PDF Summary:Feel-Good Productivity, by Ali Abdaal

We’re all familiar with the daily grind, but what if it doesn’t have to be a grind? In Feel-Good Productivity, productivity expert Ali Abdaal says that most people have the wrong ideas about how to be productive: He argues that getting things done should feel natural, easy, and—most importantly—enjoyable. He provides a comprehensive system for rejecting the “grind” mindset, boosting your emotional well-being, and learning how to work in ways that energize you instead of drain you.

Our guide will explain why and how emotional well-being will boost your productivity. We’ll then discuss how to work in a way that feels good to you, how to stop procrastination at its source instead of trying to force your way through it, and how to avoid or recover from burnout. Our commentary will compare Abdaal’s suggestions with those from other self-help books. We’ll also dive into what research says about Abdaal’s ideas, as well as provide tools and actionable strategies to help you implement feel-good productivity in your own life.

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For example, if you like to draw, there will be times when you’re not satisfied with something you’ve created—but if you compare that drawing to something you made when you were just starting out, you’ll realize just how skilled an artist you’ve become since then.

Also, further improving your skills will give you a sense of hope. This is because, even if a situation isn’t what you want it to be, you’ll know that you can improve yourself and eventually change that situation. For instance, if you’re passed over for a promotion at work, you’ll know that you can redouble your efforts and get promoted next time.

Boost Your Skills With Effective Learning

One way to improve your skills is to study. For example, if you want to improve your drawing skills, you could teach yourself new techniques to get the results you want as well as to learn mistakes and pitfalls to avoid. You might do this by studying art theory and the work of other artists.

Therefore, your skills in any area will improve more quickly if you start by learning effective study skills—and, as a result, you’ll quickly develop feelings of empowerment and hope. In Limitless, educator and “brain coach” Jim Kwik presents a learning model that he says makes it possible for anyone to learn anything. The Limitless model has three components:

1. Mindframe: You must truly believe in your limitless potential and must be open-minded about new information. In other words, you must know that you’re able to learn, and you must be ready to learn.

2. Drive: You must find ways to motivate yourself to learn about whatever topic you’re studying. This is crucial because even someone who knows they can learn anything still won’t learn about subjects they’re not interested in. The suggestions from our section on the first source of good feelings (fun) can help with this—you’ll be more motivated to learn if the learning is enjoyable.

3. Techniques: You use specific practices to quickly absorb and retain new information. For example, Kwik suggests that you try visualizing what you’re learning about, instead of just trying to memorize the words on a page.

Take Responsibility for Everything

Abdaal’s third suggestion is to take responsibility for everything you do. Though it seems counterintuitive, accepting the consequences of your decisions and your actions is a major part of feeling like you’re in control of your life. That’s because, when you take accountability, you understand that what you do really matters. On the other hand, if you avoid accountability, then it will feel like your actions have no effect on you—in other words, it will seem like you have no control over your own life.

The author adds that even when you can’t choose your tasks or goals (a common situation in the workplace, for instance) you still have control over your mindset and actions. That means it’s up to you whether you want to complain and do a halfhearted job, or to give each task your all even if it’s not what you want to be doing.

Counterpoint: You’re Always Accountable for What You Do

Abdaal discusses the benefits of taking responsibility as opposed to avoiding it, but some other self-help experts say that it’s impossible not to take responsibility for what you do. From that perspective, self-empowerment isn’t about taking accountability, but rather about recognizing that you already are accountable.

Mark Manson makes this case in The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Manson argues that you always have choices to make, no matter what situation you’re in, and you must therefore hold yourself accountable for those choices. What actions you take—and what personal values you base those actions on—are completely up to you, no matter what external pressures you might be facing.

Consider the previous example of an employee who can’t choose their own tasks and goals at work: If their employer tells them to do something unethical or illegal, that employee still gets to decide how they’ll respond. For instance, the employee could do as they’re told, they could refuse, or they could report the company’s behavior to the authorities. Whatever decision the employee makes, they must then accept the consequences of that choice.

Source #3: Connection

Abdaal’s third and final source of emotional well-being is connecting with other people. Look for people who naturally boost your well-being and your energy, and spend as much time with them as possible. Simply put, you’ll be happier if you have good people around you.

One way to build connections, or strengthen existing ones, is to help people when they need it. This is effective because working together naturally brings people closer, and helping others creates bonds of gratitude and goodwill that often lead to new friendships.

