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Summary of Smarter, Faster, Better 

4.6 . 2311 reviews

Short summary

What makes a person successful? Why are some people more productive than others at work or in their personal lives? All these questions and many more are discussed in this tidbit. Charles Duhigg is a writer, an award-winning investigative reporter for the New York Times, and alumnus of Harvard Business School and Yale College; he explains the secrets of productivity in life and business and gives practical tips on how to achieve them. Charles Duhigg is also a winner of the National Academies of Sciences, National Journalism, and George Polk awards. “Productivity refers to the attempts we make to figure out the best uses of our energy, intellect, and time as we try to seize the most meaningful rewards with the least wasted effort.” ~ Charles Duhigg

Table of content

  • Summary of Smarter, Faster, Better
  • About the author
  • What is Smarter, Faster, Better about?
  • Who should read Smarter, Faster, Better
  • Topics in Smarter, Faster, Better
first key point

Everyone can be productive, but not everyone will know how to be

Listen the first key point
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Every day, there is a task to accomplish, and there are many ways to do it. The distance between any given task and success is the choice you make. Our choices are an important part of life, and these choices make or mar our productivity.
Productivity is not the same every day; it’s best to appreciate your daily efforts.
You may then wonder: What is the solution? How can normal people be successful? Is success for only a fraction of the population? Well, you need not search too far for the answers to these questions.

This summary explores the 8 secrets — motivation, teams, focus, goal setting, managing others, decision making, innovation and absorbing data — that seem most important in expanding productivity. Connecting these secrets is a powerful underlying principle: productivity isn’t about working more. It’s not a product of spending longer hours at your desk or making bigger sacrifices. Productivity is about making certain choices in certain ways. This tidbit is about how to recognize the choices that fuel true productivity — how to become smarter, faster, and better at everything you do. If you continue through the following chapters, you will find out how Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer prize winner, answers all the questions you might have in more ways than one.
The way you choose to see yourself and frame daily decisions; the sense of community you build among teammates; the creative cultures you establish as a leader: These are the things that separate the merely busy from the genuinely productive. ~ Charles Duhigg
second key point

If you want to be productive in life and business, you need to stay motivated

In the past, most workers reported to a boss; now, a lot of people are self–employed or do other jobs that don’t require them to answer to a superior authority in a complex setting. This means that fewer bosses are breathing down your neck while you work, which leaves you to decide how you allocate your time and energy. It’s up to you to determine the goals you want to achieve for a set period and the decisions you will have to make to achieve them.
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third key point

Teamwork will only make the dream work if everyone feels safe enough to contribute

fourth key point

You cannot afford to lose focus if you want to be productive

fifth key point

Your goals are capable of helping you succeed, but they can also lead to failure

sixth key point

Everyone wants to feel needed — you need to make people feel safe to win their loyalty

seventh key point

There are no limits to the things you can do, so do not put your mind in a box

eighth key point

Be creative with your ideas; doing the same thing over and over again will only give you the same results

ninth key point

Take your time, understand what you need to do, then go ahead and do your best

tenth key point

Conclusion

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What is Smarter, Faster, Better about?

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What are the benefits of books summary?

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.

Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.