The School of Greatness The Productivity Expert: How to Make 2024 Your Most Productive & ABUNDANT Year Yet | Ali Abdaal
In this engaging discussion, Ali Abdaal, a former doctor turned prolific YouTuber and entrepreneur, shares his refreshing take on productivity. He emphasizes a joyful approach to work while debunking hustle culture. Ali introduces concepts like 'Feel-Good Productivity' and the importance of play even in high-pressure situations. He discusses transforming mundane tasks into enjoyable experiences and offers strategies to conquer procrastination. With insights on personal fulfillment and goal-setting, Ali inspires listeners to find joy and meaning in their daily pursuits.
01:36:16
Identity's Power
- The stories we tell ourselves about identity significantly influence our decisions.
- Ali Abdaal was afraid to leave medicine, even when earning more on YouTube, due to his doctor identity.
Cold Showers and Identity
- Ali Abdaal's friend, Tintin, uses cold showers to embody an identity of doing hard things.
- This practice reinforces the behavior and translates to other life areas.
Two Mountains Metaphor
- Ali Abdaal realized his life story has been about self-service, climbing the "first mountain" of achievement.
- He now aims to climb the "second mountain" of service and commitment, prioritizing lasting joy over fleeting dopamine.
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Intro
00:00 • 3min
From Medicine to Meaning: A Journey of Identity and Entrepreneurship
02:43 • 19min
Embracing Commitment for Lasting Change
21:28 • 4min
The Journey Beyond Success
25:45 • 18min
Transforming Mundane Tasks Through Play and Mindset
43:55 • 5min
The Power of Play in High Stakes
48:27 • 18min
The Power of Lifelong Goals and Positive Energy
01:06:17 • 2min
Conquering Procrastination: The First Step
01:08:43 • 18min
The Journey to Fulfillment: Prioritizing Daily Growth Over Achievements
01:26:51 • 4min
The Journey to Fulfillment
01:30:43 • 4min
Achieving Freedom Through Feel Good Productivity
01:34:41 • 4min
Pursuing Personal Fulfillment
01:38:39 • 4min
Reflecting on Productivity and Embracing New Tools for Growth
01:42:48 • 2min
Feel-Good Productivity
How to Do More of What Matters to You
Ali Abdal
In 'Feel-Good Productivity,' Dr. Ali Abdaal challenges the conventional notion that productivity is about hard work and discipline. Instead, he argues that the secret to productivity is feeling good. Drawing on decades of psychological research, Abdaal introduces the three hidden 'energisers' that underpin enjoyable productivity, the three 'blockers' to overcome procrastination, and the three 'sustainers' to prevent burnout. The book includes inspiring stories from founders, Olympians, and Nobel-winning scientists and provides simple, actionable changes to make work more enjoyable and sustainable. Abdaal's approach focuses on cultivating a deeper energy for work, balancing well-being with productivity, and enjoying the journey.
The Greatness Mindset
Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today
Lewis Howes
In The Greatness Mindset, Lewis Howes provides a comprehensive guide to transforming one's life by clarifying personal identity, discovering a meaningful mission, and overcoming self-doubt and fears. The book offers science-backed strategies, personal anecdotes, and step-by-step guidance to help readers define their passions, values, and priorities. It emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset, healing past trauma, and developing a clear and meaningful mission to live an authentic and fulfilling life.
The Second Mountain
The Quest for a Moral Life
David Brooks
In 'The Second Mountain', David Brooks explores the concept of two mountains in life: the first mountain, which represents individual success and ego-driven achievements, and the second mountain, which symbolizes a life of deeper meaning, commitment, and contribution to a greater good. Brooks argues that our society's extreme individualism has torn the social fabric, and the path to repair is through making deeper commitments to a spouse and family, a vocation, a philosophy or faith, and a community. The book is both a personal reflection on Brooks' own life journey and a broader social commentary, offering practical advice and stories of people who have lived joyous, committed lives[2][4][5].
Show Your Work!
Austin Kleon
In 'Show Your Work!', Austin Kleon provides a manifesto for succeeding as any kind of artist or entrepreneur in the digital age. The book emphasizes the importance of generosity over genius, getting 'findable' by using the network, and self-discovery through sharing your creative process. It offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, and productive, including chapters on sharing something small every day, engaging with your audience, and the etiquette of sharing online. The book is filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples to inspire and guide readers in their creative journeys[2][3][4].
