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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
It’s a low bar, but this is probably the best self-help book I’ve encountered.
Four thousand weeks - that's all we get as human beings, and our lives are a never ending struggle to find happiness, meaning within this timeframe while making the most out of it.
Amidst the struggle, we are often reluctant to acknowledge how limited we are in our efforts, and how futile all of it really is at the end of the day. Oliver Burkeman forces us to face this reality. And then he argues if this is all we get, we may use it wisely as well.
This message resonated with me very well. I often complain that research, house chores, travelling and socializing are the four variables of my life, among which I can only do at most two at a time. Oliver Burkeman also shares a similar mantra: concentrate your efforts and times on doing less and be at peace with all that were left undone.
I also loved the idea of moving away from the future-centric perspective to a more present centric one: If I spend five hours today watching cat videos, it does not matter if it's bad for my career five months down the road, it's bad for me, at this very moment in time.
There are so many such themes discussed in the book that I absolutely agreed with, for example, the need for human connection, but yet I struggled to fall in love with the book as a whole. If we all we do is live in the present, how do we even convince ourselves to go through academic rigors, or have retirement funds? What if Einstein convinced himself that in the grand scheme of things he would not really matter? Also, the comment that most people just "wing it" may be true for journalists and policy makers, but it's definitely not applicable to theoretical researchers in math, physics or CS.
In the end, I found it to be an interesting read with many take home messages, the most important one is to be kinder, more appreciative, more aware of the life that I have, as this is the only one I get.
Amidst the struggle, we are often reluctant to acknowledge how limited we are in our efforts, and how futile all of it really is at the end of the day. Oliver Burkeman forces us to face this reality. And then he argues if this is all we get, we may use it wisely as well.
This message resonated with me very well. I often complain that research, house chores, travelling and socializing are the four variables of my life, among which I can only do at most two at a time. Oliver Burkeman also shares a similar mantra: concentrate your efforts and times on doing less and be at peace with all that were left undone.
I also loved the idea of moving away from the future-centric perspective to a more present centric one: If I spend five hours today watching cat videos, it does not matter if it's bad for my career five months down the road, it's bad for me, at this very moment in time.
There are so many such themes discussed in the book that I absolutely agreed with, for example, the need for human connection, but yet I struggled to fall in love with the book as a whole. If we all we do is live in the present, how do we even convince ourselves to go through academic rigors, or have retirement funds? What if Einstein convinced himself that in the grand scheme of things he would not really matter? Also, the comment that most people just "wing it" may be true for journalists and policy makers, but it's definitely not applicable to theoretical researchers in math, physics or CS.
In the end, I found it to be an interesting read with many take home messages, the most important one is to be kinder, more appreciative, more aware of the life that I have, as this is the only one I get.
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Four Thousand Weeks is a little repetitive. It makes similar statements on the same subject. Then it explains related ideas. Then it relates one statement to another previous statement. (You get the point.) But, it's primary point is:
You.
Can't.
Do.
Everything.
Not possible.
Forget it.
But - that doesn't mean you are a failure and your life sucks. Burkeman says that, instead, you should use this thought to your psychological advantage. For example (to paraphrase): if you go to the grocery store and buy a box of cereal, do you stress yourself out over the fact that you chose that cereal before you have tried every other cereal offered in the store, and in all the other stores in your town? Probably not. So, why are people so horribly stressed that they haven't seen This tourist attraction or made That gift for their aging mother yet? Every use of time, every decision made, comes at the rejection of thousands of possible other uses and other decisions. And, that's ok. The use you choose or the decision you make in that individual moment is the correct one, because it was the one you decided best suited that particular moment. So, don't hate yourself.
Oh, and social media sucks.
You.
Can't.
Do.
Everything.
Not possible.
Forget it.
But - that doesn't mean you are a failure and your life sucks. Burkeman says that, instead, you should use this thought to your psychological advantage. For example (to paraphrase): if you go to the grocery store and buy a box of cereal, do you stress yourself out over the fact that you chose that cereal before you have tried every other cereal offered in the store, and in all the other stores in your town? Probably not. So, why are people so horribly stressed that they haven't seen This tourist attraction or made That gift for their aging mother yet? Every use of time, every decision made, comes at the rejection of thousands of possible other uses and other decisions. And, that's ok. The use you choose or the decision you make in that individual moment is the correct one, because it was the one you decided best suited that particular moment. So, don't hate yourself.
Oh, and social media sucks.
Anti-productivity book marketed as a productivity book. Loved it
I was excited about the premise of this book but it was a bit of a slow read for me. The reflection questions at the end were one of my favorite sections of the book.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Most self-help books are pleasurable to read because they organize and validate what readers already know to be true. That was not this book. Instead, this book runs counter to the many time-management books on the market, calling into question the culture that makes us desire to read those sorts of books in the first place. Repeatedly, I felt uncomfortable and called out. Therein lies the excellence: Burkeman grasps through the pages every future-oriented, productivity-obsessed modern reader, and shakes them in front of a mirror.
reflective
slow-paced
I understood the thesis just by reading the synopsis, and the book didn’t really say anything revolutionary. Listening to this on audio did give me time to reflect more on some of the ideas, and I appreciated the author’s very hands-on, actionable approach to sharing advice.
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced