logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
19m 38s

How To Rethink What You Spend Your Time ...

NPR
About this episode
You've only got 4,000 weeks to live — give or take. While that may come as a brutal dose of reality, it's also an opportunity to think about how you're spending that time.

In this episode, we talk to Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, about the idea of time management, why none of us will ever be in control, and how we can better decide what we spend time on, and ultimately, the moments that make up a life.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Aug 21
Ouch, I've got a crick! Neck pain 101
Have you ever woken up with a crick in your neck after a bad night's sleep? Or feel like you can't rotate your head? Many people will experience neck pain at some point in life. Luckily, there are science-backed treatments and exercises to ease those nagging aches. This episode, ... Show More
26m 38s
Aug 19
A better way to support your teens as they go back to school
Today's teens struggle with perfectionism and mood swings, and their parents struggle to have hard conversations with them, according to a 2024 Walton Family Foundation and Gallup poll. Teen psychologist Lisa Damour explains how parents can better support their kids as a new scho ... Show More
22m 56s
Aug 18
Quitting isn't always bad. How to know when it's time to walk away
Quitting is often associated with failure. But choosing to walk away from a goal can help you save time, identify what you truly want and create space for other pursuits. This episode, how to evaluate your goal, figure out its cost and know when it's time to throw in the towel.Fo ... Show More
18m 2s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
TIME MANAGEMENT FOR MORTALS: Malcolm Gladwell and Oliver Burkeman
“The average human lifespan is absurdly, terrifyingly, insultingly short.” So begins Oliver Burkeman’s new book, “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.” Make it to 80, and you’ll get about 4,000 weeks. And so, as the poet asked, “What will you do with your one wild an ... Show More
56m 22s
Jan 2024
How to Keep Time: Can We Keep Time?
It can be tough to face our own mortality. Keeping diaries, posting to social media, and taking photos are all tools that can help to minimize the discomfort that comes with realizing we have limited time on Earth. But how exactly does documenting our lives impact how we live and ... Show More
41m 50s
Mar 2024
"Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman
The average human lifespan is just over four thousand weeks. How will you spend your days? How should you spend your days? Journalist Oliver Burkeman has thoughts. 
15m 33s
Dec 2021
Oliver Burkeman on Time Management for Mortals
Oliver Burkeman is a British journalist and writer based in New York. He is well known not only for his amazing books, but he also wrote a popular weekly column on psychology called “This Column will Change Your Life” which was printed weekly between 2006 and 2020.  Oliver joins ... Show More
50m 20s
Jun 2019
The Time is NOW!
Episode 610 - One day you will die. That is a fact. There will never be a perfect time to start that business, ask that person out or live the life that you want. The perfect time is not in the future. So we must realize that this is our one and only life and there is no perfect ... Show More
14m 28s
Jul 2022
#289 — Time Management for Mortals
Sam Harris presents an unconventional perspective on time management from Oliver Burkeman. Rather than focusing on rote efficiency or productivity, Burkeman calls on us to embrace our finitude and surrender to the rhythms of life, so that we may “end our struggle with time”—and l ... Show More
38m 40s
Sep 2022
Taking Control of Your Time
Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably feel like we're letting someone down. But what if there were a way to reclaim our time and, as a result, get more joy out of our l ... Show More
48m 58s
Dec 2022
Time Is Way Weirder Than You Think
It’s not an exaggeration to say that “clock time” runs our lives. From the moment our alarms go off in the morning, the clock reigns supreme: our meetings, our appointments, even our social plans are often timed down to the minute. We even measure the quality of our lives with re ... Show More
53m 42s
Aug 2023
#265 - Time, productivity, and purpose: insights from Four Thousand Weeks | Oliver Burkeman
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Oliver Burkeman is the author of The New York Times best-seller Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In this episode, Oliver delves int ... Show More
1h 50m
Apr 2023
507: Our New Book ‘Time Magic’, Reclaim Up to 16 Years Of Your Life, Everyday Longevity, & More | Melissa & Nick
It’s here! Our new book, ‘Time Magic: Reclaim Your Time, Reclaim Your Life’ is available now!More than four years of writing (and a lifetime of lessons) went into this book, and we’re so excited to finally share it with you. ‘Time Magic’ sees Nick and I join forces to unpack the ... Show More
56m 28s