These are some books that have had tremendous influence on my thinking and personal productivity.

In "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World," Cal Newport argues that the ability to perform deep work – defined as professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit – is becoming increasingly rare and valuable in the modern economy. He argues that the ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare because of the rise of the internet and social media, which have made it easier for people to get distracted and harder for them to focus.

Newport identifies four rules for cultivating the ability to perform deep work:

1. Work deeply: Make a commitment to perform deep work and allocate blocks of time specifically for this purpose.
2. Embrace boredom: Embrace boredom and monotony as a necessary part of the process of performing deep work.
3. Quit social media: Quit social media or limit your use of it to specific times and purposes.
4. Drain the shallows: Identify and eliminate shallow work – defined as non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks that do not create new value – from your schedule.

Newport also offers strategies for managing your schedule, minimizing distractions, and maximizing your focus and productivity while performing deep work.

"Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" is a productivity and time management book written by David Allen. The main concept of the book is the "Getting Things Done" (GTD) method, which is a system for organizing and managing tasks and projects.

The GTD method consists of five steps:

1. Capture: Collect everything that has your attention and write it down in a central location, such as a notebook or digital app.
2. Clarify: Break down tasks and projects into actionable steps.
3. Organize: Place tasks and projects in appropriate lists or categories, such as "to do," "doing," and "done."
4. Reflect: Review your lists regularly to ensure that your actions align with your goals and priorities.
5. Engage: Choose and start the next action step for a task or project on your list.

The goal of the GTD method is to help individuals become more productive by reducing the mental load of trying to remember everything they need to do, and by providing a clear and structured system for managing their tasks and projects. Allen suggests that by following the GTD method, individuals can increase their focus and productivity, reduce stress, and achieve their goals more effectively.

In "Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less," Greg McKeown argues that the key to living a fulfilled and successful life is to focus on what is truly essential and to eliminate distractions and non-essential tasks. He calls this approach "essentialism."

According to McKeown, essentialism involves identifying what is most important and making deliberate choices about how to allocate your time and energy towards those things. This involves setting clear goals and priorities, and making conscious decisions about what to say "yes" or "no" to in order to stay focused on what is truly essential.