#51 Four Thousand Weeks

Four Thousand Weeks

 Do you ever feel overwhelmed by your expanding “to do” list?

In his thought-provoking book, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Oliver Burkeman reframes the constant pursuit of greater productivity.  He counters that we must accept that there will always be too much to do, and we’ll sometimes have to say ‘no’ to things that are worth doing.

Moreover, he questions modern society’s obsession with using time well:

“We treat everything we’re doing – life itself, in other words – as valuable only in so far as it lays the groundwork for something else.”

Burkeman calls this the “when-I-finally” mind, meaning “when I finally reduce my workload OR find my soulmate OR get a promotion, then I can finally relax and live my life.”

Instead, an alternative approach Burkeman proposes is to pay more attention to every moment, and find wonder in your life now.  For more ideas, read his book!