28 Life Lessons from 28 Years in 28 Minutes 

I turn 28 today and am reflecting on “things I know for sure or have learned in 28 years”. Really appreciate this video! Lots of great insight

He’s so productive, his 28 minute long video is only 27 minutes long.

I’ve learned so much from you over the years and it’s incredible to see how much you’ve grown. I hope you had an incredible birthday and an even better year 🥳💜

SUMMARY NOTES: 00:11 - Setting intentional defaults - Ali talks about the importance of setting intentional defaults in order to improve your life. - One default to consider is how you spend your spare time. - Instead of defaulting to work, try defaulting to reconnecting with friends or doing something intentional with relationships. - He has been testing this out over the last few weeks and has found it to be beneficial. 02:14 - Lowering the bar - The idea of lowering the bar is helpful for dealing with procrastination because it allows you to get started. - If you are struggling with procrastination, it is likely because your standards are too high. - Telling yourself to lower the bar and embrace mediocrity can help you get started. - Once you get started, it is easier to continue going. 03:25 - Embracing mediocrity in certain areas - We cannot do everything and we need to accept mediocrity in some areas. - Oliver Bergman's book "Four Thousand Weeks" talks about this idea. - We should focus on what is important to us and let go of the things that are not. - This can help reduce stress and anxiety in our lives. 04:52 - Living with a background music track - Ali suggests that listening to background music can help increase energy levels. - He finds that when he doesn't have background music, his energy levels are lower. - Music can help with focus and concentration. - Having background music can make life more fun and high energy. 06:12 - Consistency and quantity generally leads to quality - Consistency and quantity leads to quality. - This is a standard life lesson that everyone who is aware of personal development and stuff knows, but always needs reminding of. - You need to just do a lot of something in order to get good at it. - This can be applied to things like making videos, writing songs, or even going to the gym. - As long as you've done at least one thing that counts towards your goal, that's a win. 07:18 - Quantity and consistency lead to creativity -Quantity and consistency leads to creativity. -The more you do the thing, the more creativity flows from you. - In order to be creative, you have to let all of the crap flow out first. - Doing anything daily makes me way more creative than I would be otherwise. 08:08 - Sending physical thank you notes feels good - Sending physical thank you notes feels good for both the sender and the recipient. - There is something about a handwritten note that makes it extra special. - Students in RU-vidr Academy love receiving handwritten notes from their teachers. - Sending physical thank you notes is a great way to make someone's day. - Writing thank you notes is a small but impactful gesture that can make a big difference in someone's life. 08:34 - Planning and doing are two different modes of operating - Planning and doing are two different modes of operation. - It is hard to get started if you try to be the pilot and the plane at the same time in the same sitting. - Procrastination can be beaten by separating planning and doing. - Coming up with a plan before starting something can help you execute better when you're in the middle of it. 09:42 - Choosing to be satisfied - It’s better to choose to feel satisfied with one's accomplishments at the end of the day, rather than beating oneself up for not having done more. - Feeling dissatisfied with one's progress does not lead to increased productivity the next day. - Choosing to feel satisfied instead can lead to a positive spiral of feeling good about one's progress. - Feeling dissatisfied with one's accomplishments can be a negative spiral that leads to less productive days. 10:52 - Move towards things that energise rather than drain - We should try to move towards things that energize us, rather than things that drain us. - This can be a useful mental model for making decisions about how we spend our time. - If we have the option, we should choose things that energize us over things that drain us. - This can help us to enjoy our time more and feel more motivated. 12:10 - Fantasy fiction books are amazing - Fantasy fiction books are amazing and can transport you to another world. - The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson is a great place to start. - Stardust by Neil Gaman is also a great choice. - Anything by Brandon Sanderson is next level and not to be missed. 12:41 - Use a face towel - A face towel should be used to wipe your face instead of a shower towel because the shower towel can harbor bacteria. - Since using a face towel, Ali has found that their skin is clearer with less breakouts. - Pat drying with a hand can work in a pinch if a face towel isn't available. -This tip was life-changing for Ali 13:31 - Skincare compounds over time - The earlier you start caring for your skin, the better your skin will look as you age. - A proper skincare routine should include sun cream, moisturizer, and retinoid. - Cleanser is an optional extra. 15:27 - Try to wake up at the same time every day - The importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. - How this can help to regulate the body's natural circadian rhythms. - The benefits of getting a good night's sleep. - How this can help to improve energy levels and overall health. 16:21 - Don’t keep your phone on the bedside table - Having your phone on the other side of the room, instead of by your bedside, can change your life. - This forces you to get out of bed in order to switch your alarm off, making it more likely that you'll actually get up when you want to. - You can use a Kindle instead of your phone at night so you're not tempted to scroll through social media before bed. - Doing this has helped people establish a better sleep routine and stick to it. CONTINUED IN REPLIES

Happy birthday Ali, can’t say how much your vids mean to me and have helped me through the years in university and recently starting my own RU-vid channel.. You’re the best!

