How Did You Become Super Productive? - Ask Tom

TL;DR

Tom Frank answers various questions from his viewers, providing tips on creating a productive work area, discussing the start of his YouTube channel, sharing insights on becoming super-productive, offering advice on studying efficiently when sleep deprived, revealing his favorite YouTube channels, discussing his favorite One Piece arc, giving recommendations on video-making equipment, discussing his favorite fictional books, and explaining how to develop discipline instead of relying on motivation.

Transcript

Hey, what is going on guys? It is Labor Day as I record this. I just knocked out a 25 mile bike ride, and I thought it would be a cool idea to answer some of your questions. A few days ago, I asked for questions over on Twitter. A lot of you guys responded, and I'm going to crank through a bunch of them in this video. Now, if you want to get your q... Read More

Key Insights

• 💦 Balancing access to creative and productive tools while eliminating distractions is crucial in creating an efficient work area.
• 🦸 Personal motivation and external events, such as economic crises, can drive people to become super-productive in order to ensure stability and employability.
• 😪 Taking breaks, prioritizing sleep, and using the Pomodoro Technique are effective strategies for studying efficiently, even when sleep deprived.
• 🤩 Building discipline through consistent effort and habitualization of work is key to achieving reliable productivity.
• 😉 Beginning the scholarship application process early and continuing throughout one's educational career increases the chances of winning scholarships.
• 🖐️ Personal interests and preferences play a role in choosing favorite YouTube channels, and recommendations can change over time.
• 🎮 Starting with basic video-making equipment, such as a smartphone and a cheap lav mic, is sufficient for beginners, with audio quality being more important than video quality.
• 💦 Developing discipline is more reliable than relying on motivation alone and can be facilitated by habitualizing work and adopting a professional mindset.
• 🥺 The longevity and overwhelming episodes of certain TV shows or anime may lead individuals to rely on alternate sources, such as manga or summaries.

Questions & Answers

Q: Do you have any tips on creating a creative, yet productive work area?

Tom recommends creating a balance by having access to necessary tools while keeping everything unrelated to the current task out of sight or out of reach. He suggests using a Pomodoro app to stay focused and eliminating distractions.

Q: How did you decide to start a YouTube channel?

Tom shares that his YouTube channel was initially created in 2006 to share home videos, but he started making educational videos in 2014 after realizing his enjoyment in watching YouTube videos surpassed reading blogs. He elaborates on his journey in a separate YouTube story video.

Q: When and why did you decide to become super-productive?

Tom describes himself as naturally productive and shares his inclination to get antsy if he hasn't accomplished much. However, the catalyst for working even harder was the 2008 stock market and housing collapse crisis, which made him determined to have a versatile skill set to be employable regardless of external events.

Q: How do you study efficiently when you're sleep deprived?

Tom's advice is straightforward - stop trying to work and get some sleep. He emphasizes the importance of prioritizing sleep, as pushing through tiredness often leads to inefficient studying.

Q: Who do you main in Super Smash Brothers 4 and Overwatch?

Tom reveals that his main character in Super Smash Brothers 4 is Diddy Kong, but he has recently enjoyed playing Bayonetta as well. In Overwatch, he tries to play every character but often plays Reaper, Mei, Junkrat, Zenyatta, and sometimes Winston.

Q: When do you think is the right time to start applying for scholarships?

Tom suggests starting to get serious about applying for scholarships in eleventh grade, as it allows two years to build a strong resume and apply for a decent number of scholarships. He also encourages continuing to apply for scholarships throughout one's educational career.

Q: When you're feeling lazy, how do you personally muster that last bit of energy and focus on what is at hand?

Tom offers various tips, including going for a walk outside to rejuvenate with sunlight exposure and exercise. He also recommends clearing off the workspace, using the Pomodoro Technique for 25-minute focused work sessions, and choosing one task to put into perspective.

Q: What is your favorite YouTube channel besides yours?

Tom mentions several favorite channels, including CrashCourse, Vsauce3, LinusTechTips, Satchell Drakes, Caddicarus, Jon Tron, I Like to Make Stuff, Gary Vaynerchuk, The NerdWriter, Anna Akana, h3h3, MowtenDoo, Tom Scott, CGP Grey, Geography Now, Casey Neistat, Comics Explained, Regular Car Reviews, BrainCraft, Caleb Wojcik, Alpha M., The School of Life, Colin Furze, Yungtown, SeaNanners, Smarter Every Day, Did You Know Gaming, and Smooth McGroove.

Q: How can you develop discipline instead of motivation?

Tom explains that developing discipline requires habitualizing work and showing up every day, regardless of inspiration. He mentions the book "The War of Art," which focuses on transitioning from an amateur to a professional mindset and the importance of consistent effort.

Q: Which is your favorite One Piece arc?

Tom clarifies that he only watched the first 200 episodes of One Piece and stopped due to the overwhelming number of episodes. Within those episodes, his favorite arc is Alabasta, which he found more enjoyable than the Skypiea arc.

Q: Is there any video-making equipment that you would recommend?

Tom suggests starting with a smartphone for filming, as they often offer high-quality video. He emphasizes the importance of audio quality and recommends a cheap lav mic for beginners. Tom also suggests checking out Caleb Wojcik's channel for more video gear recommendations.

Q: What are your favorite fictional books?

Tom shares that he made a video on his top ten favorite fictional books and recommends watching it. Currently, he is reading "A Darker Shade of Magic" and finds it highly enjoyable.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Tom provides tips for creating a creative and productive work area, including having access to necessary tools while eliminating distractions.

• He shares the story of how he started his YouTube channel and the transition from being an educational blogger and podcaster.

• Tom explains that his motivation to become super-productive stemmed from the 2008 stock market and housing collapse, and how he wanted to ensure he wouldn't be negatively impacted by economic downturns.

• He advises on efficient studying when sleep deprived, mainly emphasizing the need to prioritize sleep and take breaks rather than pushing through tiredness.

• Tom reveals his main characters in Super Smash Brothers 4 and Overwatch, discussing his preferred playstyle and main choices in both games.

• He suggests applying for scholarships as early as freshman year in high school, continuing throughout one's educational career, and shares his personal experience of winning scholarships in college.

• Tom provides tips for mustering energy and focus when feeling lazy, including going for a walk outside and using the Pomodoro Technique.

• He shares a list of favorite YouTube channels that he recommends checking out.

• Tom discusses the development of discipline and habit as key to achieving consistent productivity, highlighting the book "The War of Art" and the concept of transitioning from an amateur to a professional mindset.

• He states his favorite One Piece arc within the first 200 episodes as Alabasta.

• Tom offers recommendations for video-making equipment for beginners, emphasizing the importance of audio quality and suggesting a smartphone with a cheap lav mic as a good starting point.

• He mentions his top ten favorite fictional books video and recommends the book "A Darker Shade of Magic" that he is currently reading.