In Ali Abdaal's Productivity Masterclass - Principles and Tools to Boost Your Productivity, he gives some prompts to consider at the end of each lesson.

These allow you to reflect upon the practices he has adopted throughout the years at Cambridge University and in a medical career, framed in the concept of "The Plane; The Pilot; The Engineer", and the "Productivity Equation" that, when understood, allow you to understand how to be productive.

This project is my set of answers to such prompts, as well as key quotes from each lesson, and actionable practices to adopt - after all, it's one thing understanding what you need to do; another to implement this knowledge into practice.

Response:

Productivity = (Useful Output / Time) * Fun Factor

SECTION 0 - INTRODUCTION: Lesson 3 - The Productivity Equation:

Productivity involves 'F' - a constant that is the 'fun factor' - you need to have enjoyment for what you do, first and foremost

Which do I struggle with most of all - the Pilot, the Plane, or the Engineer? In what specific ways?

• Without doubt I struggle most of all with the role of the Plane, and specifically the proportion of time I should be in this mode
• I spend too much time reviewing and refining my techniques for productivity (as the Pilot in the short-term and Engineer in the long-term), yet dedicate less time to implementing these techniques in a way that will ultimately benefit me - after all, I try to procrastinate 'productively', but there needs to be a result of this procrastination also
• My goal is to increase the proportion of time spent as a Plane, by making a daily routine to form a to-do list the night before (Pilot), so that I can wake up in Plane mode, but also increasing the 'fun factor' of being in Plane mode

SECTION 1 - THE THREE MYTHS: Lesson 4 - The Myth of "I Don't Have Time":

It's not "I don't have time" - it's "I am not actively choosing to make the time for this, as I hold it in lower priority"

What am I avoiding with the phrase "I don't have time"?

• I'm avoiding setting myself up for the future - learning new personal skills that will grant me a more diverse life aside from my future career
  • Instead I simply believe that I only have time to study for my A-Levels, when in fact I realise that the time I spend mindlessly procrastinating, can be invested in more mindful and active practices that will be more beneficial in the long-term
• Optional Action Point - Track your time for 1 week & then reflect on what you're spending your time on - find activities that you can replace for something more productive

Lesson 5 - The Myth of Motivation:

When you have discipline, you go directly from the thought to the action, without any feeling

• ARTICLE - Screw motivation, what you need is discipline

What's a goal I want to achieve?

• I want to look in better physical condition, as that not only makes me physically healthier, but also mentally healthier at a time where lockdowns and COVID restrictions restrict what I can do in life
• Therefore I should go for a run 2x a week

How can I make the process more pleasurable?

• Save my podcasts that I listen to for when I go for a run, or go to the gym
• Game-ify the process - strive for constantly better running speeds or durations

Can I increase my odds of hitting the goal by putting money on the line?

• Probably - but I'm not money-oriented enough to use this as a major 'motivator' in my goal
• I should look into other ways of making long-term consequences more painful

How can I make the outcomes more tangible & desirable?

• Game-ifying the process will make the outcomes more tangible, and more desirable as the feedback loop is shortened
  • I'm not going to be 'motivated' by the long feedback loop of looking physically better, but I can be 'motivated' by seeing my data that proves I am undergoing a beneficial process

Lesson 6 - The Myth of Multitasking:

Aim to achieve 'flow state' whenever working - an optimal state of consciousness where we both feel and work at our best

What is one (or more) situations when I was in my 'flow state'?

• Earlier today! I started listening to a 'study with me' playlist; I had all my documents organised; I had set aside time to work on a piece of history work, and found that time flew by as I underwent the prior actions to not find any friction when working

What circumstances & mindset led to that?

• Making a to-do list in the morning, and alloting time for the work
• Listening to a 'study with me' playlist
• I was also excited for a piece of leisure time that I knew would take place later that day, so found working less arduous

Can I manufacture those conditions for other stuff I need/want to do?

• All the points made in the second question can be replicated routinely - not least making a to-do list
• This was also my first time using a 'study with me' playlist - perhaps it was the novelty that got me in the flow state, and as such I should always look for new ways to work, when in Engineer mode

SECTION 2 - THE THREE LAWS: Lesson 7 - Parkinson's Law:

Work expands to fill the time we allocate to it

Make a list of 3-4 long-term tasks you want to do:

1. Make a passive income by October 2020, to support my studies at university
2. Start a business within the biomedical sciences sector by 2030
3. Carve a genuine legacy at Oxford University by the time I leave (June 2024 / June 2025), with regards to social change

What would you do if you only had half as long to do them?