Loved seeing your channel grow overtime. You are incredibly generous with the information you offer to others. I certainly found encouragement in starting my own channel after listening to your videos, and definitely found I had been procrastinating while convincing myself it needed to be perfect before starting! So I completely agree with your point about lowering the bar. Loved the point about refocusing that default time to improving the relationship in your life also.

The vibe of this video is so wholesome. It feels like a get together with a friend at a park and having one of those quality conversations. Happy 28th birthday Ali!

Happy Birthday Ali!!! You are one of the most inspiring and sincere youtubers, and I have learned a lot from you, I am grateful that found your channel!

Ali would be having a LONG list once he is 60 for his "60 Life Lessons from 60 Years." On a different note, love your channel. Thank you so much for always finding a way to bring insightful things summed up like this :D

Great stuff Ali! Learned a ton from you over the past 2 years :)

I really can't believe Ali the amount of progress you've made on this RU-vid channel and providing value to your audience. RU-vid is blessed with creators like you. Following you since the "How to type fast" video

I was so mesmerized and blown away by some thoughts in this video that I haven't even noticed how half an hour passed, and it came to an end. I need another one, preferably an hour long, with you casually ruminating about life :D But, honestly, thank you! You gave me a lot of food for thought on how I manage some areas of my life. The one about consistency and quantity leading to quality and creativity is the greatest of them all. Wish you all the best 🌸

So much wisdom packed into 28 years! I’m a year younger and I’ve been watching for years! I truly believe you’ve helped so many people with all the knowledge you share! You’ve certainly helped me! Thank you and Happy birthday btw 🥳

This video has been one of your best! I actually love how casual this is. I think I'll revisit this video every quarter for some great reminders. I love how you stress that relationships are important on this channel. Thanks for all you do Ali! I'm glad to have your influence on my life. Cheers to 28 years of intentional living!

Love this type of chatty video. I'm excited to see where you are in 5 years per your email about where you'd like to be in life😉"Embrace mediocrity." Love that. Handwritten notes are one of the simplest pleasures in life. Agreed about enjoying each day as it comes instead of fixating on how much better it'll be in the future. Such sage words, Ali. Thanks for sharing!

"Embrace mediocrity" this thing changed my mindset and make me realize how big mistake i was doing. Thank you so much brother. Love from Pakistan ❤️

I can sense PURE wisdom here Ali. Been following you for a lifetime now and there’s sth in you that has changed. Maybe its the maturity that comes with age or the perspective towards life in general. But whatever it is, you LOOK more at home with yourself and your thoughts. And I’m all here for it ! 😄

Honestly one of my favorite videos by you thus far, and I really love the conversation-esc setup it has to it. Outdoors give it a more free-flowing feel. Well done!

Ali - I think you follow an incredible strategy of inspiration, keep transforming - do the hard/new stuff, do it in a fun way & keep doing it consistently. We all are here following you along. Bless you a good health and mind.

Happy birthday Ali, like others I have also learned so much from you and I can’t even tell you that how grateful I am. Thank you so much. May god bless you.

Thank you Dr. Ali for making such a wonderful video and sharing the knowledge and wisdom with us. Some of them are useful for me in this situation. Hope you make many more videos like this. Happy birthday

Thx man . You were a real inspiration during my teenage and also during this covid. Wish you good luck ❤. Have an amazing day 👋

Happy belated birthday! Congrats on all your success in life and continuing to prosper with all your new and future projects! Always best of massive luck over to you, my friend 🎉

Thanks man! This is not the average life lesson video. I’m turning 22 soon and you gave me some really useful input about self expectations, daily routines, personal relationships and so on. Keep it up!

Much needed video! Perfectly timed as I’m thinking through my next chapter in my career, so it was nice to hear some of the lessons you’ve learned!

Thanks Ali, I did a workout while I listened when I really didn’t want to. Also, thanks for mentioning trains, they’re fantastic in so many ways and a super cool and relaxing way to travel 🥰

I can listen to you for hours.. thank you for being raw and honest with us ❤❤

I've watched you for 5 years and you're more of an older brother to me, in the absence of an actual one. Thank you for sharing your thoughts (with us in mind) and showing the realities of your life, overcoming them throughout the years, never hesitating to admit your mistakes and embracing limitations yet striving to constantly improve ourselves. Happy 28th, kuya Ali! May you keep blessing others with what you do best!