Furthermore, you don’t have to wait until someone asks you for help—small acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day and often make them want to do the same for you. On that note, remember that connections work both ways; accepting kindness from others will strengthen your connections just as surely as helping them will.

(Shortform note: Abdaal is essentially saying that you feel better when you spend time with good friends. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done for many people. In fact, it’s notoriously hard for adults to make friends; for example, one study found that the average American in 2004 had zero close friends. In addition to Abdaal’s suggestions above, one reliable method for making new friends is to join a local group dedicated to a subject or hobby that interests you. This works because, by regularly attending that group, you’ll naturally meet and spend time with other people who share your interest.)

Abdaal’s other suggestion for strengthening connections is to communicate more, and more effectively. He adds that, while it’s important to share your positive thoughts—good news, compliments, and so on—if you only share positive thoughts you might come across as shallow or inauthentic. Therefore, it’s equally important to share some of your negative thoughts: your problems, concerns, and (if appropriate) criticisms. Remember, connection isn’t just about getting people to like you, it’s about getting people to understand and accept you.

(Shortform note: One common obstacle to effective communication is a lack of vocabulary, especially when it comes to talking about ourselves. In Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown says that many people can only identify three feelings: happiness, sadness, and anger. Those three terms aren’t nearly enough to cover the entire scope of human experiences, so people often have trouble expressing themselves and understanding each other. As a result, they’re unable to form meaningful connections with one another, and they miss out on the emotional fulfillment that comes with those connections. Therefore, it’s helpful to learn more (and more specific) labels for emotions in order to discuss them more effectively.)

Overcome the Three Sources of Procrastination

Along with the three sources of emotional well-being, Abdaal discusses three things that harm your emotional well-being and your productivity. He calls them blockers and says that they’re the cause of all procrastination. Therefore, you can stop procrastinating simply by figuring out which of the three is getting in your way and removing it.

In this section, we’ll discuss Abdaal’s three causes of procrastination: confusion, habit, and anxiety.

Procrastination Cause #1: Confusion

Abdaal’s first cause of procrastination, confusion, is the most straightforward. This simply means that you procrastinate when you aren’t sure what to do—or, more often, you aren’t sure how to do it. Thankfully, the solution is equally straightforward: Usually a few simple questions will clear up any confusion so that you can proceed confidently.

First of all, if necessary, ask some clarifying questions about what you’re supposed to do. What exactly is this task? What, specifically, are you trying to accomplish?

With that said, the more common cause of confusion is how to approach that task. Abdaal’s solution is not to simply ask how a task should be done, but rather to ask why you’re doing it. Knowing the larger goal behind a task will often help you figure out the best way to approach it. In other words, the answer to why will lead to the how.

For instance, if your task is to get a sales report ready, it would be helpful to know whether you’re preparing it for someone else in the company—someone who already knows the company’s procedures, expectations, and jargon—or for someone external like a potential investor, who will need some background information. As with everything we discuss in this guide, the principle is equally applicable to personal tasks. Say your current task is to clean your house; are you doing that just to make your home more pleasant for yourself, or because you’re hosting a party and therefore you need the entire house to be spotless?

(Shortform note: As well as helping you clear up your confusion (and therefore overcome procrastination), Abdaal’s suggestion to ask for background information and then find your own solutions supports the second source of good feelings: empowerment. In fact, it closely resembles a business strategy that former Netflix CEO Reed Hastings describes in No Rules Rules. Hastings credits Netflix’s success to its culture of empowerment, which encouraged everyone from entry-level employees to Hastings himself to make their own decisions. One key part of this culture was providing employees with information so they could make the best decisions possible—as Abdaal would say, Netflix made sure its employees understood the why, and encouraged them to figure out how for themselves.)

Finally, Abdaal says that if you don’t clarify when to do something, you’ll put it off until the last minute (if there’s a deadline) or won’t do it at all (if there’s no deadline). For example, if you have a report due at the end of the work week and you don’t give yourself a specific time to do it, you’ll find yourself scrambling to finish that report on Friday. To give another example, if you’re planning to call a family member but don’t set aside time to do so, you’ll find that you never get around to making that call.

Use Time Blocking to Tackle Tasks

It’s not always practical to set aside a specific time to do a particular task—if something unforeseen comes up at that time, you could miss your chance and just end up procrastinating again.

One simple solution to this problem is time blocking: Instead of planning out exactly when you’ll do each task, you create blocks of time in your schedule for certain kinds of tasks. In The Effective Executive, management consultant Peter Drucker suggests breaking your schedule into blocks that are as large as possible, four to five hours per block at least. While that might not be practical for individual activities (most of us don’t have the time or interest to take a four-hour walk, for example), it works well for categories that you can subdivide into other tasks.

