#141 Being Productive, Authentic and Vulnerable with Ali Abdaal

16th Mar 2022

On the show today we have a productivity guru, one of the world’s biggest Youtubers and one of the most authentic people online and in person that I’ve met. Ali Abdaal.

*Explicit Language Warning* for this episode

Ali pretty much shares all aspects of his life including business, his decision to leave medicine, personal life and even his bank account.

Today we talk about:

• Money, health and happiness
• Making work fun and ultimately what leads to productivity
• Ali’s background growing up in South Africa
• Starting his first business as a teenager
• How losing out to a scammer led to him starting a business at med school
• How he is putting into practice what he preaches
• How he maintains authenticity and vulnerability online
• Our inherent narcissistic selves and why we should lean into it
• Changing ones mindset to enjoy and find beauty in the mundanity of life
• Practical spirituality

Ali started his YouTube journey in 2017, making videos about study techniques and his medical school experience. The channel grew dramatically over the next two years, and began to cover broader topics like productivity, wealth, and how to lead a happier, more fulfilled life.

Ali currently has 2M+ subscribers, a total of almost 150M views, and posts new videos every week. His new podcast Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal debuted at #1 in Education on the Apple Podcasts charts. Each episode features a new guest, and Ali delves into the minds of these entrepreneurs, creators, and other inspiring people to uncover their journeys towards finding joy and fulfilment.

Ali also co-hosts the podcast Not Overthinking with his brother Taimur, where they laugh, bicker, critique each others’ life choices, and discuss the human condition (sometimes with a guest, like Justin Kan). Ali has been a guest on several podcasts including The Diary of a CEO, Noah Kagan Presents, and The Daily Stoic. You can find out more about Ali here:

Podcast: https://aliabdaal.com/podcast/

Newsletter Links: https://aliabdaal.com/how-i-plan-my-day/

Articles & blogs: https://aliabdaal.com/articles/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/aliabdaal

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aliabdaal

YOuTube: https://www.youtube.com/aliabdaal

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AliAbdaal/

I’m doing a new thing which is our podcast recipe of the week, a recipe that reflects the topic of conversation on the pod! This week’s recipe Squash and Salmon Tray with Miso Chilli

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