Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

by Ali Abdaal

‘If the treatment isn’t working, question the diagnosis.’

concerning dependence on caffeine.

feeling good doesn’t just end with feeling good. It actually changes our patterns of thought and behaviour.

in a positive mood, participants were able to see a broader range of potential solutions.

Positive emotions are the fuel that drives the engine of human flourishing.

Put simply: success doesn’t lead to feeling good. Feeling good leads to success.

It’s about doing more of what matters to you. It’ll help you learn more about yourself, what you love and what really motivates you.

We’ll delve into the three different types of burnout – overexertion burnout, depletion burnout and misalignment burnout.

Life is stressful. Play makes it fun.

whether taking a new route to work or trying a different coffee shop rather than sticking to their regular one – felt happier, more excited and more relaxed. Their conclusion: an adventurous life holds the key to unlocking positive emotions.

we can learn to focus on the process, rather than the outcome, we’re substantially more likely to enjoy a task.

failure would be just as valuable as success.

No failure is ever just a failure. It’s an invitation to try something new.

‘It’s a beautiful day to save lives. Let’s have some fun.’

approach things with a sense of adventure.

element of fun in every task,

approach your work with less seriousness and more sincerity?

confident about our ability to complete a task makes us feel good when we’re doing it, and helps us do it better.

you can is the first step to making sure you actually can.

confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you learn.

immersing yourself in vicarious success, you’ll be building a powerful story in your own mind: that if they can, you can too.

In the years since, researchers in the field of human intelligence have suggested that perhaps older siblings on average have higher IQs and perform better in school than their

‘flipping the confidence switch’ – and playing the role of someone who’s already filled

take ownership,

These are the people who uplift your spirits and fill you with energy. You want to be around them.

I didn’t like about medical school was the sense of competition. Everyone

When the going gets tough, it’s better to have friends to lean on than enemies to lord

Instead, emphasise the positive reasons for why you’re going to that specific person for advice: ‘I saw your work on X, Y, Z and it really had an impact on me. I would love to hear how you did A, B, C.’ By emphasising the positive aspects of the person you admire, they’ll think you genuinely value their opinion – and be more likely to help you.

quid pro quo.

something for something

try to make your overcommunication about the good as positive and as uplifting as possible.

starts with becoming a team player. Try treating the people you’re working with

Knowledge is power. Getting to know our fears is the first step towards overcoming them. Handled right, it could even take less than seven years.

our fears are broader: less about specific problems, more about our wider identities.

I’m experiencing self-doubt, a favourite label for myself is ‘lifelong learner’.

lifelong learner would never get stuck in a procrastination rut for long.

They’re tools that help us make sense of who we are. If we can change our labels, we can often change our behaviour.

failures we’re worried about now aren’t the ones that will always define us.

We can’t eradicate all our fears. We need to overcome them. That means finding a way to move from fear to courage. And it begins with changing the way that you’re seen by the most important person in your life: you.

mindset of ‘no one cares’ can be totally transformative. It’s one of the simplest methods I’ve identified to reduce my anxiety-related procrastination.

I am confident. I am fearless. I am unstoppable.

‘layer of self-deception’.

yourself some slack and celebrate the small wins.

‘feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy’.

it isn’t related to the number of hours you’re working – it’s about how you feel.

realised, come from the negative emotions that arise when we do too much, too fast.

We sprint all the time.

Do less, so that you can unlock more.

‘Begin again’ when I find myself getting distracted. It’s a powerful reminder. Don’t fail with abandon. Regardless of how you’ve done

conclusion was simple: adding a break of just ten minutes between two tasks that require self-control seems to help combat overexertion.

find moments in your working day to do nothing. And embrace them.