Dotcom Secrets
Russell Brunson
DotCom Secrets is not just another 'how-to' book on internet marketing. It focuses on the science of funnel building, helping businesses identify and fix their 'funnel' problems. Russell Brunson, the CEO and co-founder of ClickFunnels, shares his expertise gained from running tens of thousands of split tests. The book provides actionable blueprints on how to build sales funnels, increase traffic and conversions, and transform your business into a profitable sales and marketing machine. It emphasizes the importance of understanding your dream clients, creating a value ladder, and implementing effective follow-up funnels to keep customers engaged.
100 Million Offers
Alex Hormosi
The Checklist Manifesto
How To Get Things Right
Atul Gawande
In 'The Checklist Manifesto', Atul Gawande explores the power of checklists in overcoming the complexities of modern professional work. He argues that despite advanced training and technology, professionals often fail due to the sheer volume and complexity of knowledge. Gawande illustrates how checklists, first introduced by the U.S. Air Force, have been successfully adopted in various fields, including medicine, to reduce errors and improve outcomes. He provides compelling examples, such as the reduction of fatalities in surgical procedures and the elimination of hospital infections, to demonstrate the effectiveness of checklists. The book emphasizes the importance of balancing autonomy and control, empowering frontline workers, and continuously improving checklists based on feedback and experience[1][3][5].
The 4 Hour Workweek
Timothy Ferriss
In 'The 4-Hour Workweek', Timothy Ferriss presents a step-by-step guide to 'lifestyle design', encouraging readers to question the traditional notion of retirement and instead create a lifestyle that prioritizes freedom, adventure, and personal growth. The book teaches how to outsource life tasks, automate income, and eliminate unnecessary work using principles like the 80/20 rule and Parkinson’s Law. Ferriss shares his personal journey from a corporate workaholic to a location-independent entrepreneur and provides practical tips and case studies to help readers achieve similar results. The book emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-value activities, taking 'mini-retirements', and living life to the fullest in the present rather than deferring enjoyment until retirement.
Feel-Good Productivity
How to Do More of What Matters to You
Ali Abdal
In 'Feel-Good Productivity,' Dr. Ali Abdaal challenges the conventional notion that productivity is about hard work and discipline. Instead, he argues that the secret to productivity is feeling good. Drawing on decades of psychological research, Abdaal introduces the three hidden 'energisers' that underpin enjoyable productivity, the three 'blockers' to overcome procrastination, and the three 'sustainers' to prevent burnout. The book includes inspiring stories from founders, Olympians, and Nobel-winning scientists and provides simple, actionable changes to make work more enjoyable and sustainable. Abdaal's approach focuses on cultivating a deeper energy for work, balancing well-being with productivity, and enjoying the journey.
Mistborn Series
Epic Fantasy Series
Brandon Sanderson
The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson is a collection of epic fantasy novels set on the planet Scadrial. It includes multiple series across different eras, starting with the original trilogy (The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages), followed by the Wax and Wayne series (The Alloy of Law, Shadows of Self, The Bands of Mourning, and The Lost Metal), and future planned series. The series explores themes of rebellion, magic, and societal evolution.
We often equate productivity with grueling hard work and relentless effort, but Ali Abdaal is about to flip that script. In Feel-Good Productivity, he reveals a refreshing and uplifting approach to success, one that's rooted in joy and well-being rather than stress and grind.
Ali Abdaal is a former doctor turned YouTuber, podcaster, entrepreneur and author. He's been creating YouTube videos for over 7 years and has a following of almost 5 million. Ali became intrigued by the science of productivity while juggling the demands of medical training at Cambridge University with building his business. While working as a doctor in the UK's National Health Service, Ali started to document his journey towards living a healthier, happier, more productive life online. In the years since, Ali's evidence-based videos, podcasts and articles about the human mind have reached hundreds of millions of people all around the world.
Buy his new book, Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
In this episode you will learn
- A fun mindset shift to tackle stress and anxiety.
- How to maximize productivity while passive income streams work for you.
- The crucial distinction between true productivity and the trap of "hustle culture."
- How feeling good is essential for productivity, even when tackling draining tasks.
- The power of giving yourself permission to be distracted and its positive impact on productivity.
At the beginning of this interview, Ali mentions the last time he was on the show, the discussion he had with Lewis forever changed his life and career trajectory. You can listen to that special interview here - https://link.chtbl.com/1158-pod
For more information go to www.lewishowes.com/1557
For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960
More SOG episodes we think you’ll love:
Alex Hormozi: https://link.chtbl.com/1522-pod
Jaspreet Singh: https://link.chtbl.com/1411-pod
Rory Vaden: https://link.chtbl.com/1148-pod
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