> Get the right kind of music going B) ## Brainstorming %% Let the ideas flow %% ### **Topic** %%What is the big idea you're writing about?%% ### **Braindump** %%Write out everything that comes to mind. A summary that can branch off into its related branches and sub-ideas %% **What and who can this idea be helpful for?** **What does this contrast or refute?** ### **References** %%Are there any notes, quotes, books, or other content that comes to mind that relate to the above?%% ## Organized Ideas %% Add structure and collaboration between the above ideas, turning them into an outline or actual notes %% - larger influencers capitalize on saving time - how i work 16 hour days - ali abdaal's videos are full of time-saving tips - the truth is, quantity isn't productive - by forcing yourself to work all that time, you experience diminishing returns and are spending the time you could have other used on better-suited activities like leisure - so if optimizing our quantity won't work, we need to focus on quality - no point in trying to cram all of it ends up not even moving the needle ### Other Recently it's been summer season and there's been a lot of "unproductive" things happening: - My parents visited for a month so spent lots of time with family - Countless typical summer events at work to meet fellow interns - Largest anime convention in my city happened this weekend so I was legally obligated to go 😄 - The biggest tournament of my favorite esport VALORANT has been broadcasting their recent wins Because of these time-based obligations, it's been affecting the amount of deep work and available time I have for important but not urgent things like working on my personal brand, content creation, and self-learning. I will admit, it's been hard to find a consistent balance between the two. And from my experience, it now makes sense as to why typical productivity and time management advice is so appealing. It exposes how time is a finite resource, and we need to best optimize it so we can make the most of our days.   But the truth is, we might be optimizing the wrong value. We could play up to the extremes - we could implement all of Ali's habits and work to the extent of startup founders grinding 16 hours a day, but at some point, there's only diminishing returns. Instead, what if we were to change our productivity philosophy as a whole? What if reason why we feel like we lack enough time during these days is not because we literally do not have enough time, but because our priorities are not aligned with our actions? The truth is, productivity is about producing results that are meaningful to you. And technically, a lot of "unproductive" activities produce lots of accomplishments - we can complete challenging video games, finish an insightful TV series, or learn a lot of random shallow facts by doomscrolling TikTok. However, we don't feel fulfilled from these activities because we have other goals and priorities that are being neglected. This is why we should focus on **attention-centered productivity**. Attention-centered productivity is a healthier mindset for productivity because it's not forcing you to work more when it's frictionful and ineffective. Instead, you STILL accomplish more of what's important by being intentional with what you prioritize. When your focus is on attention-based productivity, speed related productivity becomes a personal choice and only a tool, as it is not the core driver of our productivity. ### Soothing us What we choose to focus on in the long-run is more in our control than the amount of time we have available in our day-to-day lives. By being clear on what we are prioritizing, we ## Potential Outputs %% What can I use these notes for? %%