Joining the conversation is Oliver Burkeman, a renowned author known for his work on time management and productivity, including 'Four Thousand Weeks.' He discusses the paradox of productivity and how accepting our limitations can lead to genuine freedom. Burkeman explores the notion that life's chaos isn't a curse but an essential part of being alive. He advocates for prioritizing deep work while embracing unpredictability—suggesting that joy often stems from relinquishing the need for control and perfection.
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insights INSIGHT
The Feeling of Being Alive
Feeling overwhelmed by a lack of time isn't a curse.
It's the definition of being alive, says Derek Thompson.
insights INSIGHT
Never Sorted, Marvelously Productive
Oliver Burkeman's new book emphasizes accepting that you'll never fully sort your life out.
This acceptance unlocks marvelous productivity and eases bold actions.
insights INSIGHT
It's Worse Than You Think
Burkeman's mantra, "It's worse than you think," means our limitations are intractable.
Accepting this impossibility liberates us from fighting it and allows us to engage with life.
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In 'Rest,' Alex Soojung-Kim Pang challenges the myth that harder work leads to better outcomes. He combines scientific research with historical examples of writers, painters, and thinkers to demonstrate the importance of 'deliberate rest' in enhancing productivity and creativity. The book emphasizes the need to treat rest as an active and essential part of a balanced life, highlighting practices such as daily naps, long walks, and deep play to achieve fulfillment and success.
So, here’s a scenario: It’s Monday. And you open up whatever calendar or planner or to-do list you use to organize the essential activities of the upcoming week. There’s a large project due Thursday. And an important meeting Wednesday. Your nine-to-five is chockablock with meetings, and your kid has a school function Tuesday, and there are holiday gifts to buy before Friday, and just when you’re pretty sure your week couldn’t possibly take one more featherweight of responsibilities, the HVAC unit sputters to a stop, requiring a call to the local heating and cooling guys, which obliterates four hours of Monday.
You can tell yourself that this week is cursed. Or you can tell yourself the truth: Feeling an imbalance between the time you have and the time you want to have isn’t really a curse at all. It’s a bit more like ... the definition of being alive. To see life clearly in this way is what I’ve come to think of as Oliver Burkeman brain. Oliver is the author of the books 'Four Thousand Weeks' and 'Meditations for Mortals.'
Today, in what's become a holiday tradition of sorts, we bring back Oliver to chat about doing more by doing less, the dubious benefits of scheduling, and the freedom that comes from accepting our limitations.
If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.
Plain English with Derek Thompson 
