Sebas Bravo

The core premise is simple yet powerful: those who approach problems with a positive mood have a significant advantage over those who don’t. When we feel good, our brain operates differently—we’re more open to new experiences, consider a broader range of possibilities, and integrate information better. In other words, “positive emotions are the fuel that drives the engine of human flourishing.” Feeling good boosts our creativity, reduces stress, and enriches our lives.

Abdaal emphasizes that the most sustainable and intense energy comes from clarity about the path we want to follow. Step one is feeling better. Step two is doing more of what matters to us. So, in a nutshell, productivity is doing more of what matters to you in a way that is fun, energizing and sustainable.

Energize

This section highlights the importance of finding joy in the journey. Drawing inspiration from Richard Feynman, Abdaal encourages us to dream, design, and play, stressing that playfulness can transform even the most stressful situations into opportunities for fun and exploration.

One great way of having fun is by creating an “adventurous life,” which unlocks positive emotions, and incorporates elements of play that energize us. He introduces the idea of “choosing your character”—whether it’s The Creator who finds joy in making things or The Kinesthete who thrives on physical activity. By playing and experimenting, we create a fulfilling life. Play releases dopamine, enhances creativity, and allows us to enjoy the process rather than obsess over the outcome.

Developing a character can help you thrive in a specific activity that cause you fear. By rephrasing the way of how we see ourselves, we can go beyond what we used to think. Just as Ali wrote:

Feeling confident about our ability to complete a task makes us feel good when we’re doing it, and helps us do it better.

Another way of keeping ourselves engaged in having fun throughout the journey is by letting curiosity leads. Following what makes us feel curious about enriches our lives by making mundane tasks more engaging. It also helps us focus longer and retain information better. Ali suggests adding “Side Quests” to your day—mini explorations driven by curiosity. These don’t affect your main goals but bring excitement and discovery to your routine.

When we let curiosity grow, sometimes we are prone to experiment “failures,” however, we can always reframe them; so making a mistake is not a setback but an invitation to try something new. Success isn’t about avoiding failure but about reframing it as another data point.

Unblock

Abdaal introduces the Nike school of productivity—‘Just do it’—but with a twist. Instead of pushing through blindly, he advocates for understanding what’s holding us back and addressing those blocks directly.

One great practice that we can implement every time we feel something is stopping us is the “Three Methods” by asking and discovering the following about ourselves:

• Motivation: How do I make myself want it?
• Discipline: How do I push through?
• Unblock: What’s stopping me?

Now, when we have a clear goal to follow, we will follow it even unconsciously, it will be like in the old ancient times in which sailors used to guide themselves by following that North Star in the sky. Productivity starts with clarity of purpose. Repeatedly asking ‘why’ helps connect abstract goals to concrete actions.

Then, by the time of setting goals, many people use the SMART method, however, Ali suggests a better one, one that involves following passion and making it fun. Therefore, the author developed the “NICE Method:”

• Near-term: Focus on immediate steps.
• Input-based: Emphasize process over results.
• Controllable: Set goals within your power to achieve.
• Energizing: Make your goals fun and engaging.

The result will be goals that boost your energy and your feel-good productivity.

Nevertheless, it is very often to find another ‘blocker’ every time that we are about to start a new project, that is fear; which prevents us from acting on our dreams. Getting to know our fears, labeling them, and reframing them are essential steps to overcoming them. Abdaal introduces techniques like “affective labeling”—putting emotions into words—and asks us to shift our perspective by considering if a fear will matter in 10 minutes, 10 weeks, or 10 years. I am sure that you will find that those blockers will not be relevant in your life very soon, so if they are that irrelevant, they should be out of your mind.

Getting to the last advice about unblocking your life, we need to focus on just getting started. Sometimes, the hardest part is starting. The author recommends the five-minute rule: commit to working on a task for just five minutes. Often, the initial resistance fades, and you’ll find yourself continuing beyond that time.

Sustain

Sustaining is very important when developing our productivity method as we want to continue doing this, it is not a race in which you achieve something and then you stop, this is more like a marathon. When you’re burned out, you feel overwhelmed and undermotivated. You feel like you can’t keep up the pace, no matter how hard you try. So sustaining is not related to the number of hours you’re working – it’s about how you feel.

So, in order to feel good, we must engage in activities and strategies that does not lead to burnout, talking of which, the author remarks about three types of burnout:

• Overexertion burnout: Taking on too much work.
• Depletion burnout: Misguided approaches to rest.
• Misalignment burnout: When your goals don’t align with your values.

Most of the time, we are more focused about pleasing others, but what about ourselves? We have to prioritize our energy. Our internal battery is more like an investment, in which we should carefully analyze in what we commit. The strategy that Ali suggests is: get clear on what you want to say yes to, if it’s not a “hell yeah,” it’s a no.

Despite what most of those corporate people could say, breaks aren’t a luxury—they’re necessary for productivity. Creative activities, calm hobbies, and spending time in nature are excellent ways to recharge. Abdaal’s C.A.L.M. framework highlights activities that foster Competence, Autonomy, Liberty, and Mellow relaxation.

However, investing your energy mindfully and taking breaks won’t prevent you from burnout if you do not really work on what moves you, on those endeavors that make you stand up from your bed. True fulfillment comes from aligning daily actions with your deeper sense of self. For that reason, the author encourages readers to imagine their ideal future and take small, meaningful steps toward it. So, every time that you wake up ask yourself: ‘Are my actions today aligned with my personal values?’

Finally, always keep in mind that productivity, like science, is a journey of experimentation. Think like a scientist: try different approaches, learn from failures, and celebrate successes. The journey itself is as important as the destination.