What I learned from Feel Good Productivity: Play, Power, People, and Alignment

Posted on by anmious

Achieving productivity isn’t just about ticking tasks off a list—it’s about feeling good while doing them. Ali Abdaal’s approach to “Feel Good Productivity” integrates the power of emotions, mindset, and alignment with your values. Here’s a structured guide based on these principles, along with actionable examples to help you apply them to your life.

Part 1: Play – The Foundation of Enjoyment

Positive emotions boost productivity, creativity, and overall well-being. When we feel good, we not only perform better, but we also build skills and habits that stick.

Positive Emotions and Their Impact:

  • Endorphins: Released during physical activity, they help us stay happy and resilient.
  • Serotonin: Regulates mood, sleep, and well-being.
  • Dopamine: Known as the “reward hormone,” it fuels motivation and focus.
  • Oxytocin: The “love hormone,” it builds social bonds and trust, improving teamwork.

How to Add Play into Your Work:

  1. Choose Your Character: Identify the type of person you naturally are and weave that into your work:
    • Collector: Focus on gathering knowledge or data to organize your projects better.
    • Competitor: Set challenges or goals that excite you.
    • Explorer: Incorporate discovery, learning new skills or areas into your tasks.
    • Creator: Make things—build, code, design.
    • Storyteller: Use your imagination to craft narratives around your work.
    • Joker: Add humor to lighten your workload.
    • Director: Take charge, plan, and lead projects effectively.
    • Kinesthetic: Keep active while working—standing desks, walking meetings, etc.
  2. Focus on the Process: Don’t obsess over outcomes. Enjoy the journey of doing the work. Each step you take is a win in itself.
  3. Reframe Failures: Think of failures as experiments rather than setbacks. Each failure is a new piece of information that moves you closer to success.
  4. Curiosity: Stay curious and open to new challenges. Curiosity drives motivation and engagement.

Part 2: Power – Boost Your Confidence

Belief in your abilities influences how you perform. Here’s how you can take control of your mindset:

  1. Positive Self-Talk: Trick your mind into believing you can succeed by reinforcing positive thoughts.
  2. Beginner’s Mindset: Approach tasks as if you’re learning something new. This keeps you open to fresh ideas and methods.
  3. Teach Others: Explaining concepts to others reinforces your own understanding. Share what you’ve learned with others—it’ll boost your confidence.
  4. Take Ownership: Do things your way. Be proactive in finding the best path for yourself, rather than following a rigid plan.

Part 3: People – Building Connections

The people around you can help boost your productivity. Here’s how to involve them in meaningful ways:

  1. Comrade Mindset: View your work as a way to benefit others. Whether you’re helping a team or creating something for a customer, focusing on others creates deeper purpose.
  2. Synchronicity: Foster collaboration. Work with others, communicate openly, and ensure your goals are aligned. Overcommunicate when necessary.
  3. Kindness and Support: Small acts of kindness help build strong relationships. Whether it’s offering help or providing feedback, being kind boosts the morale of those around you.
  4. Ask for Help: Don’t hesitate to ask for support when needed. You don’t have to do everything alone.

Part 4: Unblock – Get Past Procrastination and Fear

Procrastination often comes from overestimating the stakes of a task. Here’s how to get unblocked:

  1. The Five Whys: Keep asking yourself “why” until you reach the core reason behind what’s blocking you. This can clarify your purpose and the real challenges you’re facing.
  2. NICE Goals:
    • Near-term goals: Focus on weekly objectives or sprints.
    • Input-based: Set small, achievable goals that you can control.
    • Controllable: Ensure your tasks are realistic and doable.
    • Energizing: Use tasks that energize you, pulling in elements from play, power, and people.
  3. Crystal Ball Method: Imagine working on a task for a week, and it still isn’t done. What’s stopping you? Use this foresight to anticipate and eliminate blockers in advance.
  4. Time Blocking: Plan your day and week by blocking out specific times for the things you love doing. Structure reduces decision fatigue.
  5. Emotion Labeling: When you feel fear or anxiety, label it. By acknowledging your emotions, you can release them and move forward.
  6. The Batman Effect: If you’re lacking confidence, pretend to be someone who already has it. This simple mindset shift can help you act more confidently and effectively.

Part 5: Sustain – Avoid Burnout and Keep Going

Burnout comes in different forms, but it can always be avoided by managing your workload and energy effectively:

  1. Overexertion Burnout: Do less. Innovation often means saying “no” to many things so you can focus on the things that matter.
    • The Power of No: Only say yes to things that excite you. Ask yourself, “Would I want to do this tomorrow?”
  2. Experiment Portfolio: List your dreams, hopes, and ambitions (List A), and compare them to your current tasks (List B). If you want to move something from List A to B, make sure you actually have time for it. If not, remove things from List B to avoid overcommitting.
  3. Recharge with Nature: Nature is a natural replenisher of energy and focus. Take walks, hike, or even put up photos of nature in your workspace to refresh your mind.
  4. Mindless Activities: Let your mind wander sometimes. Creativity often strikes when you’re zoning out.
  5. Schedule Breaks: Take a 10-minute break between tasks to help prevent overexertion. Rest is essential to avoid mistakes and stay focused.
  6. Track Your Progress: Seeing measurable progress can keep you motivated to continue.

Part 6: Align – Make Sure Your Work Reflects Your Values

Long-term productivity only works if it aligns with your values. Here’s how to ensure you’re on the right path:

  1. Intrinsic Motivation vs. Extrinsic Motivation: Strive for intrinsic motivation—doing something because you enjoy the process. Extrinsic motivations like recognition or rewards can wear thin over time.
  2. The Odyssey Plan: Imagine three versions of your life in five years:
    • The first follows your current path.
    • The second is an alternate path.
    • The third is a radical path.
    Use this thought experiment to identify which direction truly aligns with your long-term values.
  3. The Eulogy Method: Write your own obituary. Think about how you want to be remembered. What impact do you want to leave behind? This helps clarify what’s truly important and guides how you should spend your time now.
  4. Wheel of Life: Break your life into categories: health (body, mind, soul), work (mission, money, growth), and relationships (family, romance, friends). Assess each segment to see which needs more attention and align your goals accordingly.
  5. 12-Month Celebration: Once a year, celebrate how you’ve improved in these areas. Reflect on your progress and identify what’s next.