Keep Talking Episode 104: Oliver Burkeman - Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and an author of multiple books, including his bestseller, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. During our conversation, Oliver talks about being an insecure overachiever, his historic obsession with productivity, learning to say no to things you want to do, the 80/20 principle, and how modern life rewards winners with an unending, lifetime supply of intense work.
He also discusses getting clear on what matters to you in life, the work and ideas of James Hollis, and, when facing a big life decision, asking the question, "does this choice diminish or englargen me?"
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00:00 Intro
00:49 Oliver's struggles with time management
03:58 "The mistaken belief that it can be cured"
06:53 How Oliver has addressed his productivity addiction
12:29 The importance of saying no
16:57 Insecure overachievers and people pleasers
21:52 Today, the reward for winning is a lifetime of intense work
28:25 Human's concept of time over time
32:15 Time management in other cultures
37:33 When deciding, ask: "Does this choice englargen or diminish me?"
45:03 Quotes from James Hollis and Carl Jung
51:14 Closing comments about "Four Thousand Weeks"