Book Review - Feel Good Productivity
Book: Feel Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
Author: Ali Abdaal
Top 3 Take Aways:
If you feel good when you are working, you will be more open and creative. You will also be able to take in more information and develop more positive patterns of thought and behavior.
There are 3 components to “feel good productivity”. The first is finding ways to make your work more energizing. The second is getting un-stuck. And the third is making work sustainable.
Be a “productivity scientist”. This is a term Ali uses to describe the overall approach he recommends using to develop your work. Try something new for a few weeks. If you like it, keep it, and if you don’t, don’t.
About the Author:
Ali is a medical student, turned doctor, turned YouTuber, and a productivity expert. Currently, he has more than five million subscribers on YouTube and focuses on creating content that gives people ideas and tools to improve their lives. His rise to prominence happened over the last 5 years while he consistently put out content in the form of a blog, YouTube videos, and various online courses. Ali is a great person to look at if you are thinking about becoming a content creator because his rise to success is well documented. If you are interested in his content, here are some links to his work:
Book on Amazon: Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
Website: Ali Abdaal - Youtuber, Podcaster, Ex-Doctor & Feel Good Productivity Author
YouTube Channel: Ali Abdaal - YouTube
What To Expect:
There are things this book is and things this book isn’t. First, this book is not your typical productivity guide. It does have some great evidence-based insights in it, but the true value of this book comes from the “experiments”. These are practical steps anyone can take and implement into their life immediately. There are around 5-6 for each of the 3 main topics: Energise, Unblock, and Sustain; and Ali encourages readers to go through these experiments one at a time and stick with them for a few weeks. If it is helpful, keep it, and if not, don’t. This approach guides the reader into taking meaningful action. For me, I am going to use these experiments as content for future blogs.
Tip: If you are trying to become a creator but don’t know what to create, try reading a book, following its advice, and documenting the results.
In summary, you can expect to gain some science backed ideas to make your work more enjoyable, and you won’t be left figuring out how to implement these things on your own. If you are like me, you will find a handful of interesting and easy to commit to “experiments” to try out for yourself.
My Top 3 Experiments to Try:
Own the Process
Reduce Emotional Friction
The Odyssey Plan
Hopefully, I will get a chance to share more about these in a future post.
Who I Recommend This Book For:
People who consistently feel drained from work.
People who have bought into the “grind more” philosophy and are now burnt out.
People who manage people and are looking for ways to relate to and improve their employees’ work experience.