Feel Good Productivity: Key Takeaways You Can Apply Today
Feel good with your work
Image Credit-meProductivity is often tied to hustling, grinding, discipline, and willpower.
But creators like Ali Abdaal believe this approach to be toxic.
He lives a productive life without hustling or working harder.
But rather, he aligns his work with joy and purpose to avoid burnout and overwhelm.
Ali approach revolves around three pillars of productivity:
Satisfaction, sustainability, and results.
When combined they create a life where work feels meaningful and fulfilling.
Here's my practical summary of Ali Abdaal's key takeaways from his book Feel Good Productivity.
Start with work that feels good
The three pillars of productivity are joy, intrinsic motivation, and flow.
Imagine you have work that you're dreading.
You know it will drain your energy, but you force yourself to do it anyway.
Ali argues that instead of focusing on tasks you should do, focus on tasks you want to do.
This shift brings more intrinsic motivation, joy, and flow into your work.
Identify a task you genuinely want to do.
Take the smallest steps to start it (this builds momentum).
Experiment with different ways to make the task fun.
Doing tasks you want to do will energize and excite you.
Leaning into this approach rather than forcing yourself to do draining work will bring more progress in the long run.
Design your environment
Goals are great for setting direction, but terrible for taking action.
Because setting a goal doesn't make it happen—systems do.
Lets say your goal is to run a 10k.
Why do you want to achieve it? Connect it to your purpose.
When do you want to achieve it? Set a realistic time frame.
How are you going to achieve it? Create a plan of action.
Connecting with these three points brings clarity and focus.
Then design an environment that supports your goals.
Lay out your running shoes the night before.
Schedule regular times to run in your calendar.
Plan 10 minutes to stretch after each run.
Systemizing creates habits that bring your goal to life.
Batch tasks by energy level
Productivity isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters.
Batching tasks based on your energy levels allows you to work smarter, not harder.
Here’s how:
Do creative and challenging tasks when your energy is at its peak, like in the morning.
Save mundane or repetitive tasks (e.g., checking emails) for low-energy times.
Tackle big projects when you feel most focused, and reserve less demanding work for when you’re tired.
You can also experiment with routine days:
Dedicate specific days to deep, focused work.
Reserve others for meetings or admin tasks.
The goal is to maximize your energy for what’s most important, ensuring meaningful progress without overloading yourself.
Rest & recharge
Ali emphasizes that rest is one of the most important aspects of productivity.
Because without downtime and mental breaks, you risk burnout and grow bitter towards work.
Bringing your overall satisfaction and joy down.
If you’re short on time, here are two quick strategies Ali recommends:
The Pomodoro Technique:
- Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. Repeat as needed.
The 2-Minute Rule:
- If a task takes less than 2 minutes, do it immediately. This eliminates small distractions that sap energy.
Finally, schedule guilt-free downtime to relax and recharge.
Whether it's a full day off or an hour of leisure.
Allowing yourself to rest builds a healthy relationship with your work and ensures sustainability.
Final thought
Ali Abdaal's *Feel Good Productivity* has great ideas and practices to put to use.
Learning to make the process more enjoyable rather than the outcome.
Productivity is about aligning your work with joy and purpose.
Building a healthy relationship with work and rest.
Remember: It's not about perfection, but progression.
What's one way you can start implementing
feel good productivity today?I help undisciplined people wanting a change in their unfulfilling lives find purpose and progress towards their personal goals.
Follow me on YouTube: @1andrewrauch, Substack, and Twitter (X): @AndrewRauch00 to learn more.
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