Ali Abdaal
Doctor turned YouTuber · author of Feel-Good Productivity
Former NHS doctor turned productivity YouTuber and author of Feel-Good Productivity. He reviews and stress-tests tools for a living, so his stack is heavier on apps and systems than supplements. His central argument is that sustainable output comes from energy and enjoyment, not grinding harder.
- Entries
- 25
- Does
- 12
- Recommends
- 11
- Discusses
- 2
Books
7 books in this stack
- BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Atomic Habits
No limit to who should read it, on his account, and he keeps public notes on the book.
Source: aliabdaal.com: Atomic Habits book notesVisit jamesclear.com (opens in a new tab)On record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Deep Work
Concentration is trainable, which is the argument he recommends it for, and he has interviewed its author about applying it.
Source: Ali Abdaal YouTube channelView item: Deep WorkOn record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 5 recommend it, 1 has discussed it - BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Specific knowledge, and what multiplies a person's output: those are the sections he points at, and he refers back to the ideas often.
Source: Ali Abdaal YouTube channelView item: The Almanack of Naval RavikantOn record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 recommend it - BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
The 4-Hour Workweek
Setting up his business traces back to it, he says, and to the ideas about income that does not require trading hours for money.
Source: aliabdaal.com: 3 books that changed my lifeView item: The 4-Hour WorkweekOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 recommend it - BookRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Feel-Good Productivity
Energy and enjoyment sustain output far better than discipline and grinding, which is his own book's argument.
Source: aliabdaal.com: Feel-Good ProductivityView item: Feel-Good ProductivityOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it - BookDiscusses$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Digital Minimalism
Discussed it with Cal Newport on his podcast, where the book is listed among those mentioned in the episode.
Source: aliabdaal.com: podcast episode with Cal NewportView item: Digital MinimalismOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it - BookDiscusses$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Slow Productivity
Sat down with Cal Newport to discuss doing fewer things at a natural pace and what that buys you long term.
Source: aliabdaal.com: podcast episode with Cal Newport on slow productivityView item: Slow ProductivityOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it, 1 has discussed it
Apps
4 apps in this stack
- AppDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Readwise
Readwise is the single most valuable app he pays for, and he reads its daily resurfacing email religiously.
Source: aliabdaal.com: how I remember what I readVisit readwise.io (opens in a new tab)On record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - AppDoes itFREE, no cost
Notion
Notes, content pipeline and team documentation all live in Notion, and he has published many of his own templates.
Source: aliabdaal.com: useful apps to improve productivity and study effectivelyVisit notion.so (opens in a new tab)On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - AppDoes itFREE, no cost
Anki
Spaced repetition flashcards carried him through medical school, and he credits them for how he studied for exams.
Source: aliabdaal.com: useful apps to improve productivity and study effectivelyVisit apps.ankiweb.net (opens in a new tab)On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - AppRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Website and app blocker
Opal blocks distracting apps outright, and he calls it an effective way to remove his online distractions.
Source: aliabdaal.com: 15 tools to manage and achieve your goalsView item: Website and app blockerOn record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 2 recommend it
Gear
1 piece of gear in this stack
- GearDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Kindle e-reader
Pushing the Kindle since 2008, he pairs its highlights with Readwise so what he reads does not evaporate.
Source: aliabdaal.com: how I remember what I readView item: Kindle e-readerOn record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 6 do it
Protocols
7 entriesStructured routines and practices with a defined method.
Three weight sessions a week, programmed by a coach, as part of a goal to build muscle.
Source: aliabdaal.com: 5 lessons from improving my healthCalendar blocks carry his week rather than a task list, and the plan gets rewritten as the week moves.
Source: aliabdaal.com: how to build a time management routineTimed sprints, with the regular breaks framed as what preserves focus and the timer as a way to chunk a large task.
Source: aliabdaal.com: the pomodoro techniqueControlling the environment and stripping the desk back to essentials is what he recommends, rather than relying on willpower.
Source: aliabdaal.com: how to stay focused and not get distractedLong uninterrupted stretches are protected for writing and filming, with notifications treated as the main thing to eliminate.
Source: aliabdaal.com: my deep work systemIdentity comes first when he changes behavior, he says, citing the idea that each action is a vote for the person you want to become.
Source: aliabdaal.com: Atomic Habits book notesIf a task takes under two minutes it happens straight away, the do-it-now version of the two-minute rule, which keeps his desk clear.
Source: aliabdaal.com: how to stay focused and not get distracted
Habits
6 entriesRecurring behaviors recorded in public statements.
Daily reading, one book a week in depth, and book notes and recommendations published as a standing part of his output.
Source: aliabdaal.com: how to read 200 books a yearFrom his flat to the studio on foot every day as an intentional default, plus evening walks with friends.
Source: aliabdaal.com: 28 best pieces of life adviceProtects the first four hours of his mornings for writing.
Source: aliabdaal.com: 10 time management tipsDeliberately simple: a weekly review of calendar and daily notes, which he admits he has managed only a handful of times in two years.
Source: aliabdaal.com: the power of the weekly reviewHabits stay visible in Streaks on an Apple Watch, with targets such as four gym sessions a week.
Source: aliabdaal.com: 15 tools to manage and achieve your goalsKeeping the phone out of the first stretch of the day means the morning goes on your own priorities, he says.
Source: Feel-Good Productivity
In their own words
Checked word for word against the linked source
“The main flashcard software I use is an app called Anki. … Crucially it uses an algorithm built around active recall and spaced repetition and learns as you progress through your studies and revision.”
aliabdaal.com: Useful Apps To Improve Productivity and Study Effectively (opens in a new tab) · 18 Mar 2020 On Anki
“Notion really changed the note-taking and organisational game for me. It really is a multi-functional and incredibly useful app allowing you to categorise topics, break down subjects into series of toggles … I really cannot speak highly enough of Notion”
aliabdaal.com: Useful Apps To Improve Productivity and Study Effectively (opens in a new tab) · 18 Mar 2020 On Notion
“Think of it like making a reservation at a restaurant. By booking a specific time for dinner, you ensure that you have a table waiting for you. Time blocking does the same for your daily tasks, providing a dedicated space for each one.”
aliabdaal.com: How to build a time management routine (opens in a new tab) · 29 Jan 2025
Episodes from the feed
Show archive, Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal (opens in a new tab)Last fetched . A title without a link is an episode the feed publishes no page of its own for.
- How I’m Scaling My Business from 7 to 8 Figures (opens in a new tab) · 49m
- The Science of Productivity (opens in a new tab) · 42m
- How to start a 7-figure business in 2025: Advice from 4 millionaires (opens in a new tab) · 38m
- How to Stay Focused and Beat Distraction - Nir Eyal (opens in a new tab) · 1h 29m
- How Dopamine Shapes Your Habits and Productivity - Tj Power (opens in a new tab) · 1h 50m
Stack notes are paraphrased. Anything in quotation marks is a short excerpt copied from the transcript it links to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.