For instance, if you set aside a four-hour block for family activities, you might be able to fill that block by watching a movie with your spouse, playing some board games with your children, and finally making that phone call you’ve been putting off.

Procrastination Cause #2: Habit

Abdaal says that, while confusion is the most straightforward cause of procrastination, habit is the most common. In short, once you get into the habit of doing nothing, you’ll tend to keep doing nothing.

However, habit works both ways; once you start getting things done, you’ll tend to keep getting things done. Therefore, Abdaal’s solution is to start with something small. Pick a task that will be quick and easy, and do it as soon as possible. For example, if you want to start exercising, you might get started by doing a few pushups or going for a short walk.

It may not seem significant, but accomplishing that simple task will start breaking you out of your bad habit of procrastinating.

(Shortform note: Aside from breaking free of bad habits, Abdaal’s suggestion to move past procrastination by just accomplishing something—no matter how small—is also effective because that small victory will inspire you to keep working toward bigger ones. In The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Manson explains that motivation and action create a loop: Motivation leads to action, but action also leads to motivation. Therefore, by taking some small action, you’ll create a small amount of motivation for yourself. You can then use that motivation to take further action, which creates more motivation, and so on.)

Procrastination Cause #3: Anxiety

Abdaal says that the third cause of procrastination is anxiety. People tend to put off doing things—even things they want to do—when they’re worried about what the outcome might be. For example, people are often hesitant about starting a new hobby because they’re worried about looking foolish in front of more experienced hobbyists.

Abdaal adds that there’s no way to completely get rid of your anxiety, but there are a few things you can do to help yourself work through it.

The first step is to identify your anxiety: What, specifically, are you afraid is going to happen? To continue the above example, someone who’s new to a hobby might be anxious about other people making fun of their lack of knowledge or skill.

(Shortform note: We previously discussed how feel-good productivity takes advantage of our evolved traits: the behaviors and abilities that helped our distant ancestors survive. Unfortunately, the human tendency to imagine the worst is also an evolved trait. As biologist Richard Dawkins explains in The Selfish Gene, imagination has helped animals (including ancient humans) stay alive by allowing them to predict danger. For example, an animal doesn’t have to jump off a cliff to understand that long falls are dangerous, because it can imagine the results without experiencing them. However, in our relatively safe modern world, imagination often backfires—it warns us we’re in danger when we really aren’t.)

The second step, says Abdaal, is to assess your anxiety. This means asking yourself whether your anxiety is a reasonable response to something that’s probably not that big of a deal. Abdaal suggests considering, if the thing you’re worried about does happen, how bad will it really be? If someone does make fun of that new hobbyist, will it still matter the next day, the next month, or the next year? If something won’t matter in the long run, then it’s not worth worrying about.

(Shortform note: When thinking about your worst-case scenario, planning out how you'll handle that situation may also help to ease your anxiety. That’s why, in How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie suggests planning for the worst. His reasoning is that, if you figure out the worst thing that could happen and make a plan to deal with it, then there’s no reason to worry anymore—it’s likely that things will work out better than you expected, but if not, you’ll simply use the strategy you already came up with. To continue with the example of the hobbyist, if they find that their local group is unwelcoming and toxic, they can make a plan to leave early and find a friendlier group of people to enjoy their new hobby with.)

Abdaal says that once you’ve finished those two steps, all that remains is to face your anxiety. With a clear idea of what you’re concerned about, and how reasonable that concern really is, you’re as prepared as you can be to get started.

(Shortform note: Abdaal discusses ways to intellectually work through your worries, but it’s helpful to physically relax as well. Taking a few minutes to practice deep breathing exercises, yoga, or meditation will help you feel calm and centered so you can face your fears more readily.)

Avoid the Three Kinds of Burnout

Now you’ve read about harnessing your emotional well-being, as well as overcoming the obstacles that cause you to procrastinate. This final section will teach you how to make your productivity sustainable. In simpler terms, this section discusses how to avoid burnout.

Abdaal begins by saying that burnout sets in when work stops feeling good and starts to feel tedious, meaningless, or overwhelming instead. This means that your work is harming your emotional well-being instead of boosting it. Many people misunderstand this fundamental concept; they assume that burnout is just another word for exhaustion, and they can fix it by simply resting for a day or two.

