Book 2, Post 2: Feel-Good Productivity

Feel-Good Productivity
by Ali Abdaal

After reading the first 80 pages:

I chose to read, Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal because of the line: “How to Do More of What Matters to You”. Because, sometimes, I do find myself doing work and feeling like it’s always a chore or a hassle. I hope this book will help me discover ways to achieve more meaningful and enjoyable productivity.

The introduction hooked me right away, starting with the line, “‘Merry Christmas, Ali. Try not to kill anyone.’” As I continued to read, I could picture the hectic hospital scenes, much like those in Grey’s Anatomy. Ali shared how he always looked forward to becoming a doctor, though medical school was hard, there was always a way to push through with discipline. But after becoming a doctor, that changed. Every day at the hospital, there are endless patients, in which he sees no end. This slowly started to eat at him – draining his passion for the job. Even though we have different occupations, I found this feeling of burnout relatable.

I liked how this book is split into different perspectives and “experiments”. So far, I’ve learned:
1. Feeling good boosts our energy

2. Feeling good reduces our stress

3. Feeling good enriches your life

He essentially stressed that success doesn't lead to feeling good – feeling good leads to success. I found this quite interesting.

Almost finishing the book:

Honestly, the read isn't bad -- it was quite scannable. As someone who suffers from a short attention span, I found it hard to keep reading at times. However, the bold fonts, bullet points, and summaries made the long text more digestible.

I enjoy the tone and the way Ali Abdaal presents his ideas. He includes many relatable insights and analogies, which helps me understand his philosophies. One stood out to me, he states, "The main way uncertainty drives procrastination is by ambiguity over our ultimate purpose". He relates this to military strategies and then to his experience with hitting the gym to get 'six-pack abs'. Interesting, isn't it -- he ties this all to asking the big "why". Find the ultimate purpose, then the end result, then the key tasks. 

Another concept I found insightful was the NICE Goals. USC has always pushed SMART Goals, and like Ali, I found it not as useful. For people suffering from procrastination -- this tunnel vision way of setting goals may not work -- oftentimes, I found myself overwhelmed. NICE Goals:

• Near-term (immediate steps, daily/weekly objectives)
• Input-based (process-focused)
• Controllable (realistic, manageable)
• Energizing (motivating)

I would recommend this book, especially if you're feeling burnout or want to see other perspectives on productivity (I know many of us have this hustle-focused mindset). He presents an approach that combines achieving meaningful goals while still enjoying life. Work smarter, not harder :)