logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
1h 1m

Oliver Burkeman: Why Productivity Is Rui...

High Performance
About this episode

Oliver Burkeman is a renowned author and expert on the psychology of productivity. He is best known for his work exploring how modern life’s obsession with productivity often leaves us overwhelmed and unfulfilled.


In this episode, Oliver dives deep into the dangers of idolising productivity, discussing how society's relentless focus on getting more done can actually be ruining our lives. He explains how we’ve come to put productivity on a pedestal and the ways this mindset leads to burnout and dissatisfaction.


Oliver also shares practical insights with Jake and Damian on how to create healthy habits and get things done more meaningfully. He offers advice for parents and others juggling multiple roles on how to find moments of joy in everyday life instead of chasing after unattainable, Instagram-perfect moments.


This episode explores how we can shift our focus from profit-driven pursuits to activities that ignite our passion, encouraging us to embrace the journey itself rather than fixating solely on the outcome, as we navigate the complexities of modern life.


In his BBC Maestro course Time Management, Oliver Burkeman will teach you how to reframe your approach to time and embrace your human limitations.

https://www.bbcmaestro.com/courses/oliver-burkeman/time-management/



🚨 Partners


Huel 👉 Get an exclusive 15% by using code: HP at: https://hppod.co/HP


Payhawk 👉 See our sponsor, Payhawk in action here: https://hppod.co/Payhawk


FORA 👉 Claim a free day pass at any Fora workspace and find the perfect home for your business here: https://hppod.co/FORAHP


HP Foundation 👉Do you want to kick-start an evolution that will change the lives of millions of children? Find out more about the High Performance Foundation: https://hppod.co/foundation


HP Corporate Events 👉Click here to book High Performance Events: https://hppod.co/corporate-events


Explore offers and discounts through our other partners:

https://hppod.co/partners

Up next
Yesterday
How to Spot and Solve Hidden Depression, with Dr Judith Joseph
We often imagine depression as something visible, but what if it doesn’t look like sadness at all? What if it looks like success? If you look successful but feel flat, this episode is for you.Psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Judith Joseph calls it high-functioning depression, the ... Show More
21m 22s
Oct 6
Rick Astley's Story: The Trauma That Forced Me On Stage (E373)
At the height of global stardom, Rick Astley made the decision to step away from fame. In this deeply honest conversation, he opens up about the anxiety and fear that came with constant travel, the unhealthy coping mechanisms it triggered, and why leaving the spotlight was the on ... Show More
1h 14m
Oct 3
Matt Fitzpatrick: How Tracking Every Shot Since 15 Built a Ryder Cup Winner
Matt Fitzpatrick reflects on the mindset and methods that have made him one of golf’s most meticulous competitors. A major champion and relentless learner, Matt has tracked every shot since he was 15, turning numbers into a powerful advantage.In this episode, he shares how he fin ... Show More
29m 13s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
How To Be Sanely Productive | Oliver Burkeman
The liberation that comes from realizing that you’re never going to get everything done.   Oliver Burkeman is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Four Thousand Weeks, The Antidote, and most recently, Meditations for Mortals. His work has also appeared in the New York Times ... Show More
1h 12m
Feb 2025
475. Embrace Your Mortality
In this episode of The Brainy Business podcast, Melina Palmer welcomes Oliver Burkeman, author of the New York Times bestseller 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals and the newly released Meditations for Mortals. Oliver shares his insights on embracing the finite nature of lif ... Show More
48m 14s
Oct 2024
7 Time Management Tips for Busy Mortals
The anti-hustle guide to finding a balance that maximises happiness through intention and wisdom. Optimising every second of your calendar to the nth degree isn't a recipe for dreamlike productivity, it's a collision course for anxiety-riddled burnout. In our era of ever more tim ... Show More
20m 54s
Aug 19
Why Taking Life Less Seriously Could Be the Productivity Boost You Need
The art of making work not suck; how playing helps you stress less (and achieve more). In today’s episode, we challenge the architecture of adulthood, built brick by brick with “shoulds”. Using stories of ancient ancestors and modern cubicles, we’ll ask: Why do we surrender to se ... Show More
25m 8s
Jan 2025
Instant Gratification and the Death of Mastery: How to Refocus Your Life
Make time your secret weapon. Our success and happiness are often eroded by the 7 habits of highly impatient people. We are losing the ability to focus and glorify instant success. Thus we lose the ability to stick with anything and create meaningful work. This episode goes throu ... Show More
27m 11s
Sep 2024
#840 - Oliver Burkeman - 8 Unexpected Lessons To Be Less Hard On Yourself
Oliver Burkeman is a journalist, a writer for The Guardian and an author.Does trying harder to be extra productive actually work? Does it net more success or just more misery? For the Type-A people in the world, how can we learn to be less tough on ourselves and learn to have mor ... Show More
1h 23m
Aug 22
Defining Your Own Success in a World Full of Self-Appointed Experts - w/ Mike Winnet (Worlds #1 Demotivational Coach)
What if success isn’t about working harder or even more achievement, but about how we feel day to day? In this episode, Mike Winnet invites us to reconsider the very stories we tell about ambition and achievement. The culture around entrepreneurship often creates illusions; mirag ... Show More
41m 42s
Mar 2025
Creativity, Burnout and Life Beyond Productivity with Maria Bowler
Rise and Grind, Girlbosses! It’s time to GROWTH HACK your way to your BEST SELF and make this the ULTIMATE year. If you don’t have time, you can make time, because excuses are no excuse. Just kidding! Like so many of us, author Maria Bowler found herself caught up in the Producti ... Show More
51m 31s
Jul 14
This Productivity Hack will Change Your Life! | Clutterbug Podcast # 282
Ever feel like you’re doing everything and still falling behind? Like no matter how many lists you make or how early you wake up, your calendar is still chaos — and your needs always come last? In this episode, I sit down with productivity and time management expert Megan Sumrell ... Show More
1h 9m
Jan 2025
426: How to Find Purpose and Not Regret Your Life with Jordan Grumet
In this inspiring episode of the Hardcore Self Help Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Jordan Grumet, a hospice director, author, and podcast host, to explore how we can transform our lives by embracing the concept of “little p purpose.” Dr. Grumet shares insights from his latest book, ... Show More
52m 33s