I've just posted a new summary for Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.

The key takeaways are below and, as usual, you can find the full summary on the website. Enjoy!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• There are certain truths we have to accept:
  • We are finite, so we will never be able to do everything no matter how efficient or productive we are;
  • We can’t control time (and the fact that we think of it as something we can use and control is kind of weird, historically-speaking);
  • We can’t control the future, no matter how much we plan;
  • From a cosmic perspective, we are ultimately insignificant.
• Sometimes we focus too much on the future:
  • Living mentally in the future makes us miss out on the present;
  • If we see childhood as merely a training ground for adulthood, it deprives childhood of any intrinsic value;
  • We even try to use our leisure time productively, as a means to an end, instead of as an end itself;
• And we often overlook the meaningful things in life:
  • If we don’t make trade-offs consciously, we end up prioritising the wrong things;
  • Convenience can end up taking away the meaningful parts of life; and
  • Individual time sovereignty comes at the expense of sharing time and being synchronous with others.
• Once we recognise the above:
  • We free ourselves from unrealistic expectations that we could never meet, along with the anxiety that those expectations create;
  • We can make better trade-offs and prioritise the things that matter; and
  • We get to actually live our lives, focused on the things that matter to us, now.

Cheers