?? I Wasted 5 Days of My Life
Ali Abdaal
???? Doctor-turned-Entrepreneur + Productivity Expert + YouTuber (6M subs) ?? Author of Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You
Hey friends,
Something unusual happened to me this December.
One Sunday I woke up and just… didn’t feel like doing anything.?
Not working on my business, not filming YouTube videos. Not even something actively recharging (like going for a walk).
I'm usually pumped for the day ahead. But this time my brain just said:?Meh, why bother getting up?
If you’re a long-term Sunday Snippets reader, you know I like to apply the?Reitoff Principle?in these situations:
If there’s a day where I get home from work a little late and I’m feeling pretty tired, I’ll just write-off the evening and lounge on the sofa reading a book or getting through my backlog of Peter McKinnon and Matt D’Avella videos, completely guilt-free.?-?Sunday Snippets, May 2019
But this time I made?a crucial mistake.
Instead of accepting the situation and devoting the next few days to Netflix, takeout, and light reading, I talked myself into ‘being productive’.?I have a book to write. Videos to film. This business won’t run itself.
What that?actually?looked like was me slumped at my desk, wrapped in a blanket with a mug of tea, doing a bunch of pseudo work + watching random video essays. Which lasted for about 5 days, until I woke up on Thursday feeling back to normal and ready to take on the world.
But if I’d applied the Reitoff Principle?from the beginning?I’d probably have recovered in ~2 days, and had a much better time.
Moral of the story: give yourself a break on days when you know you won’t be productive.
Have a great week!
Ali xx
Cambridgeshire's Go-To Corporate & Event Photographer
2 年This January, I followed your advice on books to read, and I read/listened on Audible to a book a week: The 10X Mentor, Someday, The Luck Factor, and Atomic Habits. That made me adjust a few things. Thanks
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2 年Sunday is the day I catch up on my reading.
Turning my online presence into paying customers through personal branding and helping you do the same
2 年Everyday is an opportunity, make the best of it.
Medical Doctor | Clinical, Educational & AI Product Consultant | Product Lead | Generative & Conversational AI
2 年Just like when planting for a harvest, having fallow periods is important to let things get back to normal. Hope you are looking after yourself Ali Abdaal!