As makers of a platform that increases productivity, we’re big fans of other products and resources that help individuals in the same way. Last week, we shared our 10 favorite new productivity apps from 2013, and now as we kick off the year, we’re sharing a sample of our team’s productivity reading list.
For each outlet, we’ve dug up three popular posts from last year based on social media sharing numbers—a "shares" tally from Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. To find this number, we relied on Moz’s Open Site Explorer and the more simpler ShareTally, two great tools that help reveal a site’s traffic and social virality. Each description also features the publishing frequency of the blog, a number garnered from Michael Shipley’s RSS Feed Analyzer.
1. Buffer is big on life hacks and social media tips
Buffer blogs about productivity, life hacks, writing, user experience, customer happiness and business. The three-year-old startup might be better known for its social media sharing tool, but it’s quickly building up a reputation for its writing, too. — 3-4 posts per week
10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science - 61,795 shares
Why Facebook is blue: The science of colors in marketing - 13,481 shares
10 Surprising social media statistics that might make you rethink your social strategy - 8,414 shares
2. Lifehacker is a fire hose of tips and tricks
Lifehacker shares tips, tricks and downloads for getting things done. This blog is the granddaddy of the group, getting its start in January 2005, and earning loads of accolades since, including TIME’s "25 Sites We Can't Live Without" in 2006. — 1 post per hour
How Long to Nap for the Biggest Brain Benefits - 62,793 shares
I've Been Using Evernote All Wrong. Here's Why It's Actually Amazing - 6,285 shares
The 50 Free Apps We're Most Thankful For - 4,699 shares
3. Marc and Angel Hack Life lends practical tips, personal experience
Marc and Angel Hack Life offers inspirational advice and practical tips for life. The husband-and-wife blogging duo, who have been at it since 2006, also share opinions on noteworthy events and people in and around their lives. — 3 posts per week
10 Choices You Will Regret in 10 Years - 39,766 shares
9 Things Happy, Successful People Choose to Ignore - 4,667 shares
10 Things You Should Never Say About Yourself - 4,423 shares
4. Lifehack focuses on getting things done efficiently and effectively
Lifehack offers advice, resources, tips and tricks to help you get things done more efficiently and effectively. Like similarly named blog Lifehacker, Lifehack is a veteran at dispersing such tips, too, getting its start the same year, 2005. — 1 post per hour
13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do - 190,934 shares
25 Killer Websites that Make You Cleverer - 26,966 shares
You Can Easily Learn 100 TED Talks Lessons In 5 Minutes Which Most People Need 70 Hours For - 9,665 shares
5. 99U empowers you to execute ideas
99U offers insights on creativity and productivity. The blog is a product of online portfolio site Behance, which calls the online publication the "missing curriculum" for making ideas happen. — 1 post per day
The 5 Most Dangerous Creativity Killers - 6,331 shares
Get Over Yourself: How Your Ego Sabotages Your Creativity - 4,324 shares
7 Ways to Boost Your Creativity - 3,539 shares
6. Zen Habits reminds you to breathe
Zen Habits tackles a wide spectrum of topics: simplicity, health and fitness, motivation and inspiration, frugality, family life, happiness, goals, getting great things done and living in the moment. Started in 2007, the blog’s sole writer is Leo Babauta. — 3-4 posts per week
12 Indispensable Mindful Living Tools - 1,881 shares
Self-Discipline in 5 Sentences - 1,133 shares
How I Learned to Stop Procrastinating, & Love Letting Go - 791 shares
7. Dumb Little Man aims to make your life and work more efficient
Dumb Little Man writes about "anything that makes life and work more efficient, more profitable, and, um, easy." Started in 2006, the blog’s creator notes on the site that, to this day, he’s "not sure where the name Dumb Little Man came from." — 1-2 posts per day
6 Unconventional, But Scientific Ways To Be The Happiest Person On Earth - 946 shares
There Are Huge Health Benefits of Drinking Water But How Much Should You Really Drink? - 390 shares
6 Easy To Install Productivity Habits - 223 shares
8. The Fast Track gives you tools to get the job done fast
The Fast Track presents "tools to get the job done fast." The blog is a product of Intuit's online database software Quickbase. — 1 post per day
The Best Work Advice I Ever Received – Reader Top 10 List - 756 shares
10 Ways You’re Making Your Employees Less Productive - 726 shares
Want to Be More Productive at Work? Know Your People Style - 164 shares
9. Time Management Ninja helps get more done with minimal effort
Time Management Ninja focuses on time management, productivity, clutter and wasted time. It’s the personal blog of Craig Jarrow, who began the project in 2009. — 3 posts per week
Email Is Not Your Job - 563 shares
21 Ways to Define a Positive Attitude - 551 shares
10 Bad Productivity Habits That Are Holding You Back - 367 shares
10. Pick the Brain is dedicated to self improvement
Pick the Brian shares information on personal productivity, motivation and self education. Launched in 2006, the blog says it diverges from traditional "self-help" by taking a broader approach. — 1 post per day
5 Differences Between Optimists And Pessimists - 578 shares
The 7 Habits Happy People DON’T Have - 576 shares
6 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Mood - 488 shares
11. WorkAwesome wants you to work better
WorkAwesome shares knowledge about starting, completing and trying new things. Tina Su started the blog in 2008 after serving as a software engineer and user-experience designer at Amazon. — 2-3 posts per week
7 Steps to Beat Procrastination - 241 shares
How Naps Can Increase Your Productivity - 198 shares
6 Ways to Get More Done - 195 shares
12. Asian Efficiency is two friends sharing tips
Asian Efficiency shows ways to complete daily tasks, projects and assignments in the optimal time possible. Two friends started the blog after encouragement from comrades of theirs who turned to them for productivity advice. — 2-3 posts per week
5 Tips For Writing Productive Email Subject Lines - 275 shares
21 Examples of Eating Your Frog - 139 shares
How to Harness Discipline and Kick Ass at Everything in Life - 93 shares
Your Reading List
What’s your favorite productivity blog? We hope to double our list by year's end—help us do so by sharing your pick in the comments below.
Credits: Photo from Flickr user dawolf
