Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
So I can make a start, even if it’s a shaky one. I don’t need to feel like a Schwarzenegger-style bodybuilder to work out for an hour. I don’t need my first crack at my business strategy to be a work of visionary corporate genius. And I definitely don’t need the first draft of my book to be a masterpiece. When you’re trying something new, the idea
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Before Adele became a global icon, she was a talented artist struggling to conquer her fear of performing. It was during one of her early concerts, when the anxiety threatened to derail her career, that she stumbled upon a technique for overcoming fear that would change her life forever. Adele took her inspiration from Beyoncé. In 2008 Beyoncé name
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Make a start. You won’t need to get perfect for a long time yet.
Ali Abdaal • Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
In my case, that often involves a simple method: not miraculously overcoming my low confidence, but transforming it into a non-issue. My favourite method is simple. Just try asking yourself: ‘How confident do I actually need to feel to just get started with this? Could I just get started even though I’m feeling unconfident?’ In most cases, the answ
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Stop Spotlighting
Ali Abdaal • Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
Adele’s alter ego hints at the final way we can move through the paralysing effects of fear. One of the most common forces that drives our procrastination is the fear of being seen. Whether it’s giving a presentation, sharing a new video we made with strangers on the internet, or going to a party where we might not know everyone, fear of being seen
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My imaginary faux pas taught me a powerful lesson. I’d overestimated the degree to which others noticed and judged my actions. As the night continued, I looked around the room and realised that the world wasn’t focused on my every move. Everyone was far too busy attending to their own concerns, laughter and conversation.
Ali Abdaal • Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
That means finding a way to move from fear to courage. And it begins with changing the way that you’re seen by the most important person in your life: you.
Ali Abdaal • Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
I am unstoppable. These mantras might sound cheesy. But they’re remarkably effective. They remind us that we (or our alter egos) have reserves of strength that we can barely imagine.