1. Research the different ways I can make a passive income now, and start to understand where I can use my skills to offer a service
2. Start networking as soon as I reach university and have the contacts, and ensure I choose modules at university that will allow me to achieve this goal - network alongside study, and not do the former after the latter
3. Network with peers at Oxford immediately, and gain a group of people all determined to achieve a similar goal - research the issues facing the university today

What about if you had to do them in the next 24 hours?

1. Set up websites, social media accounts, networks regarding my means of massive income, and reach out to people I think would be interested in my service
2. Email my few contacts at Oxford University, in order to quickly find business partners - this is, of course, unachievable in 24 hours
3. Continue what I'm doing now and use my friends seeking to go to Oxford to raise awareness of issues - contact the University, with proposals put forward by me and peers

Lesson 8 - Pareto Principle:

80% of the results will come from 20% of the effort

What 20% of my work is driving 80% of my 'useful output'?

• When it comes to studying biology, very little of my time - around 20% - is spent discussing the topic with my mother - a degree-level biochemist. This is enjoyable and doesn't take long, but I deem it more useful than working through notes etc.

What's taking up 80% of my time but not actually contributing much to my outcomes?

• It may not take up as much as 80% of my time, but I'm spending too much time in the Engineer role, and need to use some of that time as the Pilot in order to contribute more time to my outcomes
• I need to also start to frame my goals as actionable things to do, as theorising in a wishy-washy way is not contributing to those outcomes as much as the time I dedicate to such dreams commands

Lesson 9 - Newton's First Law of Motion:

If we are still, we require an external force to push us - if we are moving, we will keep moving forward - it's so much harder to start something than continue doing that something

Turn off this class and go do something you've been putting off - we'll be here when you're done :)

• I finished writing a list of all the functional groups in organic chemistry, which is something I probably would not have finished today (or perhaps ever), as it was something I wanted to do to get a better understanding of organic chemistry

SECTION 3 - THE THREE POWERS: Lesson 10 - The Power of Habits:

Habits are like tiny, fundamental units in your life, yet are so important when compounded

What 3 things would boost my productivity if I made them a habit?

1. Establishing consistent sleeping hours of 12am - 7am - this will give me the kickstart I need to organise my day, and spend more time as the 'Plane'
2. Organising my day's work the night before - again, this will grant me more time as the 'Plane' during the day, and I can reflect on my work as the 'Pilot' and 'Engineer' in the evening
3. Ensure I go outside for a walk everyday - not only does this give me a mental reset, but it also allows me to process what I've done in the day so far

How can I help make those habits stick?

1. Set my alarms now for 7am everyday
2. Use TeuxDeux to plan my day every night
3. Schedule time to go outside in my daily plan, the night before, on TeuxDeux

Lesson 11 - The Power of Productive Downtime:

The Daily Highlight - What is the one thing I want to focus on?

What are some chunks of the day in which I find myself wasting time in ways I'd rather not?

• I constantly find myself sitting down on my bed after doing something, and scrolling on my phone - the time escapes me
• Perhaps I grant myself too much downtime in the evening, as I fall into the trap of that being the time where you have to 'relax'

What useful (small) things could I do with that time instead?

• Making / learning flashcards (although I currently do not use flashcards, but they could be an option for future study)
• Reply to an email, or purchase that thing I needed to get on Amazon

Lesson 12 - The Power of Productive Procrastination:

Ensure your form of procrastination is inherently useful

What items on my bucket / task list can I procrastinate my way to progress on?

1. Starting a form of passive income
2. Edit articles for TXH
3. Start a charity venture

How so?

1. Research into ways I can use my skills to form a passive income
2. Editing a single article takes no more than 15 minutes - this is the perfect slot for getting something done that I will have to do later anyway, but is still more enjoyable and secondary to my main work
3. Look into what I would enjoy doing, and potential charities I wish to support - ask peers on what I should do, and what they would enjoy sponsoring

SECTION 4 - THE FUN FACTOR: Lesson 13 - The Fun Factor:

Reframe thoughts from 'I have to...' to 'I get to...'

What do I have to do in my days that I'm currently not enjoying?

• Studying by myself is usually something I don't enjoy - I much prefer discussing the topics with my mum, for example

If I had to, how would I make this stuff more fun?

• Constantly vary how I study - change my study space (easier when I get to university); watch videos within making notes; discuss the topic etc.
• Continue to listen to Study w/ Me playlists, and I should make my own playlist also
• Procrastinate productively, and put in times where I know I can look forward to something eg. find time to play video games with a friend, or call them