Everyday Better with Leah Smart The Only Time Management Technique That Works With Author Oliver Burkeman
17 snips
Sep 30, 2025 
Oliver Burkeman, a journalist and bestselling author known for his insightful take on productivity, shares his revolutionary views on time management. He reveals why traditional tools often increase stress and how embracing life's limits can actually boost productivity. Oliver discusses the historical roots of our time anxieties and advocates for prioritizing high-value tasks while accepting imperfect action. With practical strategies like the “Buffett list” and the importance of self-compassion, he encourages listeners to redefine productivity for a more fulfilling life.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Embrace Time's Limits
- Trying to achieve total control over your time is a futile quest that fuels anxiety.
- Embracing human limitation can be calming and open a path to meaningful action.
How Culture Shapes Time Anxiety
- Modern culture treats time as a resource to optimize, creating constant optimization pressure.
- Pre-industrial life viewed time as the medium of life, reducing the chronic projection ahead that causes distress.
Limit Work In Progress
- Limit your work-in-progress and focus on a small set of tasks at a time.
- Define things you can finish, complete them, then move on to the next batch.
