Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You

Richard Feynman, a celebrated physicist, found himself in a slump at one point in his career. His passion for physics dwindled, especially after his wife Arline passed away. This left him feeling exhausted and uninspired. Although he continued his duties as a professor at Cornell University, teaching, and reading, he avoided any research activities. He had accepted the notion that he was now a physics professor who no longer actively engaged in physics.

But this changed when something unexpected happened. One day, while sitting in the university cafeteria, Feynman noticed a student throwing a plate into the air. He observed that the Cornell logo on the plate seemed to spin faster than the plate itself. This simple observation sparked his curiosity. It reminded him of the joy he once found in physics, a time when he pursued questions purely out of curiosity rather than their importance to nuclear physics. This newfound sense of playfulness led him to explore the physics behind the wobbling plate, which eventually contributed to his Nobel Prize-winning work in quantum electrodynamics.

Feynman's story teaches us a powerful lesson: integrating play into our lives can rejuvenate our passions and drive innovation. And it's not just Feynman who experienced this. Nobel laureates like James Watson, Francis Crick, and Alexander Fleming also credited play as a key component of their groundbreaking discoveries. They found that treating their scientific inquiries as playful experiments led to more profound insights and breakthroughs.

Psychologists and researchers increasingly recognize that play is crucial for true productivity. It provides psychological relief, enhances our creativity, and boosts our well-being. By approaching our work and life with a sense of adventure and curiosity, much like we did as children, we can unlock new levels of happiness and efficiency. So, next time you're feeling stuck, try to find the fun in what you're doing. It might just lead to your next big breakthrough.

Back in 2000, Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph, the founders of Netflix, faced a major setback. They pitched the idea of selling their company to Blockbuster’s CEO, John Antioco, for $50 million. But Antioco just laughed them out of the room, marking a failed attempt to secure their company's future. Fast forward two decades and the tables turned dramatically. Netflix had grown into a giant in the streaming industry with a valuation of $300 billion, while Blockbuster had gone bankrupt and virtually disappeared.

This remarkable success can be highly attributed to their unique corporate culture. They created a work environment that emphasized freedom and responsibility, which was a radical shift from traditional corporate practices. They did this by getting rid of rigid policies like set work hours and performance reviews so they could give employees more autonomy. This approach initially met with skepticism but ultimately proved incredibly effective as Netflix grew. This culture attracted top talent and led to innovative ideas, resulting in some of the most notable TV shows and movies of our time.

A key element of this culture was their focus on personal empowerment, which was referred to as "power." This type of power isn't about controlling others; it's about feeling in control of your own job and life, making decisions about your future, and driving productivity and satisfaction. It's the kind of power that makes you feel empowered to do your best work.

Boosting confidence also played a crucial role in Netflix's success. Research shows that our confidence in our abilities significantly impacts our performance. For instance, a study with female students found that those who were told they were among the fittest enjoyed exercise more and performed better, regardless of their actual fitness levels. This highlights the importance of self-efficacy or belief in one’s ability to succeed.

Have you ever noticed how spending time with certain people leaves you feeling energized, while others drain your energy completely? This difference is due to what scientists call "relational energy." It’s the idea that our interactions with others can either boost or sap our mood and motivation. Understanding this concept can help us harness the power of positive interactions to enhance our productivity and well-being.

To tap into relational energy, start by connecting with people who uplift and energize you. Seek out those who are positive, supportive, and encouraging—the ones who bring out the best in you.

Another step is to adopt a "comrade mindset," which means seeing those around you as teammates rather than competitors. When we view our peers as collaborators, we feel more motivated and supported. You can achieve this mindset shift by sharing tips, working together on projects, and cheering each other on. It's about thinking "We rise by lifting others," rather than "You win, I lose."

Working in harmony with others can also boost relational energy. When people collaborate through synchronized activities or shared goals, it creates a sense of camaraderie and collective effort.

The same happens when we help others and vice versa. In fact, studies show that asking for help can actually strengthen relationships and make the helper feel good. This concept, known as the "Benjamin Franklin effect," suggests that people who help us are more likely to think positively of us. So, the next time you need help from someone, it might be best to ask them. This simple act can foster mutual respect and goodwill.

