain age, we had day-planners. Expensive notebooks with annual inserts to keep track of our time and our daily tasks. In the past two decades we have seen the introduction of digital assistants, smartphones, and smart watches. All offering tools and resources for making better use of our time. For some, these tools are to increase free-time and for others, it increases productivity.
We have the gall to refer to unused time as “free” time. Do we call our unused money “free” money? No! Ironic, in a world where “time is money. ― David Kadavy,
In Mind Management, Not Time Management author David Kadavy offers insight into managing our thought processes and our approach to creativity. The premise that really stands out is that not all time is created equal. Kadavy explains that we often cite the concept that we all have the same 24 hours per day which can lead us to falsely assume that they are created equal and we can simply map out the hours to schedule all that we must do. However, Kadavy will walk readers through his research and show how some time is better for some tasks for some individuals compared to others. As a result, if we can structure our time to take advantage of these differences we may see exponential results. A simple example is how one person can benefit from and thrive on early morning exercise. However, if that exercise were to be scheduled at another time of day, its benefits would be reduced.
If we are truly to get the most out of this life, we must take the time to understand how we function at our best and begin to allow that to be the basis of how we use our time.
Your edge as a human is not in doing something quickly. No matter how fast you move, a computer can move faster. Your edge as a human is in thinking the thoughts behind the doing. ― David Kadavy
April 12, 2024
I learned the idea of incubation of an idea after giving your brain the minimum creative dose to close the loop in your brain. I've done this before randomly but never knew exactly how it worked or how important it was. It frees up your mind to focus on what's in front of you in the moment while the incubated idea is being processed in the background by your subconscious. You haven't forgotten about your idea, you've just assigned it to a different part of your brain to process. Also learned the power of capturing all your ideas down to close all those open loops in your brain so you can actually focus on what's important.
January 10, 2023
A natural successor to "Get things done". If you liked that book you will love this. Lots of new perspectives to how to stay dynamic, focused and productive. He also put perspective on creative cycles and how you need to find your needs per type and the need of finding a structure to build of the chaos of life to ensure you organize your work per mental state. Lovely, lovely lovely.
June 10, 2023
Some good personal stories told by an engaging author, and some excellent reminders and tips that got a bit overworked by the end of the book.
July 9, 2025
dog water
May 12, 2025
Excellent READ
This is a very good book on a topic that I read and write about a lot. Well done and interesting takes on productivity. Very well presented stories to capture a concept. What a life!
This is a very good book on a topic that I read and write about a lot. Well done and interesting takes on productivity. Very well presented stories to capture a concept. What a life!
March 27, 2021
1.⭐️5 star for the productivity tips and systems. Great observations, if I want to apply some productivity system on branched creativity world, I would 1 use Davids.
There are some nice tips, observations and connections, which would probably be more digestible separately:
Great point that state of mind/attitude matters much more in certain areas then time frame (and maybe in much more then we think).
2. Davids Personae and a bit of mine
I think that being a great writer is still only Davids dream and wish, but maybe in the future he will really become one with all this tools he prepared for this journey. For now he is not for me in comparison to others - even in the self help category, but they dont say they are writers about themselfs constantly. David should decide if he want to present those tools, himself and his life or some actual creative work (personaly I would present those parts separately). I think he dont have that much talent for writing, so it takes more work, but it is a bit presented like he was already there. That does not say he didnt created a good podcast or is not a good graphic designer or dont have interesting life - his narative about himself just dont corelate with the reality in my eyes (I dont know all Davids work - to this time I read Heart To Start, this book and Davids newsletters, heard some podcast episodes). David is a bit narcicistic self obssesed control freak (at least a little bit) with his ego and reason is to create a legacy in books (and other creative work). A am actually very similar, so Davids life is kind a study for me, some narative triggers me for the same reason and some projection could be present too. For the same reason I like to donate by buying Davids books (donate because I think the price is relatively high for the actual extent, but thats debatable) and I hope Davids journey will be really successful at the end (especially for him). Being the same type as me, I think David have same tendency to overstructure things and life as me, but I think he is dealing better with it - in that he is my example. David reminds me that writer from Easy series (on Netflix) for whom everyone was his his therapist... Anyway, I am staying his fan.
3. Precision versus creativity
Some examples (or stories from Davids life) wasnt really needed and was redundant in my opinion. Some neurology stuff (like short term memory) should have been explained with more scientific precision when they were used like they were in the book. I think there are combined relatively precise scientific findings with authors personal views and experience - thats not necessary for the point or productivity, but I would like it declared. Thats the problem of trying to write productivity - more science, practical based book with artistic depiction of ones life. It would be better separated (I think). Now its all about David with adjunct creative productivity advice.
4. Personal story intertwined with productivity advice.
As I mentioned at poing 1 for the productivity advice I would give 5 stars - despite in some points its more good collection (and connection) which was already said in other forms. So if they would be only the productivity stuff (with real life examples, thats not a problem), I would give 5 stars in self help category. I would even give 5 stars if there were a separate, more detailed Davids life story book in the category memoirs/personal stories. But in this, a bit chaotic, combination, its ⭐️4 stars for me overall, maybe a little less (but I am counting other Davids works that adds up to this book).
There are some nice tips, observations and connections, which would probably be more digestible separately:
Great point that state of mind/attitude matters much more in certain areas then time frame (and maybe in much more then we think).