(Shortform note: As Abdaal notes, burnout is more than simple fatigue. In reality, it’s a serious condition with symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, and mental fog that leaves you unable to make even simple decisions. Furthermore, recovering from burnout often takes much longer than people expect: Severe cases can require up to a year of rest, and forcing yourself to work before you’ve recovered can cause further mental, emotional, and even physical harm, up to and including death.)

In this final section, we’ll go over the three types of burnout that Abdaal describes, and how to avoid them.

Burnout Type #1: Strain

Abdaal’s first type of burnout happens when you’re simply trying to do too much; even the positive energy you get from feel-good productivity has limits. So, just like exercising too much can cause you to strain a muscle, doing too much can cause you to “strain” your well-being.

You can avoid or recover from this type of burnout by taking a healthier approach to your day-to-day work. This is simple in theory, but it can be difficult in practice, so Abdaal offers some tips.

Prioritize, and Be Honest About Your Priorities

First, be honest with yourself and others about how much you can do. Make a list of all the projects you’re working on—both professional and personal—and see if it’s realistic based on how much you can comfortably get done.

If you find that you’re regularly shifting into the grind mindset to meet all your commitments, then you’ve taken on too much and may be heading for burnout. In that case, it’s time to prioritize and simplify. Which projects on that list are most important to you? If you had to pick just one project to devote yourself to, which one would it be?

Abdaal adds that, to avoid this type of burnout, you need to get comfortable with telling people “no.” Remember that other people don’t know exactly how much work you’re doing or how much energy you have, so they’ll often ask you to take on more work when that isn’t feasible for you. Trying to please everyone is a sure way to burn yourself out.

(Shortform note: Many people struggle to say “no” to anything—it feels selfish and hurtful, even when it’s necessary to do so. In Essentialism, Greg McKeown provides some tips on how to overcome that discomfort. First, remember that rejecting someone’s request doesn’t mean you’re rejecting that person, it just means they asked something of you that you aren’t currently able to give. Second, remember what you’d be giving up if you accepted that request: your time, your energy, and (in the long run) possibly your well-being. Finally, recognize that giving someone a clear “no” is much kinder than giving a noncommittal response, leaving them wondering whether they can rely on you; saying “yes” and then reneging on your promise is even worse.)

Find Your Priorities With the Eisenhower Matrix

Trimming down your to-do list can help you avoid burnout, but how do you actually do that?

Former US President Dwight Eisenhower created the Eisenhower Matrix as a simple method to prioritize items on your to-do list and, just as importantly, determine how to approach each task. The matrix is divided into four quadrants based on two variables—importance and urgency:

1. Important and urgent—do it. You should do tasks that are both significant and time-sensitive as soon as possible (or at the required time). Examples include treating a serious injury or going to a doctor’s appointment.

2. Important but not urgent—schedule it. Something that you need to do, but don’t need to do right now, should be written into your schedule so that you make sure to get to it promptly. Examples include planning for the future, working out, and making time for rest and recreation.

3. Urgent but not important—delegate it. The ideal way to handle tasks that are time-sensitive, but not important to you, is to get someone else to do them (preferably someone to whom they are important). Another way of thinking about this quadrant is time-sensitive tasks that don’t need you, specifically, to do them. Examples include running errands and attending (some) meetings.

4. Neither important nor urgent—ignore it. Something that’s not important and not time-sensitive is, by definition, something that you can safely ignore. Examples include mindlessly scrolling social media, taking unimportant phone calls, and playing video games.

Choose Your Distractions Carefully

Abdaal’s second suggestion for avoiding burnout due to strain is to manage your distractions, because shifting your attention from one thing to another (task-switching) too frequently uses up your mental energy.

Crucially, the author doesn’t say that you should remove all distractions from your life. For one thing, that’s impossible; for another, occasional breaks actually improve your focus when you get back to your main task. However, he does suggest indulging in distractions that make you feel good, instead of distractions that simply fill time.

Two Sides to Task-Switching

By discussing task-switching, Abdaal contributes to the ongoing discussion of multitasking, specifically whether multitasking is a source of productivity or a hindrance to it.

Many psychologists, as well as productivity books like Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog, say that multitasking is a myth: It’s impossible to focus on two things at the same time, and so-called “good multitaskers” are actually good task-switchers. However, Tracy adds that task-switching is detrimental to your productivity no matter how good you are at it; trying to do two things at once can make each task take up to five times as long. Abdaal disagrees to some extent by saying task-switching does help your productivity, as long as you do it deliberately and in moderation.

