The Magic Post-it Note
Ask one question to redesign draining work around fun
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
The Magic Post-it Note is a task-redesign prompt built around the question, “What would this look like if it were fun?” Instead of waiting for motivation or abandoning an unpleasant responsibility, identify a task you resist and imagine a more playful version of the process. Possible modifications include adding music, humor, creativity, friends, a novel setting, or a small reward. Choose one low-friction experiment and test it while doing the real work. The goal is not to eliminate effort or pretend every obligation is enjoyable; it is to activate curiosity and positive emotion so the task becomes easier to start and sustain. Reusing the question turns fun from an accidental bonus into a practical design constraint.
Origin
Ali Abdaal developed the question while preparing for postgraduate medical exams after rewatching Mary Poppins. He wrote it on a post-it note, placed it on his monitor, and used it to make biochemistry revision and hospital tasks more playful.
Core principles
- 01Play can make effort feel more energizing.
- 02Fun can be deliberately designed into an existing task.
- 03A guiding question interrupts habitual, joyless ways of working.
- 04Small environmental or social changes can transform the experience of work.
How to run it
- 1
Identify the Draining Task
Select a necessary task that you are avoiding or approaching with low energy. Describe the specific part that feels tedious, overwhelming, or unpleasant.
Pro tip Start with a task you can modify without needing anyone else's permission.
Watch out Do not use playfulness to avoid the task's essential purpose.
- 2
Ask the Guiding Question
Ask, “What would this look like if it were fun?” Suspend practical objections briefly and generate several possible answers.
Pro tip Keep the question visible on a post-it note or near your workspace.
Watch out Do not stop at the first conventional answer.
- 3
Select a Playful Ingredient
Choose an ingredient such as music, humor, creativity, friends, a different method, or a promised treat. Match it to the task and environment.
Pro tip Favor a change that takes less than five minutes to arrange.
Watch out Avoid additions that distract from accuracy or create problems for other people.
- 4
Run the Experiment
Complete a real portion of the task using the playful modification. Treat the change as an experiment rather than a permanent commitment.
Pro tip Compare your willingness to continue with how you normally feel during the task.
Watch out Do not spend more time designing the experience than doing the work.
- 5
Keep What Energizes You
Retain modifications that improve engagement and replace those that do not. Revisit the question whenever work begins to feel draining again.
Pro tip Build a personal menu of reliable playful ingredients for different kinds of work.
Watch out A tactic that works in one context may be inappropriate in another.
In the wild
After seeing the post-it note on his monitor, Abdaal asked how studying biochemistry could be fun. His immediate answer was music, so he played the Lord of the Rings soundtrack while memorizing pathways. The material did not change, but the experience became substantially more interesting.
→ Music became a repeatable way for him to bring playfulness into study.
Facing an enormous task list during a geriatric medicine placement, Abdaal put his phone inside a kitchen bowl as a makeshift speaker. He worked through the afternoon with the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack playing quietly.
→ The same workload felt better and less draining.
Common mistakes
Confusing Fun With Avoidance
The purpose is to make the real task more engaging, not to replace it with entertainment or elaborate preparation.
Choosing a Distracting Addition
A playful ingredient can reduce performance if it competes for attention during complex or safety-critical work.
Assuming One Tactic Fits Every Task
Music, social work, humor, and rewards affect tasks differently, so each modification should be tested rather than treated as universal.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for people facing repetitive, intimidating, or tedious work that still needs to be completed.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal when playful additions would compromise safety, concentration, professionalism, or the quality of the result.
From the transcript
“What would this look like if it were fun?”
“Could you do it in a different way? Could you add music or a sense of humor or get creative? What if you set out…”
“Is there a way to make this draining process a little more enjoyable?”
From the episode
BONUS EPISODE: How To Make Work More Energising (Chapter 1 Feel-Good Productivity)