2. Davids Personae and a bit of mine
I think that being a great writer is still only Davids dream and wish, but maybe in the future he will really become one with all this tools he prepared for this journey. For now he is not for me in comparison to others - even in the self help category, but they dont say they are writers about themselfs constantly. David should decide if he want to present those tools, himself and his life or some actual creative work (personaly I would present those parts separately). I think he dont have that much talent for writing, so it takes more work, but it is a bit presented like he was already there. That does not say he didnt created a good podcast or is not a good graphic designer or dont have interesting life - his narative about himself just dont corelate with the reality in my eyes (I dont know all Davids work - to this time I read Heart To Start, this book and Davids newsletters, heard some podcast episodes). David is a bit narcicistic self obssesed control freak (at least a little bit) with his ego and reason is to create a legacy in books (and other creative work). A am actually very similar, so Davids life is kind a study for me, some narative triggers me for the same reason and some projection could be present too. For the same reason I like to donate by buying Davids books (donate because I think the price is relatively high for the actual extent, but thats debatable) and I hope Davids journey will be really successful at the end (especially for him). Being the same type as me, I think David have same tendency to overstructure things and life as me, but I think he is dealing better with it - in that he is my example. David reminds me that writer from Easy series (on Netflix) for whom everyone was his his therapist... Anyway, I am staying his fan.
3. Precision versus creativity
Some examples (or stories from Davids life) wasnt really needed and was redundant in my opinion. Some neurology stuff (like short term memory) should have been explained with more scientific precision when they were used like they were in the book. I think there are combined relatively precise scientific findings with authors personal views and experience - thats not necessary for the point or productivity, but I would like it declared. Thats the problem of trying to write productivity - more science, practical based book with artistic depiction of ones life. It would be better separated (I think). Now its all about David with adjunct creative productivity advice.
4. Personal story intertwined with productivity advice.
As I mentioned at poing 1 for the productivity advice I would give 5 stars - despite in some points its more good collection (and connection) which was already said in other forms. So if they would be only the productivity stuff (with real life examples, thats not a problem), I would give 5 stars in self help category. I would even give 5 stars if there were a separate, more detailed Davids life story book in the category memoirs/personal stories. But in this, a bit chaotic, combination, its ⭐️4 stars for me overall, maybe a little less (but I am counting other Davids works that adds up to this book).
July 8, 2024
The answer to many of the life problems lies deep inside the management of your BRAIN. David Kadavy's "Mind Management Not Time Management" has many of the answers related to your efficiency. Reading this beautiful summary of the book by David Kadavy "Mind Management Not Time Management" can help one unlock the so far locked doors.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 1. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
The key to productivity is managing your mind, not just your time. How well we use our mental energy determines how effectively we spend our day. For instance, it often takes a while to fully concentrate on a task when we start working. However, with effective mind management, we can save a lot of time. This might not seem realistic, but it's possible with a strategy that makes work less arduous.
Creativity can make your job easier and less painful. It involves combining various elements in the mind, and suddenly, insights and good ideas can emerge. Understanding this process is like navigating a maze – you need to explore different paths before finding the solution.
Managing it is not easy for everyone, but when we know that’s not true, and when we try to get things done, we try to manage our time. That’s why Time Management is more Mind Management. So, you can focus on your work in a better way.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 2. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
If you want to find out what is going on in your mind and why you are not able to use your time correctly, then you can ask yourself these three essential questions:
1. What kind of work do I need to do right now? Is there too much pressure to do anything, or can I let my mental state guide my decision now?
2. What kind of mental state am I in right now? Am I in the mood to do this right now?
3. Can I do anything to get myself in the right mental state?
Ask yourself these questions and find your answers. Over time, try different "hacks" or rituals that can help you change your mental state. This can include exercise, massage, listening to different types of music, drinking various types of tea, taking a salt bath, or anything else that works for you. You can also try doing these activities in different locations.
Lastly, do something that helps you focus. By doing this, you will be able to manage your mind and, with proper mind management, improve your work and achieve better results. The goal of mind management is to focus your mental state on the work you need to do while allowing your mind to function the way it wants to.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 3. 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Once everything is clear, you know what your mind is doing during the day. This book explains brainwaves, neurotransmitters, and different brain areas, which track how they all work together throughout the day. By understanding exactly how your mind works, you can have a framework to understand what’s going on with your mind and, thus, make better use of your precious mental energy.
Just keep these essential things in mind for this:
• Your brain is plastic: Every time your neurons fire, it makes it easier for those pathways to fire again. We believed that the brain was stable after reaching adulthood, but we now know that the brain changes throughout life. This means that whenever you have a thought or action, you make it easier for your mind to repeat it. Due to this, you get positive results later.
• Love your prefrontal Cortex: Your prefrontal cortex is your brain’s “newest” part. Your prefrontal cortex is in charge of suppressing things like – prioritizing, planning, and urges. But your prefrontal cortex is small and needs a lot of energy. So when it’s tiring, it’s hard to think about what you’re doing right now. Therefore, relax to allow your prefrontal cortex to function well.
• Fight your amygdala: Your amygdala is one of the oldest parts of your brain. A lizard’s brain is an entire amygdala. Your amygdala is highly stimulated by fear and is programmed to protect you from danger. The tricky part is that your amygdala interacts with your body before the rest of your brain (which can handle much more complex thinking). For example, if you see a snake, your amygdala tells your sympathetic nervous system to increase your heart rate before your eyes can tell your brain, “It’s a snake.” As a result, your heart speeds up in parts to make you afraid of snakes. Your amygdala always wants you to take the “safe” path, and it can stifle your creativity, so be mindful of its power.
