“Feel Good Productivity” by Ali Abdaal aspires to redefine productivity by blending personal enjoyment and satisfaction with productivity. Ali Abdaal has built a reputation through his YouTube channel for his unique approach to productivity and self-improvement, providing actionable productivity takeaways in his crisp videos. My first experience with Ali Abdaal was also through his YouTube channel, where his videos focus on life optimization, study techniques, and personal development. I signed up for ARC to review his latest work. I thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC to review Feel Good Productivity.
The book is divided into three main sections – Energise, Unblock, and Sustain. Each section aims to address different aspects of productivity challenges. Abdaal’s philosophical and experimental approach encourages readers to view productivity as a self-sustaining cycle propelled by positive emotions.
The book is presented as a productivity guide which transitions into a motivational manual peppered with a vast set of author-created acronyms and jargon. The above transition contrasts the author’s criticism of “The Motivation Method”. Much of Ali Abdaal’s advice is gamified, where he advises the readers to uncover – the ‘fog of uncertainty’ and step into the right ‘play personality’ and look for opportunities to see life as a game, filled with surprises and side quests. After a point, apparent references to Harry Potter characters and Katniss (The Hunger Games) fail to resonate with serious readers.
Ali acknowledges the problem of acronyms and jargon in the productivity and goal-setting world. Instead of simplifying things in this space, Ali adds his own words, terminologies and acronyms, making it harder for readers who are looking for simple solutions. Each chapter introduces more terms and jargon, which, after a time, become difficult to follow.
Meanwhile, Abdaal’s shift from medicine to productivity influencer lends a unique perspective. But it’s hard to resonate with readers with limited time or financial means. Overall, ‘feel good productivity’ is a repackaged version of ideas from Abdaal’s YouTube content and existing productivity concepts, failing to provide groundbreaking insights.
In terms of originality, “Feel Good Productivity” fails to venture beyond the depth of a blog post or a TikTok/YouTube video. Although its engaging style improves the reading experience but, the book’s depth and novelty leave much to be desired, especially in a genre saturated with quality advice and content overload.
“Feel Good Productivity” might be more suitable for fans of Ali Abdaal’s online content who enjoy his unique style rather than readers seeking in-depth, novel insights into productivity. Despite being a bestseller, it may not offer easy-to-follow solutions or structures to improve productivity. Overall, it’s best to avoid this productivity manual and stick to Ali Abdaal’s YouTube channel for better advice and engaging content.
My Rating:- ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Feel Good Productivity: Goodreads Rating: 3.96
Reviewed On:
- e-book
- Total Pages: 304
- Genre: Non-Fiction/Productivity/Self-Help
- Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You: Ali Abdaal
