Book 2 Post 2
After reading the book "Feel Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You" by Ali Abdaal, I learned a lot about shifting my mindset to think about the positives and the joy that comes with achievement rather than focusing on the productivity and the strenuous efforts that come with it. This book was very resourceful and gave tangible tips on how to improve my life. As someone who struggles to multitask and handle many different tasks at once, balancing everything on my plate from my social, academic, to professional life in college has always been a work-in-progress. Staying focused in a world of distractions has never gotten easier, and snapping out of the vicious cycle of procrastination and negative habits has also been a tall task as the self-improvement process is fully my duty. However, this book was able to provide a lot of clarity on aligning my daily life with enjoyment while being able to understand the deeper meaning behind completing a task and understanding what really matters to me.
I chose this book due to my preference for reading self-help/improvement books. I enjoy working on myself and finding new ways to address/solve my issues. As a graduating senior, I have struggled with planning my future and understanding which direction to take post-grad. I believe understanding myself and having a well-balanced routine in the present is important to building an actionable plan for the future, so this book offered helpful guidance in taking the first steps to the process.
My favorite quote from the book is:
"According to the broaden-and-build theory, positive emotions 'broaden' our awareness and 'build' our cognitive and social resources. Broaden refers to the immediate effect of positive emotions: when we're feeling good, our minds open up, we take in more information, and we see more possibilities around us."
This quote helped me understand the deep correlation between emotions, relationships and productivity. Our emotions are influential to our daily lives in multiple ways, and that relates to the actions and consequences that we involve ourselves in.
Three main takeaways from this book are:
1. Stay consistent with what really matters to you over the long term2. Find alignment, fulfilment, and enjoyment in all that you do
3. Everyone is on the same boat, and everyone undergoes similar issues that is part of the learning process
Hi Sarah!
ReplyDeleteI also chose "Feel Good Productivity" as my second book of choice for this semester. I really like your takeaways and you in-depth analysis of this book. The quote you chose is wonderful as it highlights how our mood impacts our productivity. This emphasis on well-being and mindfulness truly changed my perspective on productivity, as it made me realize that productivity isn't all about sitting down and doing the work. Productivity is also the quality of our work and how we feel after completing it, all of which is tied to our mood and energy. Focusing on being positive and maintaining a positive well-being means we will not only produce higher quality of work but also find greater fulfillment in the work we do. Overall, great analysis of the book and great post!
-PR
Hi Sarah! I read another post about this same book and it was really interesting to see that you had different takeaways which I though was really cool. I really resonated with the quote you mentioned - over the years I've realized that better things happen to me when I can feel myself being positive and more outward looking in life. It's almost as if the energy invites more opportunities and good fortune. I loved how you related your book to your personal experience of struggling with multitasking which I definitely do as well - this post makes me want to read this book so thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! It was great to read your post! Thank you for sharing your personal reflection on how you try to align your day with personal enjoyment and look for deeper meaning behind small tasks. The quote and three take aways are great to get an idea of what I could get of the book if I end up reading it!
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah, I really like the quote you highlighted in your post. I thought about it in the context of my own life and found it to be very true. In classes where I feel more positive in, I do take in the information better. I did not read this book but after your review as well as all the other positive posts I've seen, I will consider picking it up.
ReplyDeleteHello Sarah, after reading your post, I just realized I forgot to mention three takeaways and my favorite quote in the book. I like the quote you mentioned since I was reading the same book as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah! Thank you for sharing your experience with this book. I've never been a big fan of self help books (only because I've never actually read any of them... maybe I am a little biased!), but recently I've found myself struggling to find joy in anything I do. Especially when we're trying to get the most out of our college experience while juggling everything at the same time I think this book is super useful. I'll definitely have to read this book soon and get over my unwarranted dislike for self-help books!
ReplyDelete