Do we need to rethink productivity?
I joined a live workshop last week by Ali Abdaal and Matt Gray, essentially to launch Ali’s new book Feel Good Productivity. Based on the insights from a short session, I’m excited to get my hands on the book, but thought I’d incorporate some takeaways here.
The fundamental premise is that feeling good leads to success, rather than the reverse. From this flows different techniques to develop a personal system. To quote verbatim from the session:
We only need discipline for things that are difficult, but not for things that are fun. So rather than always focus on building discipline, why not make things more fun? - Ali Abdaal
However, before getting caught in the productivity trap where we mistake endless tasks for a full life, it’s worth clarifying what productivity is for.
Summary:
Figure out what productivity you’re pursuing
The benefits of play
Productivity systems are highly personal - energy management, flow state, incentives
What productivity are you pursuing?
Many of us mistake efficiency for productivity.
To be productive in its simplest form means to produce: create, or build. Building isn’t just for artists and entrepreneurs. At its most fundamental, creating is influence over something external - knowing you are changing reality beyond yourself. In every role, there is potential to build, whether it’s helping people grow, improving a product or designing a process.
That creation starts from within you. Many of us see finding our ikigai - the nexus of interest, skill, need and market demand - as the path to a meaningful, wealthy life.
Instead of seeing ikigai as a goal, however, I’d recommend viewing the journey of discovering your ikigai as part of the path itself. As long as you’re in the process of actively uncovering your skills, passions, and how these can serve others in a financially viable way, you’re good.
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. - Pablo Picasso
That said, productivity can function at different levels depending on what your goals are.
Here are some tools to help focus your productivity:
(Long term) The top 5 exercise - determining the top 5 goals out of everything you want to achieve, to prioritise your efforts.
(Mid-long term) Ali’s prompts for reflection on your mid- to long-term direction (included at the end of this post)
(Now-mid term) The wheel of life - you can also define your own domains: areas of life that are important to you. Rate them based on how aligned these are with where you want to be.
In any case, be clear what being productive means to you. We don’t think of ourselves in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) or balance sheet outputs. So - how do you think of productivity?
The benefits of play
To Ali’s point on feeling good - we often mistakenly think that work has to be serious, and that play is unproductive.
In reality, play has been demonstrated through history to be essential for cultures and societies. The emphasis on “serious” work is perhaps a key factor in “left-brained” activities (analysis, math, science, language) being often more valued than “right-brained” skills (creativity, music, empathy).
In particular, if we are doing productive, creative work - or deep work - the right-brained abilities are what we engage and develop. Play, and feeling good, has positive effects, as mentioned by Ali:
creativity
less stress
energy and productivity
enriches life and relationships
positive emotions physically undoes the effects of stress
What does this mean?
If you don’t have enough play in your life, or believe that work has to be sober and serious, it is worth rethinking that perspective
Consider how you can bring a sense of fun into your work (any kind of work). It could be adjusting the environment, gamifying certain tasks, having company or even having other projects on the side that fulfil that play element in your life.
(I also recommend it for relationships - play helps to create an emotional buffer for tension. Expressing your inner child is also a sign of safety and vulnerability for intimate relationships.)
Ali’s approach:
See tasks as quests and errands (he’s a gamer - you can adapt these to your context). Quests are essentially deep work, linked to big project goals, requiring >30minutes. Both Matt and Ali get their deep work done first thing in the day. Errands may fit into smaller time periods. Different music (LOTR!) set the mood for different tasks.
Here are some other ideas for making work feel like play, from the workshop
When and how do you work your best?
Ali highlighted that productivity is highly personal. Instead of adopting others’ techniques, consider these experiments to help figure out what works for you. A “failed” experiment is a good result - to know what doesn’t work. As you figure it out, build these into a system.
Beyond play, I recommend considering three factors:
1. Energy management - your burn rate and patterns (particularly important for introverts)
time of day: tune in to your own circadian rhythms. Some of us do our deep work best in the mornings; some of us are raring to go at 9pm.
type of activity: what kinds of projects, tasks or actions energize you, and which kinds drain your energy? It is also possible to feel physically tired but enthusiastic for the next round.
environment: number of people, temperature, scent, music
2. Flow state
Use the matrix of skill level vs challenge level to match the different energy patterns that you recognize from #1 above. Deep work is where both skill and challenge are high; in low-energy periods, the challenge may be lower.
3. Incentive cycles - understanding how your own reward system works to break down tasks and structure mini-rewards
Tips from Matt and Ali in building your productivity system:
Tracking what was done. This helps with positive reinforcement and motivation - knowing that there has been progress. One way to do this is through “GPS” - Goals, Plan for reaching goals, System for sticking to plan. Essentially, building a daily habit that reinforces your goals
Getting the fundamentals right: sunlight, exercise, meditation, sobriety and blocking off time for deep work before any meetings
I particularly enjoyed how they brought their different systems together here:
ACTION / REFLECTION
When you aim to increase your productivity, what are you really pursuing?
How can you make projects, tasks and work more fun?
Do you know enough about your energy patterns to design and optimise
ETC.
Ali generously shared his prompts to determine what he would prioritise. These are particularly helpful for those who find it hard to complete the Top 5 exercise.
⚰️ The Tombstone Message Prompt: What would you like written on your tombstone? It has to be under 280 characters to fit 😛
⭐️ ✍️ The Obituary Writing Prompt: What do you want your obituary to say? Write it out.
The Future Self Prompt: Imagine you've achieved everything you've ever wanted. How have you changed as a person? What qualities and achievements define this future version of yourself?
🌍 The Change Maker Prompt: If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why? How could you contribute to this change?
💖 The Role Model Prompt: Who are the people you most admire, and why? What qualities do they possess that you wish to emulate?
🌠 The Deferred Dream Prompt: What’s one dream you've always had but never pursued? Why is it a dream for you? What’s stopped you from pursuing it?
⭐️ 🌅 The Ideal Tuesday Prompt: What does your ideal ordinary Tuesday look like? What are you doing? Who are you with? How are you spending your time? What makes this day perfect for you?
🤷 The Fail-Proof Dream Prompt: What would you like to do, even if you knew you’d fail at it?
⭐️ 🚀 The Fearless Dream Prompt: What would you like to do, if you knew you couldn’t fail?
⭐️ 🎤 The Future TED Talk Prompt: You’re attending the TED conference, and everyone in the audience (including you) is deeply moved and inspired by what the speaker is talking about. The speaker is you, 20 years in the future. What is “You + 20 Years” talking about, and what’s so inspiring about it?
💭 The Talent Service Prompt: If you had all the money and time in the world, how would you use your talents to serve others?