Feel-Good Productivity

Estimated reading ⌛️ time - 10 minutes

Hello Reframers!

If you’re new here, welcome! Every Monday morning, the Reframe Newsletter delivers actionable personal development, health, wisdom, and leadership tips directly to your inbox. We explore interesting podcasts, books, YouTube videos, business concepts, and more, aiming to inspire and guide you on your journey to a meaningful, fulfilled life.

How did we get here?

Let’s face it.

Life is more expensive today than it was 40 years ago. One way to validate this is by looking at the chart below, which compares the median sales price of homes to the median household income. In 1985, the house-to-income ratio was 3.5x, and it is now almost 6x (likely higher in 2023 and 2024). This is just one metric, but we all anecdotally feel the financial pressures from inflation.

So what happens next?

We become obsessed with success stories from founders who took start-ups public and made millions or billions of dollars. We think working 15-hour days and sleeping in the office is the way to “get ahead.” We take pride in not getting enough sleep and dosing ourselves with caffeine and other stimulants to be as productive as humanly possible. We listen to Huberman and other health influencers or biohackers to “hack” our way into self-actualization. We follow strict productivity protocols and spend hundreds of dollars on supplements to “reduce brain fog”.

Is this really the way?

We eventually burn out. Exhaustion starts to set in, and the constant pressure to perform pervades our minds and sucks the joy right out of us. We no longer have time for hobbies, family, or friends and miss out on all the amazing things that make life worth living. This outcome is a bit hyperbolic, but the premise remains true.

The Solution: Feel-Good Productivity

After contemplating this concept for some time, I listened to a few podcasts featuring a former doctor who went on to become a productivity expert and influencer, Ali Abdaal. In his book Feel-Good Productivity, “Abdaal uncovers an easier, science-backed path to success”.

This book is the solution to hustle culture burnout and a sustainable way to live a productive and fulfilled life. I wanted to recap some of the major takeaways from the book and some external resources that support Abdaal’s claims.

The Basics of Feel-Good Productivity

This flywheel effect of feeling good and boosting productivity is what Abdaal refers to as a virtuous cycle. This is a system where each step feeds naturally into the next step, leading to better outcomes over time.

How does this work? Hormones.

• Endorphins are typically released during physical activity, stress, or pain and bring about feelings of happiness and diminished discomfort. Elevated levels of endorphins are usually correlated with increased energy and motivation.

• Serotonin affects mood regulation, sleep, appetite, and overall well-being. It is the foundation of our sense of contentment and gives us the energy to do tasks efficiently.

• Dopamine is linked to motivation and pleasure. When we release dopamine, we feel satisfied, allowing us to focus longer.

• Oxytocin aka The “love” hormone. Oxytocin is associated with social bonding, trust, and relationship building. This hormone enhances our capacity to connect with others and boosts our mood.

The Three Sources of Good Feelings

😜 Fun - Make work enjoyable and turn it into a type of game. If this were fun, what would it look like?

According to Abdaal, there are 8 different types of play personalities.

Which type of play personality are you?

1. Collector - enjoys organizing and gathering; rummaging around in archives or garage sales. Finding rare plants.

2. Competitor - plays sports; likes to win after trying their hardest.

3. Explorer- values discovery, hiking, road tripping, and other adventures and new experiences.

4. Creator - finds joy in making things, spends hours drawing, painting, making music, etc.

5. Storyteller - enjoys entertaining others. They’re drawn to activities like writing, dance, theatre, and role-playing games.

6. Joker - likes to make people laugh. They enjoy performing stand-up, improv, or pranking people to make them laugh.

7. Director - likes to plan, organize, and lead others. This can take shape across various industries, but at their core, they want to lead people.

8. Kinesthete - finds play in physical activities like acrobatics, gymnastics, and running.

🔋Empowerment - Having a sense of control over your actions, work, and life is a huge part of your overall emotional well-being.

Here’s how to empower yourself per Abdaal’s teachings.

• Fake it until you make it. In his words, pretend you’re already empowered.

  • A simple truth about self-efficacy: what you say often becomes what you believe.

• Leverage your improvements and those around you to keep improving.

  • In a study conducted by Albert Bandura (Clemson University) on 38 children between the ages of 6 and 18, he concluded that “being surrounded by other people who show persistence and effort in overcoming challenges can increase our feelings of self-efficacy because it demonstrates to us that these challenges can be overcome.”

• Take responsibility for everything you do. Accepting the consequences of your decisions and actions strongly impacts your perspective on your internal locus of control.

🛜 Connection - The final source of emotional well-being is our connection with others.

Surround yourself with people who boost your well-being and your energy. We’ve all spent time around those people who drain energy from us and don’t make us feel great about ourselves. Build connections with people who boost you, and make sure you boost them back.

Join community groups with people interested in the things you are interested in…. run clubs, startups, businesses, gyms, etc. Facebook or niche community groups on X (formerly Twitter) could be a great place to start virtually.

The internet allows us to create community even with those who aren’t in a similar proximity to us.

If you are struggling to find people that boost you… I would encourage you to try this first. Start by trying to find a handful of people you want to boost or actively reach out to and share your personal goals with them. Let them know how you would like their support and how you would like to support them back. I think you will find that people crave this mutually beneficial support for each other.

If you are struggling to find people you want to surround yourself with, start by being the person with whom others want to surround themselves.

El Fin

I hope this introduction to Feel-Good Productivity by Dr. Ali Abdaal is a launch pad for further self-discovery. I hope you continue to balance productivity, fulfillment, and the relationships that matter to you. If you feel stuck, burnt out, or like you need a “restart,” give this book a read or a listen and start your journey towards a more fulfilling sense of productivity. If you have other suggestions or recommendations, please share them with me!

-With love and gratitude, your Chief Feel-Good Productivity Officer. 🙂

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