Choose Downsides, Not Perfect Options

Many of us feel under constant pressure to optimise every moment, to become more efficient, more productive and somehow more worthy. But what if embracing our limits could be the key to living a calmer, more meaningful life?

This week’s returning guest on my Feel Better, Live More podcast, Oliver Burkeman, believes that accepting that we can’t do everything might just set us free.

Oliver is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ and ‘The Antidote’, and for many years wrote a popular weekly column on psychology for the Guardian. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher.

His latest book, ‘Meditations for Mortals: A Four Week Guide to Doing What Counts’, takes us on a liberating journey towards a more meaningful life – one that begins not with fantasies of the ideal existence, but with the reality in which we actually find ourselves. Designed as a four-week ‘retreat of the mind’, it offers daily wisdom, solace and inspiration to aid a saner, freer and more enchantment-filled way of living.

In our brilliant conversation, we discuss:

• Why the belief that life will finally feel easier once we clear our to-do list is such a persistent illusion
• How shifting our focus from endless achievement to small, present moments can transform the way we experience each day
• Why the fantasy of perfect decisions keeps us stuck in indecision, and how accepting the downsides of any choice can set us free
• How our fear of wasting time is often rooted in perfectionism, and why many of us feel we have to earn our worth through effort
• The liberating idea of daily-ish habits – a flexible, compassionate way to keep showing up without turning routines into self-criticism
• Why we don’t need to wait for life to feel calm or under control before we start living with more intention
• How embracing our limits and accepting that time is finite can help us feel more fully alive and connected

I was delighted to have the opportunity to speak to Oliver again as he brings such clarity and compassion to questions so many of us grapple with. Instead of offering yet another system for getting more done, this conversation is about stepping back, loosening our grip and recognising that a good life isn’t measured by productivity but by presence, meaning and connection.

I hope you enjoy listening.

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Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/580

DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website.