Notes

• → What the book is about
• Rather than pushing through via discipline and “hustle”, productivity works better when it’s tied to feeling good.
• When we feel positive emotions, it boosts our energy, creativity, and resilience; the book presents a model built on that insight.
• → Key Frameworks / Models
• • Three Energisers — what increases your energy & motivation:
• 1. Play — injecting fun, adventure, novelty into tasks.
• 2. Power — feeling confident, having autonomy, owning what you can.
• 3. People — social connections, helping others, community.
• • Three Blockers — what tends to stall productivity:
• 1. Uncertainty — not knowing what to do, why, or when.
• 2. Fear — fear of failure, fear of judgment, etc.
• 3. Inertia — difficulty starting, getting stuck before doing anything.
• • Three Sustainers — how to maintain productivity without burning out:
• 1. Conserve — doing less of what’s non essential; setting boundaries.
• 2. Recharge — rest, breaks, creative or nature-based or passive rest.
• 3. Align — making sure what you do aligns with your values & meaning.
• → Concrete Tips & Experiments
• • Use “five-minute rule”: commit to doing a task for 5 minutes to get past inertia.
• • Clarify why, what, when for projects or tasks to reduce uncertainty.
• • Set goals that are NICE: Near-term, Input-based, Controllable, Energizing.
• • Reframe failures as experiments; lower stakes when possible.
• • Use social support: ask for help, share your progress, cultivate “comrade mindset”.
• → Burnout / Sustainability
• • Book defines three types of burnout: overexertion (taking on too much), depletion (not resting well), misalignment (doing work that doesn’t align with values)
• • To avoid burnout, you need to:
• 1. Say no to non-essential things.
• 2. Take quality rest and breaks.
• 3. Regularly reflect on values & adjust your priorities.