Thank you for making this video and sharing the precious life lessons. They all made so much sense. The video was awesome! I was so engrossed in it that I didn't want it to end. It was worth my time. Keep it up! May you have a wonderful birthday. 🎂

I am so grateful for your advice over the last lears. I've been following you since April 2020 and I've learned so much over the years. Thank you

Love the point about investing in friendships and relationships; the analogy with a bank account and the 20 years thing. Beautifully articulated and I totally resonate with the same.

Happy Birthday!! Thank you for another inspirational and insightful video. Your videos are incredibly grounding. Love the casual chat format and backgrounds in this video. 🥳🥳

Loved the video Ali! It's been so long that a video has been so heartwarming and personal and just really nice. Happy birthday!❤️

Happy birthday man! I have learned a lot of things from you and hoping to learn more in the future. Have a great day!

Happy birthday, Ali! Thank you for being such an inspiration! Hope you had a wonderful birthday

Ali... you just helped me in every part of my life. Studies, work, life, self-love and even in songwriting! 😂 Thank you! 💜 Wish you a happy birthday and hope you always keep growing as you always do!

Your videos are indeed comforting. Sooo much comfort. Its just like talking to a friend. It gives me so much butterfly.

The authenticity of this video made it one of your best videos. Love the advice, love the vibe.

Learned from you a lot in these years Ali you are always my go to person to watch whenever I am stuck anywhere. Happiest birthday to my fav RU-vidr 🎂🎉

Holy! The „lower the bar“ is exactly what I’m trying to establish in my life right now, motivated by the book „atomic habits“ -> make the habit EASIER. Exactly as you mentioned for me now running one step is the measure for success. Before I always was blocked by too high expectations which lead to procrastination and not running at all! Thanks for the video!

Happy Birthday Ali! Really Loved this video and its vibes, and learned alot from it thank you :)

Ali has been an inspiration to me. So thank you so much and thank you for the this helpful video.

Ali of all ur videos ...Everytime you talk of the lessons you have learnt, that's where I learn the most please continue making these kind of videos thank you

Happy Birthday Ali!! This was an amazing video thank you for all you’ve shared with us over the years 💛🧡❤️‍🔥💜

I like that your intentional default is building relations and reconnecting. People often say they have no time for that well in fact they just don't opt to have time. I am one of them. I usually say to myself to reply later to messages and tend to forget or in my mind I thought I already replied. But I want to change that. Thank you for sharing these valuable life lessons.

Happy birthdayyyyyyy:) and have a great year ahead. Also thank you so much for sharing your journey with us, it helped a lot of us:)

Thank you very much Ali for these inspiring words. Worth every second. Thank you so much for spreading spirit and hope to those who are struggling with themselves. May God shower you with everlasting happiness.

Also thanks a lot for this video. I feel such a positive warm vibe when I watch you speak up. :) Happy birthday Ali! Hope to see you someday in person in London .:) Cheers!

Congrats on your 28 Ali! You've been a great inspiration, keep it up :)

Love the content 💯 Ali is growing older really fast. Keep being you, we love your rambling 😅.

I am sharing this with everyone I know and i am going to start every day watching this. Thank you so much. -a 20 yr old struggling w procrastination in college

I really do enjoy your videos. My channel this year started because of you. I appreciate your insight and perspectives, man!

Good video as always! I'm so grateful for finding your channel, this was the cornerstone to me starting my Tech youtube channel and becoming a software engineer and data scientist. I'll keep watching your future videos!

"Journey before destination". Thanks for your videos. My life have changed since I started to watch your channel. Wish you good luck man! 👍

Ali's Happy birthday treat to us are these life lesson videos and the only gift we can give him for all these years is just by liking this Video 🥳💜

Really Loved it video, This video has it's own level of satisfaction in it. It was serene. Loved the new location and quite happy to see you being okay with whatever you're doing. Learned a alot and you are my Fav RU-vidr. That's it 🥺❤️

Love your videos Ali! Thanks for making them, you have inspired me a lot!

Happy Birthday Ali , Thank You For Your Videos , and Your team

Happy Birthday Ali. You have always been my inspiration

Happy birthday Ali! You've helped me so much in learning and studying... I got 10As thanks to your generous sharing on studying.

Happy Birthday Ali. looking forward the " insanely productive birthday video". Thank your for the content it has been reallly helpful

Hi Ali, really enjoyed this style of video, just you, your voice and the ambience of nature or some nice garden, 10/10!

