In this episode, I talk to bestselling author Oliver Burkeman about his latest book Four Thousand Weeks. On the surface, it’s easy to mistake it for another self-help book on time management. But instead of enthusing about productivity hacks, Oliver challenges his readers to confront the finite nature of humanity. By doing so, he argues we can live fuller lives—without having to always carry the fear of missing out. We also touch on the topics of procrastination, positive psychology, flow, realism, deep time, and patience.
Bio
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist for The Guardian. From 2006 to 2020, he wrote the popular weekly column on psychology called “This Column Will Change Your Life”. He is the author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking and Help! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done. In 2015, he won the Foreign Press Association’s Young Journalist of the Year award, and has been short-listed for the Orwell Prize. His most recent book is Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.
Website: www.oliverburkeman.com
Twitter: @oliverburkeman
Topics
00:02:03 The efficiency trap
00:05:34 Accepting human limitations
00:08:35 Why we handicap ourselves
00:13:07 How to be a better procrastinator
00:18:32 Each activity is paid for with your life
00:20:55 The joy of missing out
00:23:55 Harness more deep time
00:27:57 The common theme of Oliver’s books
00:32:02 Realism and doing the impossible
00:37:29 Productivity and self-worth
00:40:53 Embracing boredom instead of acceleration
00:46:14 Developing a taste for problems
00:50:21 Radical incrementalism
00:57:30 “Originality lies on the far side of unoriginality”
01:01:06 How time management distracts us from wonder
01:03:50 Oliver’s approach to new year resolutions
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