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A review by ralovesbooks
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
5.0
I think my favorite part of this book is its reinforcement that we are limited human beings. It's a sensible, realistic, TRUE premise that undergirds the rest of the research and recommendations. I loved facts like how the word "decide" is rooted in the idea of killing or cutting off other options (similar to the word "homicide," yikes, but wow), and I truly do have the joy of missing out (JOMO) because I find that the fewer options I have, the better. Life is full of tradeoffs, and we can't and won't do it all. So why don't I choose what I DO want to do and then DO it? The idea of pursuing something without knowing how or if it will come to fruition was very challenging.
Then there's this idea of wonder, which is an inherently unproductive but cherished thing. In 2022, I made a list of the things that made me catch my breath, and re-reading that list brings me right back to those moments. And I'm glad I experienced them and wrote them down. None of them are about achievement because those milestones so quickly go into my rearview mirror as I bulldoze ahead to the next thing to check off the list. Of course, there's this trap I fall into when I'm hyperconscious of whether I'm being present or if I'm having fun, which quickly dashes away being present or having fun. But this book, along with other ideas, is a helpful challenge to reorient myself, become more comfortable with unscheduled time, and loosen my grip on extrinsic reinforcement.
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The world is bursting with wonder, and yet it's the rare productivity guru who seems to have considered the possibility that the ultimate point of all our frenetic doing might be to experience more of that wonder. (5)
...meaningful productivity often comes not from hurrying things up but from letting them take the time they take, surrendering to what in German has been called Eigenzeit, or the time inherent to a process itself. (33)
"Attention is the beginning of devotion," writes the poet Mary Oliver, pointing to the fact that distraction and care are incompatible with each other... (94)
Five questions (220-227)
Then there's this idea of wonder, which is an inherently unproductive but cherished thing. In 2022, I made a list of the things that made me catch my breath, and re-reading that list brings me right back to those moments. And I'm glad I experienced them and wrote them down. None of them are about achievement because those milestones so quickly go into my rearview mirror as I bulldoze ahead to the next thing to check off the list. Of course, there's this trap I fall into when I'm hyperconscious of whether I'm being present or if I'm having fun, which quickly dashes away being present or having fun. But this book, along with other ideas, is a helpful challenge to reorient myself, become more comfortable with unscheduled time, and loosen my grip on extrinsic reinforcement.
--
The world is bursting with wonder, and yet it's the rare productivity guru who seems to have considered the possibility that the ultimate point of all our frenetic doing might be to experience more of that wonder. (5)
...meaningful productivity often comes not from hurrying things up but from letting them take the time they take, surrendering to what in German has been called Eigenzeit, or the time inherent to a process itself. (33)
"Attention is the beginning of devotion," writes the poet Mary Oliver, pointing to the fact that distraction and care are incompatible with each other... (94)
Five questions (220-227)
- Where in your life or your work are you currently pursuing comfort, when what's called for is a little discomfort?
- James Hollis recommends asking of every significant decision in life: "Does this choice diminish me or enlarge me?" ... you usually know, intuitively, whether remaining in a relationship or job would present the kind of challenges that will help you grow (enlargement) or the kind that will cause your soul to shrivel with every passing week (diminishment). Choose uncomfortable enlargement over comfortable diminishment whenever you can. (221)
- Are you holding yourself to, and judging yourself by, standards of productivity or performance that are impossible to meet?
- In what ways have you yet to accept the fact that you are who you are, not the person you think you ought to be?
- In which areas of life are you still holding back until you feel like you know what you're doing?
- How would you spend your days differently if you didn't care so much about seeing your actions reach fruition?