Episode
#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
1:10:37
Published: Mon Aug 30 2021
Description
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and an author. Time is something we all wish we had more of and tons of productivity gurus have proposed strategies to stop it from slipping through our fingers. After years of investigating and reporting on cutting-edge productivity for The Guardian, Oliver has arrived at a slightly different worldview of time and how we should manage it. Expect to learn why becoming more efficient often just leads to you getting more useless work done, the fundamental problems which all time management strategies fail to address, how deciding what you're going to fail at is a superpower, the danger of seeing your leisure time as an arena for self-improvement and much more... Sponsors: Get a free gift from Tiege Hanley when you try their skincare range at http://tiege.com/modernwisdom (deal automatically applied) Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and Free Shipping from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied) Extra Stuff: Buy Four Thousand Weeks - https://amzn.to/3BhqQJR Follow Oliver on Twitter - https://twitter.com/oliverburkeman Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/
Chapters
Oliver Burkeman challenges the conventional wisdom that time management strategies will make us more productive, instead arguing that they often make us more stressed and waste more time.
00:00 - 01:43 (01:43)
Summary
Oliver Burkeman challenges the conventional wisdom that time management strategies will make us more productive, instead arguing that they often make us more stressed and waste more time. He suggests that we should embrace limitations, prioritize our tasks, and allow for unstructured leisure time to escape the cult of productivity.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
Time is a unique concept, one that we have invented and then inevitably come to fear.
01:43 - 08:16 (06:33)
Summary
Time is a unique concept, one that we have invented and then inevitably come to fear. Despite our attempts at mastering it, we can never truly control time.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
The idea of being busy has been around since the beginning of time, but with the increasing pace of economic competition, it has become impossible to ignore.
08:16 - 13:14 (04:57)
Summary
The idea of being busy has been around since the beginning of time, but with the increasing pace of economic competition, it has become impossible to ignore. However, studies show we are not objectively busier and what busy even means depends on the culture and time period.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
This episode focuses on accepting the present moment for what it is, rather than trying to control or dominate it, with a nod to the pressures of modern society to constantly work with crushing intensity.
13:14 - 22:37 (09:23)
Summary
This episode focuses on accepting the present moment for what it is, rather than trying to control or dominate it, with a nod to the pressures of modern society to constantly work with crushing intensity. Quotes from American Zen Buddhist Charlotte Joko Beck and author Daniel Markovits are discussed.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
The more productive you become, the more you realize that you are simply getting the unimportant things done, and your list is filled with more and more things that have not met the quality threshold.
22:37 - 29:54 (07:17)
Summary
The more productive you become, the more you realize that you are simply getting the unimportant things done, and your list is filled with more and more things that have not met the quality threshold. No matter how productive you are, there will always be more important things to do than the capacity will allow.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
Selecting a specific area of life to accept non-excellence in and tolerating the discomfort that comes from neglecting important things can be a legitimate decision, especially for young people at certain career stages.
29:55 - 39:19 (09:24)
Summary
Selecting a specific area of life to accept non-excellence in and tolerating the discomfort that comes from neglecting important things can be a legitimate decision, especially for young people at certain career stages.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
In the world of content creation and the attention economy, people are incentivized to do things that are out of the ordinary or take weird combinations, rather than sticking to paths that feel like everyone else is doing.
39:19 - 46:45 (07:26)
Summary
In the world of content creation and the attention economy, people are incentivized to do things that are out of the ordinary or take weird combinations, rather than sticking to paths that feel like everyone else is doing. However, there's real power in the willingness to invest time in sticking to one path, going through the challenging period until you define yourself as a unique voice.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
Time-blocking your leisure time can make it feel like another kind of work, and you can miss out on being fully present in the moment, which can lead to self-defeating behavior.
46:45 - 56:04 (09:18)
Summary
Time-blocking your leisure time can make it feel like another kind of work, and you can miss out on being fully present in the moment, which can lead to self-defeating behavior. Teachers may have an advantage in this regard because of the way timetables work.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
The idea of planning is just like any other thought in the present moment and should not be seen as a way to control the future, but rather as something that can help guide you in the present moment.
56:04 - 1:02:19 (06:15)
Summary
The idea of planning is just like any other thought in the present moment and should not be seen as a way to control the future, but rather as something that can help guide you in the present moment.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
Don't spend your time doing things that don't matter to you.
1:02:19 - 1:09:09 (06:49)
Summary
Don't spend your time doing things that don't matter to you. Life is short, and it's worth taking risks and pursuing things that are meaningful to you.
Episode#365 - Oliver Burkeman - How To Properly Manage Your Time
PodcastModern Wisdom
The transcript includes several advertisements for different products including the book 4000 Weeks, skincare from Tiege Hanley, and Athletic Greens supplements.
1:09:11 - 1:10:35 (01:23)
Summary
The transcript includes several advertisements for different products including the book 4000 Weeks, skincare from Tiege Hanley, and Athletic Greens supplements.