book 2 takeaways
For my second read of the semester, I have chosen to read Feel Good Productivity: How To Do More of What Matters to You by Ali Abdaal. The title alone drew to me the book just from scrolling through the list of options given. I chose this book solely from personal struggles with motivation and productivity. While I have some of it, I lack in some areas, which are discussed in the book.
I was very intrigued by the personal and scientific anecdotes. What I hoped to gain was a connection between my mind and body, since they are so intertwined. Everything I do and everything I think, directly reflect in the outcomes of my actions. I hoped to understand what tools to utilize when fighting mental blocks and overall improve my well being!
My main takeaways from this book are centered around how much I learned about myself. Since I wanted to understand how improve my well being and I would say that is definitely what I took away. I often have approached my works as an obligations, making things harder for myself as there was immense pressure in what I am doing. I learned from Alis experiences and advice is I need to almost romanticize what I get to do and find happiness in the journey instead of beating myself up over it.
My favorite framework he talked about was splitting productivity into three energies, drive, protective, and recovery. Most of us have the motivation to do something, but as he emphasized, it is important to protect yourself with boundaries and rest and recover with joy and rewards. This something I want to apply to my life as I want to be the be the best I can in the journey so that reflects in every outcome.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants insight in bettering themselves. The book is filled with so many anecdotes like the three energies, with so many personal examples and motivators to get your where you need to be.
Hi Shahd, the book you chose is interesting because of how it presents neuroscientific evidence to illustrate how positive emotions can fuel success. Mastery of a subject or activity is often tied to things like play where learning and succeeding in the process is tied to a dopaminergic pathway system that allows us to more reliably tap into flow state while learning or performing something over time. Hopefully this book does help you gain a more easily accessible connection between your mind and body as you fight mental blocks and improve your well-being.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds super interesting, and I love the idea of breaking productivity into different types of energy. I feel like since being in college I’ve realized how important the protective and recovery aspects are, not just drive. It’s so easy to get caught up in always pushing forward but having boundaries and actually taking time to recover makes a huge difference. Definitely adding this to my list!
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I read the same book for very similar reasons and can agree that the author breaks down productivity in a very unique way. I also enjoyed the balance of scientific and personal anecdotes, it makes the reading more palatable and keeps the reading interesting.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Shahd! I like this in-depth review and your favorite productivity framework, it sounds like you retained some useful techniques from this book. I am glad that rest and recovery is included in that framework because rest is so often ignored. In our work-adoring and obsessing society, it makes sense that so many people are quickly burnt out because they have not mastered the ability to truly relax and reset.
ReplyDeleteThis message is from Nicholas: It seems like a really thought-provoking book! I like how you related the book's ideas to your own motivational issues; it really personalizes the lessons. The notion that work should be seen as more than a chore is revolutionary. I hope you can use some of the skills in the book in your everyday life!
ReplyDeleteHey Shahd! Your reflection on Feel Good Productivity is both insightful and relatable. I love how you emphasized the importance of joy and balance in the process, not just the end result. The three energies framework sounds like such a valuable tool, and your takeaway about romanticizing your work instead of treating it like a burden really resonated. This sounds like a must-read for anyone feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteYour reflection on the book made me intrigued to read it on my own and even start thinking about how it may impact me for good. Harnessing your productivity skills can be tricky at first but I think the rule of thumb is to understand that it is a skill. A skill that is malleable and can be trained to become better over time.
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