• Restorative things are productive: Given this battle between your prefrontal cortex and amygdala and your prefrontal cortex tires so quickly, resting is essential to using your brain effectively. So is. If you think you’re overworking by working until you sleep every night, you’re probably not.
You’re probably depleting your prefrontal cortex, and instead of thinking strategically, reacting, fear-driven, filling time with “work” and stimulating activities rather than fear and rumination. Instead, exercise, sleep, and spend time with loved ones. With this, you can reconstitute your mind. Now focus on managing your mind keeping these things in mind. And with this, start making your life more productive.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 4. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Keeping in mind what was mentioned in the previous chapter, now use these excellent tips to manage your mind effectively:
• Meditate: By practicing mindfulness meditation, you can become aware of your current environment. We carve neural pathways to better process stimuli, making you calmer and more intentional. Suppose you can’t meditate for 2 to 10 minutes; you have more significant problems than being “too busy.” That’s why I make a habit of meditating daily.
• Take the time to plan. Planning has two advantages: 1) you can do it when you have more mental energy to plan so that you can plan better, and 2) it frees up your precious prefrontal cortex for other activities. In addition, it frees up to do more – because the planning and prioritizing have already been done. After this, review your whole week. So that you can prepare the right plan for the coming week; along with this, make a to-do list to do your upcoming tasks.
• Avoid starting yourself: Just creating a job can take a lot of work. With a clear goal, your brain will produce enough dopamine to motivate you to start Working on one thing for 10 minutes without stopping to identify a clear purpose. By doing this, you can find out what you want to achieve. And once you take 10 minutes to do your work, it becomes easier to keep working on it.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 5. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐠.”
It’s not that time irrelevant to productivity. People often need to start with a plan. And when they find out where their time is going, it’s too late. Understanding time and its use is essential to a life of significant contribution.
Author Kadavy suggests that tracking your time, as outlined in the book "A Year's Practice of Quantifying Time You Spend at Work Will Change the Way You See Time Forever," can lead to better results. While it may sound strange, it is possible. The key is to focus on using your time wisely to achieve consistent and transparent progress.
When it comes time to plan your week, plan to keep everything in mind. Along with this, set clear goals because those who work and whose results could be better. We don’t even like doing them. So, keep in mind how you make goals.
Jerry Seinfeld addresses this problem regarding making stand-up comedy, a practice he has done consistently for over 40 years. Seinfeld says, "The Mind's capacity for knowledge is infinite. The mind is a stupid little dog that we can easily train. So don't try to confuse your mind with the mind. The mind is effortless to master."
You have to keep it limited. You can do this through Repetition and Systematization along with keeping Limited. Kadavy talks about Limiting the Mind by applying these mental states for a limited time. This will help you with procrastination. He writes, If you have eight hours a day to work, you have plenty of time to procrastinate.
But it creates a sense of urgency if you’ve identified a two-hour block in which you can be much more productive than any other time of day. For example, instead of aiming to ‘write a book at a time, you can start by writing 500 words. Doing this lets you achieve your entire goal by working little by little. Similarly, train your brain slowly over time; eventually, you can get better results.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 6: 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞: 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
You must have learned the importance of your time and mind by now. Now start using the methods mentioned in the previous chapters in your life. You can feel the change slowly. Pay attention to how you manage your mind and take advantage of seeing things through your mental state when deciding the next thing. Also, block time in your calendar for work according to your mental state.
Remember to approach your creative and analytical work with more focus at the beginning of the day and ideally at the start of the week. Prioritize completing essential tasks like expense reports, scheduling meetings, and other administrative duties early in the day when your mind is clear and capable.
Doing this can save you time on upcoming trouble. Now use the framework the author gave as a habit in your life. Kadavy offers many examples of how he manages his time, but many of those methods may seem like they are only necessary to you at times. So, identify your strategy and start working, keeping in mind the structure provided by the author.
And Kadavy, a writer and podcaster with a software design background, only works inside an organization with a claim on its time. From a company’s perspective, they create power by “using the executive’s time,” as Drucker put it, to implement meetings and activities that don’t easily fit within a framework.
For someone who works inside a growing organization, for which there is a need for high-level coordination and clarity, they need to hold frequent meetings. And it is often not possible to maintain possession on a schedule. Realize it yourself. You might have found yourself in different mental states at the same time. After which, you get lost and need help deciding what to do.
Procrastination often stems from the failure to clear up a project, which easy steps can overcome, but it can also come from a deep fear associated with childhood. We cannot manage mental states without mental health. We humans often do bad things, and even with the best intentions, our lives are made dirty by our imperfections and the actions of the other imperfect humans we interact with.
While juggling the troubles of our past, our mind building up to the needs and demands of our loved ones, colleagues, spouses, bosses, children, and friends, is like an earthquake to the delicate, sophisticated beauty of any productivity system. To avoid that, you need to use the author’s method. For this, focus on managing your mind from today itself. Eventually, you can get good results when you get used to working in this manner.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Let us learn. Let’s repeat the lessons once:
1. Time Management is more Mind Management.
2. Mind Management do the three critical questions by yourself
3. Mind Management Take care of the essential things of the mind for
4. With 10 minutes to work on one thing, take the time to plan.
5. Identify when in which mental state you are.
6. Train your brain slowly over time.
7. Work keeping in mind the opportunities and precautions in your life.
From this book, we learned about the method of Mind Management. By using this, you can get better results in your life. Your better results will help you to increase your productivity in your life.
