Oliver Burkeman on Embracing Limits and Making Time for What Matters

Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

Erik Fisher

Business, Entrepreneurship, Self-improvement, Careers, Education

4.5 • 875 Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2025

⏱️ 46 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

I’m excited to welcome Oliver Burkeman back to the show to discuss his new book, Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts. You can find his previous conversation on the show here. Oliver is a journalist and author best known for 4,000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. His latest book offers a practical, reflective guide to shifting our mindset about time, control, and productivity through daily meditations. In this conversation, we cover: The Through Line from 4,000 Weeks: How Meditations for Mortals builds on Oliver’s previous work by focusing on action and the gap between knowing and doing. The Illusion of Control vs. Agency: Why we often seek control over our lives and how accepting our limitations can actually increase our capacity for meaningful action. Breaking Free from Productivity Debt: How many of us start each day feeling behind and what we can do to change that mindset. Imperfectionism and Action-Taking: How embracing imperfection can help us get more done and reduce procrastination. Kayaks vs. Super Yachts: A powerful metaphor for navigating life with flexibility rather than expecting smooth, predictable sailing. The Paradox of Productivity Techniques: Why strategies like the Pomodoro Technique can be helpful—when used as tools rather than salvation from feeling overwhelmed. The Value of Small Decisions and Next Steps: How making peace with uncertainty and taking the next available action can lead to lasting change. Oliver’s insights will challenge the way you think about productivity, time management, and how to make space for what truly matters. Learn more about Oliver and his work at oliverburkeman.com, and find Meditations for Mortals wherever books are sold. Connect with Erik: LinkedIn Facebook Bluesky This Podcast is Powered By: Descript Descript 101 Castmagic Ecamm Podpage Rodecaster Pro Top Productivity Books List Make sure to support the show by checking out the sponsors! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello Blue Skies. Hello moving onwards and upwards. Hello, taking control of your money. Say hello to tax-free investing. Open a Stocks and Shares ICER and act by the 5th of April to get 100 to 3,000 pounds cashback. Cargreaves lands down. Hello Life. Register and add or transfer £10,000 plus.
0:23.6	You may get back less than you invests and tax benefits vary.
0:26.6	For terms and conditions,
0:27.6	chl.com.
0:28.6	UK 4 slash ISA. Hello and welcome back to Beyond the To Do List, a podcast about productivity.
0:51.3	I'm your host, Eric Fisher, and I'm excited to welcome back to the show,
0:54.9	Oliver Berkman. This time we're talking about his new book, Meditations for Mortals,
1:00.1	four weeks to embrace your limitations and make time for what counts. Oliver's a journalist
1:05.1	and an author best known for his book, 4,000 weeks, time management for mortals. This conversation continues that through line from 4,000 weeks, bridging the gap,
1:16.3	focusing on action and the gap between knowing and doing.
1:20.7	We're also talking about the illusion of control versus agency and why often we seek
1:26.2	control over our lives and how accepting our limitations
1:29.9	can actually increase our capacity for choosing meaningful action.
1:35.1	We also talk about breaking free from productivity debt and how many of us start each day
1:40.1	feeling behind and what we can do to change that mindset.
1:43.8	We're also talking about the value of small decisions and next steps
1:47.4	and how making peace with uncertainty and taking that next available action
1:51.9	can lead to lasting change.
1:54.3	If you're a fan of Oliver's like I am,
1:56.1	you know that his insights will challenge the way you think about productivity,
1:59.5	time management, and how to make
2:01.6	space for what truly matters, and that you're going to enjoy this conversation with Oliver
	...

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