5 productivity gurus you should follow
In the era of constant distractions, staying focused and productive has become a challenge. Popularised by social media, there are several productivity gurus who can help you get back on track
We all have the same 24 hours in a day. However, not all of us can make the most of it. But with the help of productivity gurus or experts, you can achieve your goals.
Their real-life experiences, intellects and strategies offer invaluable guidance. They can help you streamline your workflows, maximise your efficiency, and ultimately reclaim control over your lifestyle.
Popularised by YouTube and other social media, there are several productivity gurus to choose from. But judging via the number of subscribers is a vanity metric. TBS has picked five productivity gurus you should follow, based on popularity and content quality.
1. Ali Abdaal
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Ali Abdaal is one of the world's most-followed productivity experts. The Pakistani-British individual is a doctor turned entrepreneur. In 2017, when he was a final-year medicine student at Cambridge University, he started making videos to help others with studying and passing exams.
After graduation, he worked as a junior doctor at the National Health Service (NHS) with high hopes. But the chaotic hospital wards made him realise that happiness isn't merely a result of success - in fact, happiness is the key to success in the first place. Eventually, he left medicine for good and pursued a YouTube career.
On his main channel named Ali Abdaal, he explores evidence-based strategies and tools that can help you be more productive and build a life that you love. At the time of writing this article, the channel had 5.43 million subscribers.
He also has another YouTube channel named 'Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal'. Here, he posts podcasts where he sits down with inspiring creators, thinkers, entrepreneurs and high performers. The authentic and engaging conversations on the podcast make for a very enjoyable learning experience. This channel has 483K subscribers.
Ali is also the author of the New York Times bestseller, 'Feel Good Productivity'. The book serves as the ultimate guide on how to be more productive in a way that's enjoyable, meaningful and sustainable.
He offers free weekly productivity insights through his weekly newsletter 'Sunday Snippets'. With this, he shares actionable productivity tips, practical life advice and high-quality insights from across the web. To join the 6,20,000 other readers, you will find the sign-up option available on his personal site aliabdaal.com.
2. Tim Ferriss
"Being selective, doing less, is the path of the productive. Focus on the important few and ignore the rest." This is how lifestyle guru Tim Ferriss redesigns life in his #1 New York Times bestseller 'The 4-Hour Workweek'. He argues that the traditional 9 to 5 working model is faulty and ruins your productivity.
Though best known for this book, he is also an American entrepreneur and investor. He has been listed as one of Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Business People' and one of Fortune's '40 under 40.' Tim has appeared as a guest or keynote speaker at numerous summits and events, including TED and Talks at Google.
He also has a great podcast, 'The Tim Ferriss Show,' which often makes the #1 business podcast on Apple Podcasts. Being the first of its kind to reach the 100 million downloads milestone, the number has now surpassed 900 million. His personal YouTube channel has 1.47 million subscribers. Along with various productivity topics, the podcasts are also available on this channel.
On his site, tim.blog, Tim Ferriss offers a free weekly email newsletter called 5-Bullet Friday. Every Friday, he shares the five coolest things he has found or explored that week. Join the community of over 1.5 million subscribers and make sure you don't miss out.
3. Tam Kaur
Tam Kaur is a UK-based influencer who empowers young women through her YouTube channel. Her contents are mostly women centric as she is on a mission to help women become their best selves and create their dream lives. Tam Kaur's channel has one million subscribers. She shares valuable advice on self-improvement, self-love, and personal growth.
Her channel's bio reads "Self-improvement and self-love transformed my life. It took me from being the shy, insecure, unmotivated girl to being the woman who prioritises herself everyday. I found my purpose in life after working on myself and I want to help and inspire you to do the same."
You can also join her Discord community to connect with more than 15,000 like-minded women and chat about personal development.
4. James Clear
"Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement."
It's a quote from the #1 New York Times Bestseller 'Atomic Habits'. If you're a fan of non-fiction then you have most likely read or at least heard about this book. After all, it sold over 15 million copies worldwide and was translated into more than 50 languages.
The book's author James Clear is one of the world's leading experts on habit formation. The book reveals proven frameworks on how to build good habits, break bad ones, and get 1% better every day.
James Clear regularly writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement on his personal site jamesclear.com. His thought leadership regularly appears in renowned publications like the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Business Insider, and Time. He is a regular guest on CBS This Morning.
Get in touch with him by subscribing to his popular email newsletter 'The 3-2-1 Newsletter' offered on the site published every Thursday to his 3 million subscribers.
Can you guess why it's called 3-2-1? The structure of the newsletter is interesting. Each message includes three short ideas from James Clear himself, two quotes from others and one question for you to think about!
5. Matt D'Avella
Matt D'Avella is a YouTuber and award-winning filmmaker. Sounds odd in this list? But no. He made a documentary called 'Minimalism' where he shared the idea that less is more. It delivers the perception of how our lives can be better with less. Released in 2021, the film trended on Netflix and eventually, the success led him to start a YouTube career.
His channel is a great resource; he discusses things like minimalism, happiness, productivity etc. It has 3.83 million subscribers.
Matt has also hosted nearly hundred episodes of a podcast named 'The Ground Up Show'. With over two million downloads, these candid conversations have helped inspire thousands of listeners to pursue a meaningful life. So, follow him if you want to join the journey towards adopting a minimalistic and productive lifestyle.