If you also want to bring significant changes in your life by being successful, use all the methods mentioned in the book.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 1. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
The key to productivity is managing your mind, not just your time. How well we use our mental energy determines how effectively we spend our day. For instance, it often takes a while to fully concentrate on a task when we start working. However, with effective mind management, we can save a lot of time. This might not seem realistic, but it's possible with a strategy that makes work less arduous.
Creativity can make your job easier and less painful. It involves combining various elements in the mind, and suddenly, insights and good ideas can emerge. Understanding this process is like navigating a maze – you need to explore different paths before finding the solution.
Managing it is not easy for everyone, but when we know that’s not true, and when we try to get things done, we try to manage our time. That’s why Time Management is more Mind Management. So, you can focus on your work in a better way.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 2. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
If you want to find out what is going on in your mind and why you are not able to use your time correctly, then you can ask yourself these three essential questions:
1. What kind of work do I need to do right now? Is there too much pressure to do anything, or can I let my mental state guide my decision now?
2. What kind of mental state am I in right now? Am I in the mood to do this right now?
3. Can I do anything to get myself in the right mental state?
Ask yourself these questions and find your answers. Over time, try different "hacks" or rituals that can help you change your mental state. This can include exercise, massage, listening to different types of music, drinking various types of tea, taking a salt bath, or anything else that works for you. You can also try doing these activities in different locations.
Lastly, do something that helps you focus. By doing this, you will be able to manage your mind and, with proper mind management, improve your work and achieve better results. The goal of mind management is to focus your mental state on the work you need to do while allowing your mind to function the way it wants to.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 3. 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭
Once everything is clear, you know what your mind is doing during the day. This book explains brainwaves, neurotransmitters, and different brain areas, which track how they all work together throughout the day. By understanding exactly how your mind works, you can have a framework to understand what’s going on with your mind and, thus, make better use of your precious mental energy.
Just keep these essential things in mind for this:
• Your brain is plastic: Every time your neurons fire, it makes it easier for those pathways to fire again. We believed that the brain was stable after reaching adulthood, but we now know that the brain changes throughout life. This means that whenever you have a thought or action, you make it easier for your mind to repeat it. Due to this, you get positive results later.
• Love your prefrontal Cortex: Your prefrontal cortex is your brain’s “newest” part. Your prefrontal cortex is in charge of suppressing things like – prioritizing, planning, and urges. But your prefrontal cortex is small and needs a lot of energy. So when it’s tiring, it’s hard to think about what you’re doing right now. Therefore, relax to allow your prefrontal cortex to function well.
• Fight your amygdala: Your amygdala is one of the oldest parts of your brain. A lizard’s brain is an entire amygdala. Your amygdala is highly stimulated by fear and is programmed to protect you from danger. The tricky part is that your amygdala interacts with your body before the rest of your brain (which can handle much more complex thinking). For example, if you see a snake, your amygdala tells your sympathetic nervous system to increase your heart rate before your eyes can tell your brain, “It’s a snake.” As a result, your heart speeds up in parts to make you afraid of snakes. Your amygdala always wants you to take the “safe” path, and it can stifle your creativity, so be mindful of its power.
• Restorative things are productive: Given this battle between your prefrontal cortex and amygdala and your prefrontal cortex tires so quickly, resting is essential to using your brain effectively. So is. If you think you’re overworking by working until you sleep every night, you’re probably not.
You’re probably depleting your prefrontal cortex, and instead of thinking strategically, reacting, fear-driven, filling time with “work” and stimulating activities rather than fear and rumination. Instead, exercise, sleep, and spend time with loved ones. With this, you can reconstitute your mind. Now focus on managing your mind keeping these things in mind. And with this, start making your life more productive.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 4. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
Keeping in mind what was mentioned in the previous chapter, now use these excellent tips to manage your mind effectively:
• Meditate: By practicing mindfulness meditation, you can become aware of your current environment. We carve neural pathways to better process stimuli, making you calmer and more intentional. Suppose you can’t meditate for 2 to 10 minutes; you have more significant problems than being “too busy.” That’s why I make a habit of meditating daily.
• Take the time to plan. Planning has two advantages: 1) you can do it when you have more mental energy to plan so that you can plan better, and 2) it frees up your precious prefrontal cortex for other activities. In addition, it frees up to do more – because the planning and prioritizing have already been done. After this, review your whole week. So that you can prepare the right plan for the coming week; along with this, make a to-do list to do your upcoming tasks.
• Avoid starting yourself: Just creating a job can take a lot of work. With a clear goal, your brain will produce enough dopamine to motivate you to start Working on one thing for 10 minutes without stopping to identify a clear purpose. By doing this, you can find out what you want to achieve. And once you take 10 minutes to do your work, it becomes easier to keep working on it.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 5. 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 “𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐢𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐠.”
It’s not that time irrelevant to productivity. People often need to start with a plan. And when they find out where their time is going, it’s too late. Understanding time and its use is essential to a life of significant contribution.
Author Kadavy suggests that tracking your time, as outlined in the book "A Year's Practice of Quantifying Time You Spend at Work Will Change the Way You See Time Forever," can lead to better results. While it may sound strange, it is possible. The key is to focus on using your time wisely to achieve consistent and transparent progress.
When it comes time to plan your week, plan to keep everything in mind. Along with this, set clear goals because those who work and whose results could be better. We don’t even like doing them. So, keep in mind how you make goals.
Jerry Seinfeld addresses this problem regarding making stand-up comedy, a practice he has done consistently for over 40 years. Seinfeld says, "The Mind's capacity for knowledge is infinite. The mind is a stupid little dog that we can easily train. So don't try to confuse your mind with the mind. The mind is effortless to master."
You have to keep it limited. You can do this through Repetition and Systematization along with keeping Limited. Kadavy talks about Limiting the Mind by applying these mental states for a limited time. This will help you with procrastination. He writes, If you have eight hours a day to work, you have plenty of time to procrastinate.
But it creates a sense of urgency if you’ve identified a two-hour block in which you can be much more productive than any other time of day. For example, instead of aiming to ‘write a book at a time, you can start by writing 500 words. Doing this lets you achieve your entire goal by working little by little. Similarly, train your brain slowly over time; eventually, you can get better results.
𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 6: 𝐔𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞: 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
You must have learned the importance of your time and mind by now. Now start using the methods mentioned in the previous chapters in your life. You can feel the change slowly. Pay attention to how you manage your mind and take advantage of seeing things through your mental state when deciding the next thing. Also, block time in your calendar for work according to your mental state.
Remember to approach your creative and analytical work with more focus at the beginning of the day and ideally at the start of the week. Prioritize completing essential tasks like expense reports, scheduling meetings, and other administrative duties early in the day when your mind is clear and capable.
Doing this can save you time on upcoming trouble. Now use the framework the author gave as a habit in your life. Kadavy offers many examples of how he manages his time, but many of those methods may seem like they are only necessary to you at times. So, identify your strategy and start working, keeping in mind the structure provided by the author.
And Kadavy, a writer and podcaster with a software design background, only works inside an organization with a claim on its time. From a company’s perspective, they create power by “using the executive’s time,” as Drucker put it, to implement meetings and activities that don’t easily fit within a framework.
For someone who works inside a growing organization, for which there is a need for high-level coordination and clarity, they need to hold frequent meetings. And it is often not possible to maintain possession on a schedule. Realize it yourself. You might have found yourself in different mental states at the same time. After which, you get lost and need help deciding what to do.
Procrastination often stems from the failure to clear up a project, which easy steps can overcome, but it can also come from a deep fear associated with childhood. We cannot manage mental states without mental health. We humans often do bad things, and even with the best intentions, our lives are made dirty by our imperfections and the actions of the other imperfect humans we interact with.
While juggling the troubles of our past, our mind building up to the needs and demands of our loved ones, colleagues, spouses, bosses, children, and friends, is like an earthquake to the delicate, sophisticated beauty of any productivity system. To avoid that, you need to use the author’s method. For this, focus on managing your mind from today itself. Eventually, you can get good results when you get used to working in this manner.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
Let us learn. Let’s repeat the lessons once:
1. Time Management is more Mind Management.
2. Mind Management do the three critical questions by yourself
3. Mind Management Take care of the essential things of the mind for
4. With 10 minutes to work on one thing, take the time to plan.
5. Identify when in which mental state you are.
6. Train your brain slowly over time.
7. Work keeping in mind the opportunities and precautions in your life.
From this book, we learned about the method of Mind Management. By using this, you can get better results in your life. Your better results will help you to increase your productivity in your life.
If you also want to bring significant changes in your life by being successful, use all the methods mentioned in the book.
April 30, 2022
Thought-provoking for any of us who identify with Kadavy's self-description of constantly finding ways to do more and more things in less and less time. I smiled a little as he described his pursuits to this effect: they definitely sound like me, and he's absolutely right that at a certain point, there are diminishing returns. So he shifted his paradigm, focusing instead on when to do which tasks to maximum effect, based upon his mental state at the time.
I'm also already doing most of what he described in the book, though I hadn't thought of it in so many words. Any new venture requires all of my mental focus, but then once I have it down, I can shift it to "back burner"--which for me means essentially auto pilot (I'm thinking of editing podcasts and then uploading them for distribution while listening to audiobooks or CMEs, or doing the same with newsletters). My best creative time, like his, is first thing in the morning, so that's my Bible study and writing time four days per week. My workouts come next, and I've learned that I can listen to non-fiction audiobooks or learning-based YouTube videos during that time and retain the information reasonably well. Analytical tasks work better later in the day, and that's when I do the rest of my work. By the end of the day when I'm doing administrative tasks, I have to listen to fiction--I don't have the mental capacity for learning anything new.
The most interesting part of the book, or at least the part I found most original, was the segment on clock time vs event time. Kadavy moved to Colombia from the US. I also lived in Mexico for a time, and recall that the emphasis on the clock culturally doesn't apply there, which was a hard transition for an American. But "event time" is what happens when you're engrossed in what you're doing, when you're in "flow." It also has the effect of making time seem to expand. It's interesting how whatever you focus on in an attempt to maximize it has a tendency to slip away, as Viktor Frankl would say. Happiness is like that, too, and sleep--if you fixate upon either one, they will forever elude you. But place your focus on purpose, and happiness will arrive. Let your mind wander, and you'll eventually drift off to sleep. Be fully immersed in the moment, and it will seem as though time expands.
I'm also already doing most of what he described in the book, though I hadn't thought of it in so many words. Any new venture requires all of my mental focus, but then once I have it down, I can shift it to "back burner"--which for me means essentially auto pilot (I'm thinking of editing podcasts and then uploading them for distribution while listening to audiobooks or CMEs, or doing the same with newsletters). My best creative time, like his, is first thing in the morning, so that's my Bible study and writing time four days per week. My workouts come next, and I've learned that I can listen to non-fiction audiobooks or learning-based YouTube videos during that time and retain the information reasonably well. Analytical tasks work better later in the day, and that's when I do the rest of my work. By the end of the day when I'm doing administrative tasks, I have to listen to fiction--I don't have the mental capacity for learning anything new.
The most interesting part of the book, or at least the part I found most original, was the segment on clock time vs event time. Kadavy moved to Colombia from the US. I also lived in Mexico for a time, and recall that the emphasis on the clock culturally doesn't apply there, which was a hard transition for an American. But "event time" is what happens when you're engrossed in what you're doing, when you're in "flow." It also has the effect of making time seem to expand. It's interesting how whatever you focus on in an attempt to maximize it has a tendency to slip away, as Viktor Frankl would say. Happiness is like that, too, and sleep--if you fixate upon either one, they will forever elude you. But place your focus on purpose, and happiness will arrive. Let your mind wander, and you'll eventually drift off to sleep. Be fully immersed in the moment, and it will seem as though time expands.
January 14, 2022
This book moves from the traditional time management route and discusses about manging our energy and mental states. Instead of looking at being productive by the clock, the book talks about using each state to the optimal.
The author identifies Seven Mental states and leverages Creative cycles and uses them to create Creative systems. This book is an output of his creative systems.
**4 stages of creative process**
- Preparation- During preparation you lean everything that is there to the problem
- Incubation- Incubation happens when you aren’t working actively on the problem (may be even sleeping)
- Illumination - Its the aha moment, when you get insights into the problem
- Verification- where you verify the idea/ solution which you came up in the Illumination state.
**The seven mental states of creativity**
- Prioritize - Of all the problems that you need to work on, which one will be prioratised
- Explore- Its the state where you explore the possibilities to the solution. Its more than researching on the topic.
- Research - Looking for specifics in the topic would be the research state
- Generate - This is the state where you generate your creative output
- Polish - In this state you polish the output from the generate state
- Administrate- This state is to enable you to take care of details which make your creative work possible ( say eating, doing financial statements etc)
- Recharge- When you recharge and refuel yourself is the Recharge state
The author identifies Seven Mental states and leverages Creative cycles and uses them to create Creative systems. This book is an output of his creative systems.
**4 stages of creative process**
- Preparation- During preparation you lean everything that is there to the problem
- Incubation- Incubation happens when you aren’t working actively on the problem (may be even sleeping)
- Illumination - Its the aha moment, when you get insights into the problem
- Verification- where you verify the idea/ solution which you came up in the Illumination state.
**The seven mental states of creativity**
- Prioritize - Of all the problems that you need to work on, which one will be prioratised
- Explore- Its the state where you explore the possibilities to the solution. Its more than researching on the topic.
- Research - Looking for specifics in the topic would be the research state
- Generate - This is the state where you generate your creative output
- Polish - In this state you polish the output from the generate state
- Administrate- This state is to enable you to take care of details which make your creative work possible ( say eating, doing financial statements etc)
- Recharge- When you recharge and refuel yourself is the Recharge state
March 1, 2024
I enjoyed this book. I thought it would be a generic self-help, meaningless repetitive drivel book, but it is not! For whatever reason, it makes me want to be a writer, probably because writing is the testing ground for the mind management techniques in the book. Some of the useful tips from this book:
-Batch tasks according to the state of mind you need to be in for those tasks.
-Keep open loops on creative tasks. Work on them a little, then walk away, then come back to it at a later time. Keep a lot of these loops open. Open loops aren't good for some administrative tasks, but they are for creative work, which require some percolation.
-Think about your work in terms of cycles, preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. The creative cycle can run through the day, week, month, or season of the year.
-Move through the 7 states of mind when working on something: prioritize, explore, research, generate, polish, administrate, recharge. You are free to choose which state you are in at any given time, so make that choice based on your energy, mood, and surroundings.
-Different environments can be conducive to different kinds of work. A small coffee shop, a library, a quiet desk, and a walk in the park are conducive to different states of mind.
-Tag your tasks with different mental states so that you don't have shortage of things to work on.
-Batch tasks according to the state of mind you need to be in for those tasks.
-Keep open loops on creative tasks. Work on them a little, then walk away, then come back to it at a later time. Keep a lot of these loops open. Open loops aren't good for some administrative tasks, but they are for creative work, which require some percolation.
-Think about your work in terms of cycles, preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification. The creative cycle can run through the day, week, month, or season of the year.
-Move through the 7 states of mind when working on something: prioritize, explore, research, generate, polish, administrate, recharge. You are free to choose which state you are in at any given time, so make that choice based on your energy, mood, and surroundings.
-Different environments can be conducive to different kinds of work. A small coffee shop, a library, a quiet desk, and a walk in the park are conducive to different states of mind.
-Tag your tasks with different mental states so that you don't have shortage of things to work on.
May 16, 2021
[oh no - I am trying to copy and paste quotes from the Kobo app which means, of course, it is not working. The Kobo dekstop app is a disaster for me. ALWAYS. So much so, I keep thinking I ought NOT to buy books in Kobo.]
The standard definition of the 4 stages of creativity is: preparation, incubation, illumination, verification. From Wallas, and after 120 years, it still stands.
So, given there is rule, he started to set out what he calls a Sloppy Operational Procedure and then he tags it with reminders for himself and has a cascading system of tech to store and retrieve it all. This way he never loses an idea.
And when it comes to creative work, he batches it. Like making a dozen cupcakes instead of one each time he does a podcast. The more you can streamline things, the more they become automatic, the less anxiety you feel over the task, and the easier and MORE creative it makes your life.
And the less energy it takes to sustain. Sure, it will take some energy to set it all up in the first place.
Look, I highlighted a LOT of this book, but cannot share it here. #BadKoboApp
He's clearly not a disorganised person, but some of these methods will work for ADHD peeps like me.
4 stars
The standard definition of the 4 stages of creativity is: preparation, incubation, illumination, verification. From Wallas, and after 120 years, it still stands.
So, given there is rule, he started to set out what he calls a Sloppy Operational Procedure and then he tags it with reminders for himself and has a cascading system of tech to store and retrieve it all. This way he never loses an idea.
And when it comes to creative work, he batches it. Like making a dozen cupcakes instead of one each time he does a podcast. The more you can streamline things, the more they become automatic, the less anxiety you feel over the task, and the easier and MORE creative it makes your life.
And the less energy it takes to sustain. Sure, it will take some energy to set it all up in the first place.
Look, I highlighted a LOT of this book, but cannot share it here. #BadKoboApp
He's clearly not a disorganised person, but some of these methods will work for ADHD peeps like me.
4 stars
August 10, 2022
I love books about productivity and time management. So, I was very excited to read "Mind Management, Not Time Management" by David Kadavy. And I can say it is a real eye-opener.
💬What kind of book is this?
This isn't the typical productivity book. Kadavy brings new ideas on how to get things done. The concepts are great! It's a fresh approach to productivity by focusing on getting more out of your mind (in stead of struggling to get more out of your time).
💬How can this book help me?
Mind management, not time management provides the tools you need to make the most out of creatieve energy. Insights into the creative mind, with practical techniques for getting things done. I love the concepts about Four Stages of Creativity, the Seven Mental States of Creative Work, the Minimum Creative Dose, and the Creative Sweet Spot.
💬My thoughts
I enjoyed reading a lot of interesting concepts and ideas. I especially found it very helpful to read about the author's life journey. This book will make you re-think the concept of time and important aspects of your life.
💬Rating
Excellent book. A lot of good stuff. I suggest you get your notebook ready! I would recommend this book to those of you who are planning any creative project, like writing a book. Highly recommended. Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
💬What kind of book is this?
This isn't the typical productivity book. Kadavy brings new ideas on how to get things done. The concepts are great! It's a fresh approach to productivity by focusing on getting more out of your mind (in stead of struggling to get more out of your time).
💬How can this book help me?
Mind management, not time management provides the tools you need to make the most out of creatieve energy. Insights into the creative mind, with practical techniques for getting things done. I love the concepts about Four Stages of Creativity, the Seven Mental States of Creative Work, the Minimum Creative Dose, and the Creative Sweet Spot.
💬My thoughts
I enjoyed reading a lot of interesting concepts and ideas. I especially found it very helpful to read about the author's life journey. This book will make you re-think the concept of time and important aspects of your life.
💬Rating
Excellent book. A lot of good stuff. I suggest you get your notebook ready! I would recommend this book to those of you who are planning any creative project, like writing a book. Highly recommended. Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
February 24, 2024
Bits of good advice, but…
After reading the first three chapters, I skimmed the rest of the book with bits of advice and strategies.
While the author provides some promising time management approaches, I wasn’t interested in his personal stories and creative writing process. His stories are unique to him, and I couldn’t relate to them for the type of work I do. He also refers to the GTD method, which is pretty well known.
When I chose the book, I sought time strategies and workflows to enhance my current work. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much as I was looking for.
After reading the first three chapters, I skimmed the rest of the book with bits of advice and strategies.
While the author provides some promising time management approaches, I wasn’t interested in his personal stories and creative writing process. His stories are unique to him, and I couldn’t relate to them for the type of work I do. He also refers to the GTD method, which is pretty well known.
When I chose the book, I sought time strategies and workflows to enhance my current work. Unfortunately, I didn’t get as much as I was looking for.
September 25, 2025
Key takeaways:
Mind management, not time management, is key for creative work in the modern age
The first hour of the day is optimal for creative work due to natural grogginess aiding divergent thinking
Creative work requires balancing divergent thinking (generating ideas) and convergent thinking (refining ideas)
Four stages of creativity: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Verification
Being extremely busy reduces creativity by up to 45% and affects productivity for days afterward
Four hours of creative work per day is the typical limit for most people
Time should be viewed as events rather than clock time for creative effectiveness
Mind management, not time management, is key for creative work in the modern age
The first hour of the day is optimal for creative work due to natural grogginess aiding divergent thinking
Creative work requires balancing divergent thinking (generating ideas) and convergent thinking (refining ideas)
Four stages of creativity: Preparation, Incubation, Illumination, and Verification
Being extremely busy reduces creativity by up to 45% and affects productivity for days afterward
Four hours of creative work per day is the typical limit for most people
Time should be viewed as events rather than clock time for creative effectiveness
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2022
Overall, it’s a decent book with good tips. However, there were two issues that made my reading experience slightly less than ideal: 1) it’s was a bit repetitive; 2) his personal stories were too long— could’ve been summarised without losing the wisdom they impart.
February 12, 2023
The book is of requisite length but you'll get the idea a few chapters in.
October 16, 2023
- Productivity is less about time management than it is about mind management.
- Being productive today isn't about time management, it's about mind management. Time management optimizes the resource of time. Mind management optimizes the resource of creative energy.
