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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Thoughtful synthesis and reassurances about the anxieties of modern time management, plus some tools, mantras, and self-reflection questions to help prioritize the big stuff.
Nobody cares what you do and ultimately none of it matters… so do what you want! I’m gonna read this again.
informative
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
Eye opening and humorous
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I may just have a problem with self help books, but it was so repetitive in my opinion. I reached about halfway and decided that in my four thousand weeks, I don’t want to spend any more time reading this book. Most people found it super helpful, so definitely still worth checking it out. I did want to remember the last couple pages, so I copied this from another review:
1. Adopt a fixed-volume approach to productivity. e.g. Keep two to-do lists one that contains everything you want to do, and a second which contains things you're actively working on, which should be limited to a small number of items (at most ten). Or, establish time limits for your daily work.
2. Serialize! Focus on one big project at a time and see it to completion before moving on.
3. Decide in advance what to fail at. Accept that you'll do a poor job at things which you aren't currently focusing on, and that should diminish the shame of failing.
4. Focus on what you've already completed, not just on what's left to complete. Celebrate your daily achievements, since you'll never finish everything that's left. Keep a "done" list of what you've completed in the day.
5. Consolidate your caring. There are lots of problems in the world, but you only have a finite amount of attention. Pick a few causes and work towards them.
6. Embrace boring and single-purpose technology. Make your devices as boring as possible: delete social-media apps and switch your devices to grayscale. Read on a kindle instead of your phone.
7. Seek out novelty in the mundane. Avoid routines when possible, walk a new way, etc. Experience each moment in greater detail, pay more attention.
8. Be a researcher in relationships. Adopt an attitude of curiosity in which your goal isn't to achieve any particular outcome or successfully explain your position, but "to figure out who this human being is." Curiosity is satisfied regardless of the outcome. Choose wonder over worry whenever you can.
9. Cultivate instantaneous generosity. Whenever a generous impulse arises in your mind, act on it right away. Don't wait until later when you can "do a better job."
10. Practice doing nothing. Stop trying to evade how reality feels, calm down and make better choices with your time.
1. Adopt a fixed-volume approach to productivity. e.g. Keep two to-do lists one that contains everything you want to do, and a second which contains things you're actively working on, which should be limited to a small number of items (at most ten). Or, establish time limits for your daily work.
2. Serialize! Focus on one big project at a time and see it to completion before moving on.
3. Decide in advance what to fail at. Accept that you'll do a poor job at things which you aren't currently focusing on, and that should diminish the shame of failing.
4. Focus on what you've already completed, not just on what's left to complete. Celebrate your daily achievements, since you'll never finish everything that's left. Keep a "done" list of what you've completed in the day.
5. Consolidate your caring. There are lots of problems in the world, but you only have a finite amount of attention. Pick a few causes and work towards them.
6. Embrace boring and single-purpose technology. Make your devices as boring as possible: delete social-media apps and switch your devices to grayscale. Read on a kindle instead of your phone.
7. Seek out novelty in the mundane. Avoid routines when possible, walk a new way, etc. Experience each moment in greater detail, pay more attention.
8. Be a researcher in relationships. Adopt an attitude of curiosity in which your goal isn't to achieve any particular outcome or successfully explain your position, but "to figure out who this human being is." Curiosity is satisfied regardless of the outcome. Choose wonder over worry whenever you can.
9. Cultivate instantaneous generosity. Whenever a generous impulse arises in your mind, act on it right away. Don't wait until later when you can "do a better job."
10. Practice doing nothing. Stop trying to evade how reality feels, calm down and make better choices with your time.
informative
slow-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
His tips seem so obvious but at the same time then why aren't we doing them?
It’s a low bar, but this is probably the best self-help book I’ve encountered.