Ali Abdaal > Quotes

“Next time you’re feeling like a task or project is particularly difficult, ask yourself, ‘What would it look like if I were really confident at this?’ Just by asking yourself the question, you’ll visualise yourself confidently approaching the task at hand. The switch has been flipped.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“What's obvious to you can be amazing to others.”
― Ali Abdaal

“Shoshin refers to a state of mind in which we approach every task and situation with the curiosity, openness and humility of a beginner.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Play is our first energiser. Life is stressful. Play makes it fun. If we can integrate the spirit of play into our lives, we’ll feel better – and do more too.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“With this mindset shift – from ‘have to’ to ‘choose to”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“What would this look like if it were fun?’ has now become a guiding question in my life. And it’s surprisingly easy to draw upon. Think of a task that you don’t want to do right now, and ask what would it look like if it were fun? Could you do it in a different way? Could you add music, or a sense of humour, or get creative? What if you set out to do the task with friends, or promised yourself a treat at the end of the process? Is there a way to make this draining process a little more enjoyable?”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“When we can’t take ownership of the situation, we can still take ownership of the process.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Prioritise 'novel' purchases. Things that, for instance, provide a gateway to a new hobby e.g. a musical instrument.
[Paraphrased]”
― Ali Abdaal

“When you take on a different persona, you start to find adventure.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“By letting go of the idea that we know everything, or somehow should, we actually feel more powerful.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“This approach is supported by a growing body of research. Psychologists increasingly believe that play holds the key to true productivity, partly because it provides a sense of psychological relief. As one recent study put it: ‘the psychological function of play is to restore the physically and mentally fatigued individual through participation in activity which is pleasurable and relaxing.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“identifying the type of play that most resonates with who you are, so you can choose a type of player to embody.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Motivation clearly isn’t enough. And telling people to simply ‘feel more motivated’ isn’t just unhelpful, it’s potentially harmful, contributing to the sense of paralysis that caused procrastination in the first place.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“SMART Goal NICE Goal Fitness Lose 20 pounds within the next three months. Exercise for 30 minutes daily, focusing on activities that are enjoyable and manageable. Career Get a promotion to a senior management position within two years. Dedicate an hour each week to improving one key skill or networking with industry professionals. Education Complete a Master’s degree in two years. Spend 30 minutes each day reviewing course material and work on assignments in manageable chunks.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Extrinsic motivation comes from the outside: driven by pay-rises, material rewards and social approval.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“feeling good boosts our creativity – and our productivity”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“flattens our emotional landscape;”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“feeling good doesn’t just end with feeling good. It actually changes our patterns of thought and behaviour.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“We’re highly attuned to what others think of us. This makes sense – as social creatures, our amygdala is always on the hunt for threats to our status. But this means that we spend our lives believing a spotlight is always trained on us, and that everyone around is constantly looking at us, analysing our behaviours, and passing judgement on our worth as human beings.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Feeling confident about our ability to complete a task makes us feel good when we’re doing it, and helps us do it better.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“play holds the key to true productivity,”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“One of the most common forces that drives our procrastination is the fear of being seen. Whether it’s giving a presentation, sharing a new video we made with strangers on the internet, or going to a party where we might not know everyone, fear of being seen or ‘found out’ for who we truly are can keep us from growing outside our comfort zone.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Purchase upgrades to remove salient negatives, rather than to add additional positives. [Paraphrased]”
― Ali Abdaal

“Getting to know our fears is the first step towards overcoming them.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Next, Part 2 examines how feel-good productivity can help us overcome procrastination.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“The unblock method encourages us to understand why we’re feeling bad about work in the first place.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Tracking your progress provides you with tangible evidence that you’re moving towards your goals.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“Finally, in Part 3, we’ll explore how feel-good productivity can sustain us in the long term.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“This study shows that simply by becoming your own hype team you can dramatically impact your own productivity.”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

“What would it look like if I were really confident at this? What would it look like if I approached this task feeling confident that I could do it?”
― Ali Abdaal, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You