- Your Brian is plastic: Each time you perform a thought or action, you make it easier for your brain to reproduce that thought or action. This has some pretty clear implications for positive vs. negative thoughts, and explains why meditation is so powerful
- Your prefrontal cortex is in charge of things like prioritization, planning, and suppressing urges. But, your prefrontal cortex is small, but energy-hungry. So when it gets tired, it’s hard for you to think about the overarching purpose of what it is you’re doing right now, or to keep yourself from checking Facebook and Twitter every 2 minutes. So, it’s important to get mental rest to keep your prefrontal cortex working well, and to set aside special time dedicated only to prioritization
- our amygdala is extremely fear-driven, and is programmed to save you from danger. The really tough part is that your amygdala communicates with your body even before the rest of your brain (which can handle much more complex thinking). For example, if you see a snake, your amygdala tells your sympathetic nervous system to increase your heart rate before your eyes can even tell your brain “this is a snake.” The rest of your brain will then conclude “my heart rate increased, so I’m scared of this snake.” Your amygdala always wants you take the “safe” route, and will stifle your creativity, so you have to be wary of its power.
- Given this struggle between your prefrontal cortex and amygdala, and the fact that your prefrontal cortex is so easily fatigued, it should be no surprise that rest is important to using your mind effectively. If you think you’re getting more work done by working until you collapse every night, I’d argue that you probably aren’t. You’re probably depleting your prefrontal cortex, and instead of thinking strategically, are filling up the time with reactionary, fear-driven (amygdala-driven) “work.” Restorative activities, such as exercising, sleeping, and spending time with loved ones help your brain reorganize.
A few actionable tips you can use to manage your mind effectively.
- Mediatate: start with two sessions a day at 10–15 minutes for about 6 months.
- Make time for planning
- Trick yourself into starting
- First Hour Rule- Spend the first hour of your day working on your most important project.
Start of day-If you start your day working on the most important thing, there's less of a chance for other things to get in the way.
- Creative tasks Versus analytical task-Sometimes your mind is better-suited to think creatively. Sometimes your mind is better-suited to think analytically. Complete the work which requires creativity when mind is better-suited to think creatively. Complete the work which requires analysis when mind is better-suited for the same.
- Sleep-A one-hour increase in average daily sleep raises productivity by more than a one-year increase in education.
- Energy leakage-When you randomly switch from one activity to another, your energy leaks...If you're doing that all the time, little of your energy is going toward traction which is important for task completion
- Noise-Noise level can also affect your ability to think creatively...studies suggest that a background noise level of about seventy decibels is optimal for idea generation.
- State of mind-Things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them hence put mind into state of completing task
- Being productive today isn't about time management, it's about mind management. Time management optimizes the resource of time. Mind management optimizes the resource of creative energy.
- Your Brian is plastic: Each time you perform a thought or action, you make it easier for your brain to reproduce that thought or action. This has some pretty clear implications for positive vs. negative thoughts, and explains why meditation is so powerful
- Your prefrontal cortex is in charge of things like prioritization, planning, and suppressing urges. But, your prefrontal cortex is small, but energy-hungry. So when it gets tired, it’s hard for you to think about the overarching purpose of what it is you’re doing right now, or to keep yourself from checking Facebook and Twitter every 2 minutes. So, it’s important to get mental rest to keep your prefrontal cortex working well, and to set aside special time dedicated only to prioritization
- our amygdala is extremely fear-driven, and is programmed to save you from danger. The really tough part is that your amygdala communicates with your body even before the rest of your brain (which can handle much more complex thinking). For example, if you see a snake, your amygdala tells your sympathetic nervous system to increase your heart rate before your eyes can even tell your brain “this is a snake.” The rest of your brain will then conclude “my heart rate increased, so I’m scared of this snake.” Your amygdala always wants you take the “safe” route, and will stifle your creativity, so you have to be wary of its power.
- Given this struggle between your prefrontal cortex and amygdala, and the fact that your prefrontal cortex is so easily fatigued, it should be no surprise that rest is important to using your mind effectively. If you think you’re getting more work done by working until you collapse every night, I’d argue that you probably aren’t. You’re probably depleting your prefrontal cortex, and instead of thinking strategically, are filling up the time with reactionary, fear-driven (amygdala-driven) “work.” Restorative activities, such as exercising, sleeping, and spending time with loved ones help your brain reorganize.
A few actionable tips you can use to manage your mind effectively.
- Mediatate: start with two sessions a day at 10–15 minutes for about 6 months.
- Make time for planning
- Trick yourself into starting
- First Hour Rule- Spend the first hour of your day working on your most important project.
Start of day-If you start your day working on the most important thing, there's less of a chance for other things to get in the way.
- Creative tasks Versus analytical task-Sometimes your mind is better-suited to think creatively. Sometimes your mind is better-suited to think analytically. Complete the work which requires creativity when mind is better-suited to think creatively. Complete the work which requires analysis when mind is better-suited for the same.
- Sleep-A one-hour increase in average daily sleep raises productivity by more than a one-year increase in education.
- Energy leakage-When you randomly switch from one activity to another, your energy leaks...If you're doing that all the time, little of your energy is going toward traction which is important for task completion
- Noise-Noise level can also affect your ability to think creatively...studies suggest that a background noise level of about seventy decibels is optimal for idea generation.
- State of mind-Things are not difficult to make; what is difficult is putting ourselves in the state of mind to make them hence put mind into state of completing task
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