We all procrastinate at some point. When it happens, our typical responses are to either boost our motivation or rely on discipline to complete tasks regardless of how we feel. But while these approaches can help to some extent, they don’t always tackle the real reasons behind why we procrastinate.

One major cause of procrastination is uncertainty. A lot of the time, we put things off because we’re just not sure what to do. This "fog of uncertainty" can be paralyzing. To clear this fog, it helps to clarify why we need to do the task and to set specific, manageable goals for finishing it. Once we know what to achieve, we then need to implement some time-management techniques to turn our plans into action. These techniques include implementation intentions and time blocking.

Implementation intentions involve creating triggers for actions, such as, "When I finish breakfast, I will read for 15 minutes." Time blocking involves scheduling specific times for tasks.

Another significant cause of procrastination is fear. Fear can make it tough to take on new opportunities, join social activities, or even start creative projects. The key is to understand and manage our fears. This means acknowledging our fears, realizing they’re often exaggerated, and finding the courage to push past them. One effective way to manage fear is through "affective labeling," where you identify and name your fears as you experience them. Studies show that just saying our fears out loud can help lessen them and give us a sense of control. Another strategy is the "10/10/10 rule," which involves thinking about how much a current fear will matter in 10 minutes, 10 weeks, and 10 years. By asking ourselves this question, we can gain perspective and reduce the fear’s impact.

Are you familiar with Isaac Newton's First Law of Motion? It simply states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion unless something else acts on it. While this was a breakthrough in physics, it's also surprisingly relevant to our everyday lives, especially when it comes to productivity and beating procrastination.

In our daily routines, inertia often shows up as a major hurdle to getting things done. It takes a lot more effort to start a task than to keep it going. When we're inactive, it's easier to stay that way, and when we're working, it's easier to keep working. Inertia can make us feel stuck, drain our motivation, and stop us from beginning tasks. But the good news is, it's possible to overcome it.

To beat inertia, we need to identify and reduce the frictions that stop us from starting. These frictions can be environmental, like a cluttered workspace that discourages productivity. Or it could be emotional, like the anxiety that comes with facing a tough task. Simple strategies can help us with it. For example, organizing your study space can make it more inviting for academic work, or setting clear, actionable steps can make starting a task feel less overwhelming.

Tracking progress is another great strategy against inertia. By setting small, measurable goals and recording achievements, we can see evidence of our progress. This boosts our motivation and clarifies the next steps. It also helps us maintain momentum and celebrate small wins, which are crucial for long-term success.

Lastly, supporting ourselves with tools like accountability partnerships and self-forgiveness can provide the necessary encouragement and psychological safety to keep pushing forward despite setbacks. An accountability partner can give us a motivation boost and help us stay committed, while self-forgiveness allows us to maintain a healthier mindset and reduces the guilt that often comes with procrastination.

Burnout is often seen as something only people with high-stress jobs or heavy workloads experience, but the truth is, it can affect anyone. When you’re burned out, tasks that once felt manageable and enjoyable become overwhelming and draining.

Burnout often sneaks up on you when work stops being meaningful, enjoyable, or manageable. It might start with subtle signs like not wanting to go to work, a dip in performance, or a general lack of enthusiasm. Interestingly, burnout isn’t only about overworking. It can also happen when you don’t find joy or meaning in your work or when there’s a mismatch between your efforts and your personal values.

Sometimes, what we consider relaxation can actually feed into burnout. For example, doomscrolling—endlessly browsing through negative news—can lead to what's called "depletion burnout," which stems not only from excessive work but also from inadequate rest practices. This includes habits like binge-watching TV, which might not truly rejuvenate us.

Addressing burnout effectively involves three crucial steps: conserve, recharge, and align.

Conserve involves focusing your energy only on tasks that matter to you. It means learning to say 'no' more often and being selective with new commitments, ensuring they bring some form of satisfaction or joy.

Recharge is about engaging in activities that genuinely restore your energy. This could mean connecting with friends, indulging in creative pursuits like painting or writing, connecting with nature, or simply doing nothing intentionally.

Lastly, align focuses on ensuring that your current pursuits match your true self—your core values, mission, and vision. When your work aligns with who you are and what you believe in, it can help you feel more fulfilled and less prone to burnout.

By embracing these strategies, you can tackle burnout at its roots and rediscover a healthier, more balanced approach to work and life.