I'm a new subscriber from PH! These past few days you are the only channel i binge-watch for my learnings. Thank you virtual mentor~~ Cheers!

I just came across your channel and I’m so glad I did. This video was amazing!!

Thanks for sharing these life lessons, I am glad the algorithm led me to you. I hve been a Big fan since the anki days, I have also been listening to not overthinking pod. I wish you a happy birthday.

This was an excellent video talking about some takeaways from life you’ve had. The first thing I noticed was you were outside enjoying nature and taking us on that adventure with you. So it was funny to me that wasn’t intentional, that it was more the plan B. My life has not followed the path I thought it would and now I’m in a big city I never would have expected. I’m really trying to live more in the present and enjoy every day.

Amen, Ali! Totally think you're onto something with the 1-star reviews. No matter the quality of the book/content, there will inevitably be haters who know nothing about the process of putting out a book much less a good one.

I take every second to listen and understand your videos ,your great skill has helped and impacted alot in my life,Happy birthday and a blissful life Dr.

Happy belated Birthday, Ali, have a happy year ahead!

Incredible! Thank you for the life lessons Ali. Happy birthday

You're so skilled and friendly, it's really pleasant and helpful to watch your videos.

One of my favorite channel thank you Ali

Ali, you're my role model. Thank you for your videos.

Amazing as always! Thank you so much for these powerful insights ✨

Awesome video Ali! Looking forward to implementing these lessons into my daily life

Ali, Happy birthday! You do leads a fruitful life. Wish you a great year ahead. Would you please share the parenting of your parents from your perspective. Many thanks.

Happy Birthday Ali💕 You are inspiration

Happy birthday Ali.. I have also turned 28 last week.. but you have achieved that all what I can dream right now.. you are inspiration to millions.. keep going

Happy birthday Ali.. wishing you great years ahead

Learned a lot from this vid thnx Ali. Also love the vlog style vids.

This is inspiring! I made a similar video a couple weeks back when I turned 25 and was just thinking about what other lessons I will learn in a couple of years time 😁 amazing to be able to learn from someone a couple of steps ahead! Thank you!

Happy Birthday Ali. Your videos are really great.

Literally just discovered you post-breakup, going into my senior year of high school, applying to colleges, and turning 18 in one month, and all I can say is wow. You have helped me more than you can ever know. Thank you to the moon and back!! 🫂 🙏💫

This video honestly feels like a breath of fresh air, don’t get me wrong the sitdown videos at your home/studio are great too but this one feels like talking a walk through a park with an old friend and just talking about stuff… also I’ve been following you since last 3 years and as someone who is studying to get into medical school your videos have been a HUGE help, not just academically but whole mindset wise too, sometimes you’ll say the simplest and obvious thing during an video and I just go “why didn’t I think of it like THAT?”… idk if you’ll even read this but if you do then know that you’ve had a really big impact on my life… happy belated 28th birthday Ali!

Happy Birthday Bro your content is awesome. Thanks for it , you are inspiring many people. Wish you best of luck. 🎉🎉🙏🙏💯💯

Just started listening to your podcasts too. Love all your insights!

Ayy! Happy birthday Ali, you have been doin a great job ,keep going ❤️❤️

Happy Birthday Ali! You’re a great inspiration to me🍾🍻😊

Ali this one was really refreshing! Just going outside and talking to us - I really enjoyed that!

Happy Happiest Birthday Ali! I can't thank you enough EVER. I wish God bless you with all the blessings of this life & afterlife Ameen Suma Ameen 🌷

Always dropping knowledge bombs and providing sweet, sweet value, keep up the amazing work Ali! 🙌

Really loved this, thank you!

Congrats on turning 28. You have been such an inspiration to my daughter. God bless you. Love from 🇮🇳

Happy birthday Ali and thanks for some advice you give

Would love more of these vlog style videos in the future!! Good work

Alternate title- Ali Abdaal becoming more of a human and switching off from the robot mode. So glad to see him this way. He was amazing the other way too but this version of him is so nice too. 😄 Happy Birthday Ali Abdaal!! Wishing the best for you. Thank you for the content you put out there. It has been really helpful. May you find more joy and love throughout your life. ❤

This video is AMAZING. Thanks for a great walk with you 😉

Thanks a lot Ali for the life lessons. These sure would save me from making some mistakes. 👍

Happy birthday man! I love your videos.. keep it up!

Oooh so excited to soak up all the knowledge in this 👀 your videos are simultaneously so motivating and so comforting!! Thank you for creating!