Abdaal says it’s likely that managing distractions means rethinking your relationship with technology, especially with your phone. When you have a smartphone, you’re constantly bombarded with distractions such as emails, app notifications, and social media feeds. Therefore, Abdaal suggests uninstalling any apps that you can live without and setting strict limits about when and how much you’ll use your phone for things like emails.

So, instead of checking your phone or browsing your favorite websites whenever you need a break, try looking for positive distractions. For example, you could try stretching, taking a walk, reading an uplifting book, or talking to a friend.

(Shortform note: The constant distractions from phones and other devices may be even more disruptive than Abdaal suggests. In ADHD 2.0, Edward Hallowell and John Ratey—two doctors who specialize in treating ADHD—say that even people who don’t have ADHD are beginning to show symptoms mimicking the condition. The authors explain that these ADHD-like traits, such as the inability to stay focused and the compulsive need to check their phones, are the result of people trying to keep up with a constant barrage of information that comes in more quickly than their brains can process it.)

Burnout Type #2: Drain

Abdaal’s second type of burnout is a counterpart to the first: Whereas strain happens when you work too much, drain happens when you don’t get enough rest after working. Naturally, this can happen because you don’t take enough time for yourself—however, the problem could also be that you’re not resting in a way that’s truly restorative.

Abdaal explains that effective types of rest help you to feel calm and (temporarily) free of any demands on your time or energy. Each person is different, so only you can discover exactly what works for you. For example, some people find playing video games to be restful, while others prefer creative hobbies like writing or drawing, and still others enjoy going out to the bar or playing sports with their friends.

(Shortform note: Although rest looks different for every person, in his book Focus, psychologist Daniel Goleman provides a helpful guideline: Activities where you can passively take in what’s happening will help to restore your mental energy. For instance, watching a movie, reading a book, or taking a walk have this type of restorative effect. Conversely, activities that force you to concentrate, analyze information, and make decisions further drain your mental energy. For example, an intense strategic game like Crusader Kings may be enjoyable, but it’s not likely to give your brain the rest it needs after a long day of work.)

Most importantly, says Abdaal, whatever your preferred methods of rest are, don’t let them turn into more work. The grind mindset will try to creep in and tell you that your hobbies are a waste of time if you’re not making money with them. However, Abdaal points out that when your hobby becomes your “side hustle,” it no longer restores your energy—instead, it places even more demands on you and makes you burn out even more quickly.

(Shortform note: Workaholics—people who have the grind mindset deeply ingrained—tend to fight against resting because they want to spend that time being productive instead. Therefore, it’s helpful to understand that resting is productive; being well-rested makes you more creative, more efficient, and better able to solve problems. So, if the idea of taking time to rest makes you uncomfortable, try reframing rest as another task that you need to accomplish each day. Alternatively, think of it as an investment: The time you “spend” resting now will pay dividends in productivity later.)

Burnout Type #3: Mismatch

Abdaal’s final type of burnout, mismatch, happens when your work doesn’t line up with your interests and principles. If what you’re doing feels meaningless, that’s a clear sign you’re headed for this kind of burnout.

The easiest way to tell whether you’re suffering from mismatch is to think about why you’re working on something; in short, what’s motivating you? If your only motivation is some kind of reward, such as a paycheck, prestige, or someone else’s goodwill, then the task isn’t a good match for you.

On the other hand, if your feelings are helping to drive you—if you’re excited to work on that task, or you’d be willing to do it even without any reward—then your actions are properly aligned with your goals.

Abdaal saves mismatch burnout for last because it’s the most difficult to avoid and to recover from. He says that matching what you do with what you want is a lifelong process that needs frequent self-evaluations and adjustments.

How to Figure Out What You Want

Abdaal’s advice to match what you do with what you want closely resembles the concept of ikigai, a Japanese word that roughly translates to “life’s purpose.” In their book Ikigai, self-help authors Héctor García and Francesc Miralles go into greater detail about how to find your ikigai.

According to the authors, a fulfilling and sustainable ikigai must have four elements:

1. Passion: It must be something you love to do.

2. Skill: It must be something you’re good at doing.

3. A Cause: It must be something you genuinely believe will benefit others, or make the world a better place.

4. Profit: It must be something you can make money doing.

If you aren’t sure what your life’s purpose is, you could start looking for it by making separate lists for each of those four elements, then finding connections between the items on those lists. Anything that meets all four criteria will be a strong candidate for your ikigai.