Hey Reader,

For years, I read maybe one book per year — if any.

I always thought: “If I want to get better at producing, I need to spend time in Ableton, not reading.”

So I skipped the theory.
Bought plugins. Watched some tutorials.
But my output didn’t really change.

Then I picked up Atomic Habits last year.
Just to try something new.
What happened after surprised me.

I started reading daily, even just a few pages.
Now I’ve already read 8 books this year.
And more importantly?

I’ve finished 7 full tracks and am on track to hit 12 this year.

Let me tell you which books had the biggest impact on that.

📘 1. Atomic Habits – Build a system, not streaks

After work, I often felt too drained to produce.
And when I did go to the gym, I’d be too wiped out after to get anything done musically.

That’s when I tried what the book recommends:

I started with 15-minute workouts, which I’ve now built up to 30.
And I still have energy to produce music afterwards.

Same for production:
My rule is 30 minutes of focused work daily.
Sometimes it’s more, but the win is showing up.

I also applied a key idea from the book:

Now I train while watching YouTube content.
Still focused. Still present. Just easier to stick to.

📗 2. The ONE Thing – Prioritize what truly matters

This book gave me one powerful question:

Most days, the answer is simple: music production.
Everything else (like this newsletter) is secondary.

But I also apply that question inside my sessions.

Today’s goal? Final mixing tweaks on my current remix.
Just making sure every element sits right in the mix.

And that’s where the question really helps:

Answer that before your session, and you’ll know exactly where to start.

📙 3. Deep Work – Guard your creative time

You say you don’t have time?
Check your screen time.

That’s what I did — and realized how much energy I was losing without even noticing.

Now, I do this before every session:

• Phone is always on silent
• Push notifications off
• Door closed = no interruptions

My girlfriend knows that’s focus time.
And I know I’ll actually get something done.

Since applying this, I’ve stopped starting ideas.
And started finishing tracks.

Better production starts with better habits.

Not huge changes — just small, daily actions that stack up over time.

✅ Show up every day (even just for 15 minutes)
✅ Define one clear goal per session
✅ Eliminate distractions to protect your focus

If you want to become more productive as a producer,
I highly recommend reading these three books:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The One Thing by Gary Keller
• Deep Work by Cal Newport

They don’t teach you music.
But they’ll help you build the mindset to actually finish it.

Got a book that helped you level up your productivity or mindset?

I’m always looking for the next good one — just hit reply and let me know.

Stay Productive,
- LEMAN

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