Chris Bailey

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How this site got started

About a decade ago, after graduating from business school, I received a few full-time job offers but decided to turn them down because I had a plan.

For exactly one year, I would follow my passion and devour everything I could get my hands on about the subject of productivity. For that project, I interviewed productivity experts, sifted through countless journal articles on productivity, and even conducted numerous productivity experiments on myself, where I used myself as a guinea pig to explore how to become as productive as humanly possible.

timeenergyattentionFor some odd reason, the project took off. By the end of the year, my work was read over a million times by people from almost every country around the world. I also teamed up with Penguin Random House to write a book about the year, which we named The Productivity Project: Accomplishing More by Managing Your Time, Attention, and Energy. Since then, I’ve continued to research and experiment with topics I’m fascinated by that I think you’ll find helpful. My second book, published in 2018 by Penguin Books, is called Hyperfocus: How to Manage Your Attention in a World of Distraction. To date, these books have been published in 27 languages.

Sometime after this project, this site was born. To this day, this is where I write about topics I’m fascinated by. This site is totally free from ads and sponsorships because I like to make money through writing books and speaking, and I prefer not to be annoying on the Internet (unless you follow my personal Twitter account—in that case, may God help you). I’m currently working on my third book (which I think is my best one yet)! 

What makes me tick?

I should probably introduce myself, eh? My name is Chris, and I live in Ottawa, Canada, with my wife Ardyn and our turtle Edward. Just like some people are wired to be interested in sports, music, or comic books, I have always been fascinated by how to become a better, more intentional person. So you can get to know me a bit better, here are five things that make me tick:

1. I meditate for 30 minutes every day and wouldn’t trade the ritual for anything. I first became enamored with meditation (and Buddhism!) through my yoga practice and haven’t stopped practicing since. (It might seem weird that someone who’s into productivity is into Buddhism and meditation, but I think the two can work together in fascinating ways. I even wrote a free Audible Original on the topic.)
 
2. I graduated from University with a business degree with specializations in management and marketing. While I’m into some things that seem hippie-dippy on the surface—like meditation—I think my business-y mind helps me cut through all of the BS out there so I can focus on the practical side of everything I write about.
 
3. I grew up in Canada and have lived here all my life. If you notice a dash of politeness in the way I talk, this is why. I currently live in Ottawa, Canada, and absolutely love it here. If you come to visit, I’ll treat you to poutine and a beaver tail.
 
4. I’ve had some neat work experience. I worked a few corporate jobs throughout University—including one where I hired a couple hundred students for a global telecom firm—so I could graduate with as little debt as possible. To this day, I try to keep a few toes in the corporate world by training teams and organizations on becoming more intentional and productive.
 
5. A few of my favorite things in the world: Green tea, writing, typography, space, technology (I’m a huge nerd), Oxford commas, and em-dashes—they’re so versatile!

Jump In

The best way to dig into what I’ve written is by checking out my books and the free articles on my Articles page—that page houses everything I’ve written online to date. You can also subscribe to my newsletter, so you don’t miss out on the new stuff I publish—though no worries at all if newsletters aren’t your thing!

Above all else, welcome! I hope you enjoy your time here. It’s great to have you along for the ride!

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