4 hours ago • Ali Abdaal

New vlog on my second channel! Sharing more behind the scenes content there 😜

Check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFBni... 

19 hours ago • Ali Abdaal

Has anyone ever told you to say ‘yes’ to everything?

It's important to make the most of opportunities which come your way, but if you’re anything like me, you quickly find yourself overwhelmed with commitments and responsibilities.

So, how do we find a way to work out what really deserves our time? 

My favourite method comes from the writer and musician Derek Sivers, which he calls ‘hell yeah or no’. His advice is as follows: when you find yourself weighing up whether to take on a new project or commitment, you’ve got two options – either ‘hell yeah’ or ‘no’. There’s no in between. 

Thinking like this helps you see that 95% of commitments are ones you should reject. Most of them are usually along the lines of ‘This could conceivably be useful or semi-interesting, so yeah, why not?’. But think about how much you have on already. If it isn’t a ‘hell yeah’, it’s not worth doing.

This way, your calendar doesn’t become a nightmare, and you have more time and energy for the things that really matter. 

For more tips and tricks on how to manage your time for maximum happiness, check out my New York Times Bestselling Book Feel-Good Productivity:  https://go.aliabdaal.com/commar27 

1 day ago • Ali Abdaal

👋 I want you to be in a video!

I'm experimenting with a new format of video where you guys submit video questions and I then reply to them in a video for my channel. So if you want to find out more and submit a video question, check it out here 😜:  https://www.videoask.com/fek21j45l 

2 days ago • Ali Abdaal

I’ve recently realised that I have a problem. 

I never take enough time to celebrate the wins in my life. 

Every time I reach a goal or hit a milestone, no matter how big or small, I immediately move on to the next project. I never take the time to appreciate what I’ve achieved, or feel grateful for all the people in my life who helped me. This means that I never feel like I’ve accomplished much at all, and I don’t give enough credit to myself and others. 

I’ve realised that I want to take more time to really enjoy life’s wins, and celebrate them with the people I care about. To do this, I’m going to take a suggestion from my friend Joe Hudson. Joe is an executive coach, and when I was talking through these issues with him he suggested that I take some time to write personalised thank you notes to important people in my life, especially if they have helped with the launch of something big, like my book. I think this is a lovely idea. 

And this is going to be key aspect of my latest project, Productivity Lab. I want to help people build connections and and find a sense of community. I’ll be encouraging members to offer feedback and support to each other, so you have a group of people always excited to celebrate your wins. You can sign up for the waitlist here:  https://go.aliabdaal.com/commar25 

5 days ago • Ali Abdaal

According to YouTube, over 50,000,000 people are going to start a YouTube channel in 2024. But, only 2% will ever actually reach 10,000 subscribers. 

One of the main reasons why is they don’t know who they’re making videos for. You might think that you need to make videos that appeal to everyone, but appealing to everyone means appealing to no one. 

So, one of my top pieces of advice for new creators is to think about your perfect audience avatar. Who is your dream audience member? 

- How old they are?
- Where do they live?
- What are their interests, goals, hobbies, and aspirations?
- What’s their personality?
- What’s their story?
- What do they value?

Then, when you begin making videos, you can make them with this person in mind. So, your content is more like to appeal to the people who will really engage with it. 

If you’re looking looking to grow your YouTube channel in 2024, then my the Part-Time YouTuber Foundations course will give you all the info you need to get going. It’s only $1, and we’ll teach you how to kickstart your channel in just four hours, check it out here:  https://go.aliabdaal.com/commar22 

6 days ago • Ali Abdaal

You're much more likely to suffer burnout than you might think. 

A few years ago, the WHO updated their definition of burnout. Burnout was not just a stress syndrome bound up with working yourself too hard. It was much more everyday than that.

According to the WHO definition, burnout is an ‘occupational phenomenon’, characterised by ‘feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.’

And key to understanding this is that burnout isn’t actually about your job at all - it’s about how you feel. I’m lucky enough to have my dream job, but I still experience episodes of burnout when I’m feeling overwhelmed and exhausted.

This is something I unpack more in my book Feel-Good Productivity, where I discuss the three types of burnout, and how to beat them. You can check it out here:  https://go.aliabdaal.com/commar21 

8 days ago (edited) • Ali Abdaal

Exciting Announcement 🎉

For the last couple of months, my team and I have been working on building a productivity community and it’s finally here. 

It’s called Productivity Lab, a community to help you to double your productivity while enjoying the journey along the way 👇

Be part of our founding cohort and receive an exclusive early-bird discount here:  https://go.aliabdaal.com/commar20 

2 weeks ago • Ali Abdaal

Don't be serious. Be sincere.

I try to keep this idea front of mind in my day to day. 

I took it from the philosopher Alan Watts, who in his famous lecture ‘The Individual and the World’, outlined a key mistake we make. 

Quoting writer G. K. Chesterton, he said: ‘In frivolity there is a lightness which can rise. But in seriousness is a gravity that falls, like a stone.’ 

No one wants to play Monopoly with someone who takes it too seriously. But we also don't want to play a game with someone who’s completely uncaring. There's a balance somewhere in the middle. 

I find that in moments when I feel stressed, anxious or drained by my work, it’s easy to forget to be sincere and to flip towards being too serious instead. In these moments, the stakes feel overwhelming. But there’s a way to lower them. 

When you feel like your work is draining or overwhelming, try asking yourself, ‘How can I approach this with a little less seriousness, and a little more sincerity?’

I talk more about this and other concepts in my New York Times bestselling book Feel-Good Productivity, you can get a copy here:  https://go.feelgoodproductivity.com/commar13 

2 weeks ago • Ali Abdaal

When you're having fun, productivity takes care of itself.

This is at the heart of my philosophy on productivity.

This photo was taken a few days before the launch of my book Feel-Good Productivity at the Penguin offices in London. I was feeling the pressure of the release, but I was doing my best to enjoy it 😜

If you haven't got a copy of the book yet you can get one here:  https://go.feelgoodproductivity.com/commar8 

2 weeks ago • Ali Abdaal

Hey guys, I recently did a coaching session with executive coach Joe Hudson over on my podcast Deep Dive. It's a bit of a different episode, we talk about personal growth and development, the fears and anxieties which can hold us back, and how to really feel our feelings. I think you might like it 😜 Check it out here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLltv...