Files

470 lines
20 KiB
HTML
Raw Permalink Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters

This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en" dir="auto">
<head><meta charset="utf-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no">
<meta name="robots" content="index, follow">
<title>Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman | Siddhartha Golu</title>
<meta name="keywords" content="non-fiction, productivity">
<meta name="description" content="A book about time and our relationship with it. Recommended.">
<meta name="author" content="Siddhartha Golu">
<link rel="canonical" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/reading/four-thousand-weeks/">
<link crossorigin="anonymous" href="/assets/css/stylesheet.53bb04f4aba62c3f850b0b622140c2cc64a7f75a7f7b0c6acde33a5f70de0244.css" integrity="sha256-U7sE9KumLD&#43;FCwtiIUDCzGSn91p/ewxqzeM6X3DeAkQ=" rel="preload stylesheet" as="style">
<link rel="icon" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/favicon.ico">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="16x16" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/favicon-16x16.png">
<link rel="icon" type="image/png" sizes="32x32" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/favicon-32x32.png">
<link rel="apple-touch-icon" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/apple-touch-icon.png">
<link rel="mask-icon" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/safari-pinned-tab.svg">
<meta name="theme-color" content="#2e2e33">
<meta name="msapplication-TileColor" content="#2e2e33">
<link rel="alternate" hreflang="en" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/reading/four-thousand-weeks/">
<noscript>
<style>
#theme-toggle,
.top-link {
display: none;
}
</style>
<style>
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
:root {
--theme: rgb(29, 30, 32);
--entry: rgb(46, 46, 51);
--primary: rgb(218, 218, 219);
--secondary: rgb(155, 156, 157);
--tertiary: rgb(65, 66, 68);
--content: rgb(196, 196, 197);
--code-block-bg: rgb(46, 46, 51);
--code-bg: rgb(55, 56, 62);
--border: rgb(51, 51, 51);
}
.list {
background: var(--theme);
}
.list:not(.dark)::-webkit-scrollbar-track {
background: 0 0;
}
.list:not(.dark)::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
border-color: var(--theme);
}
}
</style>
</noscript><script async defer data-website-id="34ce8dc6-488b-49ee-9a2f-8e70a7009f17" src="https://batman.siddharthagolu.com/batman.js"></script><a rel="me" href="https://fosstodon.org/@thelazyoxymoron" id="mastodon-link"></a>
<style>
.mastodon-link {
display: none;
}
</style>
<meta property="og:title" content="Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman" />
<meta property="og:description" content="A book about time and our relationship with it. Recommended." />
<meta property="og:type" content="article" />
<meta property="og:url" content="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/reading/four-thousand-weeks/" />
<meta property="og:image" content="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/images/Love_for_mountains.jpeg" />
<meta property="article:section" content="posts" />
<meta property="article:published_time" content="2022-09-21T07:35:24+05:30" />
<meta property="article:modified_time" content="2024-01-27T20:41:04+05:30" /><meta property="og:site_name" content="Siddhartha Golu" />
<meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" />
<meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/images/Love_for_mountains.jpeg" />
<meta name="twitter:title" content="Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman"/>
<meta name="twitter:description" content="A book about time and our relationship with it. Recommended."/>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BreadcrumbList",
"itemListElement": [
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 1 ,
"name": "Posts",
"item": "https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/"
},
{
"@type": "ListItem",
"position": 2 ,
"name": "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman",
"item": "https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/reading/four-thousand-weeks/"
}
]
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "BlogPosting",
"headline": "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman",
"name": "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman",
"description": "A book about time and our relationship with it. Recommended.",
"keywords": [
"non-fiction", "productivity"
],
"articleBody": "Check it out on Goodreads\nNothing extra-ordinary in terms of content, but special when you think of the book as a compilation of useful frameworks to think about time.\nAlas, I stumbled upon Four Thousand Weeks at such a point in my life where Ive already been a productivity addict for so long that its impossible for me to make a fresh start. The central theme of the book - that you wont ever get to do all the things youve set out to do so you should consciously choose and be happy about your choice - is such an aphoristic statement that no matter how you spin it, it always feels bland.\nHaving said that, the self-help ocean that this book is a part of, is filled with heaps of garbage books, so stumbling upon this one is like finding a needle in a haystack. Few ways of thinking about time and choices that I found interesting:\nDont think of these things as life hacks - dont treat life as a faulty contraption in need of modification.\nA spin on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): missing out is what makes our choices meaningful in the first place, every decision to use a portion of a time on anything represents saying no to every other thing that you couldve done but you didnt.\nThe anti-skill of staying with the anxiety of never having time to do everything.\nPicking one item from the menu represents an affirmation rather than a defeat. The fact that you couldve chosen a different and perhaps equally valuable way to spend this afternoon bestows meaning on the choice you did make.\nA hobbyist is a subversive: they insist that some things are worth doing for themselves alone, despite offering no payoffs in terms of productivity or profit.\n",
"wordCount" : "301",
"inLanguage": "en",
"image": "https://www.siddharthagolu.com/images/Love_for_mountains.jpeg","datePublished": "2022-09-21T07:35:24+05:30",
"dateModified": "2024-01-27T20:41:04+05:30",
"author":[{
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Siddhartha Golu"
}],
"mainEntityOfPage": {
"@type": "WebPage",
"@id": "https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/reading/four-thousand-weeks/"
},
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Siddhartha Golu",
"logo": {
"@type": "ImageObject",
"url": "https://www.siddharthagolu.com/favicon.ico"
}
}
}
</script>
</head>
<body class="" id="top">
<script>
if (localStorage.getItem("pref-theme") === "dark") {
document.body.classList.add('dark');
} else if (localStorage.getItem("pref-theme") === "light") {
document.body.classList.remove('dark')
} else if (window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches) {
document.body.classList.add('dark');
}
</script>
<header class="header">
<nav class="nav">
<div class="logo">
<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/" accesskey="h" title="Siddhartha Golu (Alt + H)">
<img src="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/apple-touch-icon.png" alt="" aria-label="logo"
height="30">Siddhartha Golu</a>
<div class="logo-switches">
<button id="theme-toggle" accesskey="t" title="(Alt + T)">
<svg id="moon" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24"
fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round"
stroke-linejoin="round">
<path d="M21 12.79A9 9 0 1 1 11.21 3 7 7 0 0 0 21 12.79z"></path>
</svg>
<svg id="sun" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="18" viewBox="0 0 24 24"
fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round"
stroke-linejoin="round">
<circle cx="12" cy="12" r="5"></circle>
<line x1="12" y1="1" x2="12" y2="3"></line>
<line x1="12" y1="21" x2="12" y2="23"></line>
<line x1="4.22" y1="4.22" x2="5.64" y2="5.64"></line>
<line x1="18.36" y1="18.36" x2="19.78" y2="19.78"></line>
<line x1="1" y1="12" x2="3" y2="12"></line>
<line x1="21" y1="12" x2="23" y2="12"></line>
<line x1="4.22" y1="19.78" x2="5.64" y2="18.36"></line>
<line x1="18.36" y1="5.64" x2="19.78" y2="4.22"></line>
</svg>
</button>
</div>
</div>
<ul id="menu">
<li>
<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/about" title="About">
<span>About</span>
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/archive" title="Posts">
<span>Posts</span>
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/categories" title="Categories">
<span>Categories</span>
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/tags/" title="Tags">
<span>Tags</span>
</a>
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/search/" title="Search (Alt &#43; /)" accesskey=/>
<span>Search</span>
</a>
</li>
</ul>
</nav>
</header>
<main class="main">
<article class="post-single">
<header class="post-header">
<div class="breadcrumbs"><a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/">Home</a>&nbsp;»&nbsp;<a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/">Posts</a></div>
<h1 class="post-title entry-hint-parent">
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
</h1>
<div class="post-meta"><span title='2022-09-21 07:35:24 +0530 IST'>🗓 September 21, 2022</span>&nbsp;·&nbsp;2 min&nbsp;·&nbsp;🔖&nbsp;<a href="/tags/non-fiction"> non-fiction</a>&nbsp;·&nbsp;<a href="/tags/productivity"> productivity</a>
</div>
</header>
<div class="post-content"><p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4452417243">Check it out on Goodreads</a></p>
<hr>
<p><img loading="lazy" src="/images/four-thousand.jpg#center" alt="Four Thousand Weeks Cover" title="Four Thousand Weeks Cover" />
</p>
<p>Nothing extra-ordinary in terms of content, but special when you think of the book as a compilation of useful frameworks to think about time.</p>
<p>Alas, I stumbled upon Four Thousand Weeks at such a point in my life where I&rsquo;ve already been a productivity addict for so long that it&rsquo;s impossible for me to make a fresh start. The central theme of the book - that you won&rsquo;t ever get to do all the things you&rsquo;ve set out to do so you should consciously choose and be happy about your choice - is such an aphoristic statement that no matter how you spin it, it always feels bland.</p>
<p>Having said that, the self-help ocean that this book is a part of, is filled with heaps of garbage books, so stumbling upon this one is like finding a needle in a haystack. Few ways of thinking about time and choices that I found interesting:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Don&rsquo;t think of these things as life hacks - don&rsquo;t treat life as a faulty contraption in need of modification.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>A spin on FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): missing out is what makes our choices meaningful in the first place, every decision to use a portion of a time on anything represents saying no to every other thing that you could&rsquo;ve done but you didn&rsquo;t.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>The anti-skill of staying with the anxiety of never having time to do everything.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Picking one item from the menu represents an affirmation rather than a defeat. The fact that you could&rsquo;ve chosen a different and perhaps equally valuable way to spend this afternoon bestows meaning on the choice you did make.</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>A hobbyist is a subversive: they insist that some things are worth doing for themselves alone, despite offering no payoffs in terms of productivity or profit.</p>
</blockquote>
</div>
<footer class="post-footer">
<ul class="post-tags">
<li><a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/tags/non-fiction/">Non-Fiction</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/tags/productivity/">Productivity</a></li>
</ul>
<nav class="paginav">
<a class="prev" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/reading/so-good-newport/">
<span class="title">« Prev</span>
<br>
<span>So Good They Can&#39;t Ignore You - Cal Newport</span>
</a>
<a class="next" href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/posts/cinema/after-life/">
<span class="title">Next »</span>
<br>
<span>After Life (1998) by Hirokazu Kore-eda</span>
</a>
</nav>
</footer>
<hr>
<section class="webring">
<h3 class="header">Articles from blogs I follow around the net</h3>
<section class="articles">
<div class="article">
<h4 class="title">
<a href="https://newsletter.posthog.com/p/doing-support-makes-you-a-better" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Doing support makes you a better engineer</a>
</h4>
<p class="summary">What we&#39;ve learned about providing support that doesn&#39;t suck (and does scale)!</p>
<small class="source">
via <a href="https://newsletter.posthog.com">Product for Engineers</a>
</small>
<small class="date">August 29, 2024</small>
</div>
<div class="article">
<h4 class="title">
<a href="https://aeon.co/essays/c-l-r-james-foresaw-the-crisis-of-us-liberal-democracy?utm_source=rss-feed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C L R James and America</a>
</h4>
<p class="summary">
The brilliant Trinidadian thinker is remembered as an admirer of the US but he also warned of its dark political future - by Harvey Neptune Read at Aeon
</p>
<small class="source">
via <a href="https://aeon.co">Aeon | a world of ideas</a>
</small>
<small class="date">August 16, 2024</small>
</div>
<div class="article">
<h4 class="title">
<a href="https://perell.com/essay/how-ive-studied-the-bible/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How Ive Studied the Bible</a>
</h4>
<p class="summary">Years ago, I realized that the Bible is the foundational book of Western civilization. If I was going to be an educated person, I needed to know what it said.
The post How Ive Studied the Bible appeared first on David Perell.
</p>
<small class="source">
via <a href="https://perell.com/">David Perell</a>
</small>
<small class="date">December 28, 2023</small>
</div>
</section>
<p class="attribution">
Generated by
<a href="https://git.sr.ht/~sircmpwn/openring">openring</a>
</p>
</section>
<style>
.webring .header {
margin: 0 0 12px;
}
.webring .articles {
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
margin: -0.5rem;
}
.webring .title {
margin: 4px 0 12px;
}
.webring .article {
flex: 1 1 0;
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
margin: 0.5rem;
padding: 0.5rem;
background: var(--openring-bg);
min-width: 10rem;
}
.webring .summary {
font-size: 0.8rem;
flex: 1 1 0;
}
.webring .attribution {
text-align: right;
font-size: 0.8rem;
color: #555;
}
</style>
</article>
</main>
<footer class="footer">
<span>&copy; 2024 <a href="https://www.siddharthagolu.com/">Siddhartha Golu</a></span> ·
<span>
Powered by
<a href="https://gohugo.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hugo</a> &
<a href="https://github.com/adityatelange/hugo-PaperMod/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">PaperMod</a>
</span>
</footer>
<a href="#top" aria-label="go to top" title="Go to Top (Alt + G)" class="top-link" id="top-link" accesskey="g">
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 12 6" fill="currentColor">
<path d="M12 6H0l6-6z" />
</svg>
</a>
<script>
let menu = document.getElementById('menu')
if (menu) {
menu.scrollLeft = localStorage.getItem("menu-scroll-position");
menu.onscroll = function () {
localStorage.setItem("menu-scroll-position", menu.scrollLeft);
}
}
document.querySelectorAll('a[href^="#"]').forEach(anchor => {
anchor.addEventListener("click", function (e) {
e.preventDefault();
var id = this.getAttribute("href").substr(1);
if (!window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches) {
document.querySelector(`[id='${decodeURIComponent(id)}']`).scrollIntoView({
behavior: "smooth"
});
} else {
document.querySelector(`[id='${decodeURIComponent(id)}']`).scrollIntoView();
}
if (id === "top") {
history.replaceState(null, null, " ");
} else {
history.pushState(null, null, `#${id}`);
}
});
});
</script>
<script>
var mybutton = document.getElementById("top-link");
window.onscroll = function () {
if (document.body.scrollTop > 800 || document.documentElement.scrollTop > 800) {
mybutton.style.visibility = "visible";
mybutton.style.opacity = "1";
} else {
mybutton.style.visibility = "hidden";
mybutton.style.opacity = "0";
}
};
</script>
<script>
document.getElementById("theme-toggle").addEventListener("click", () => {
if (document.body.className.includes("dark")) {
document.body.classList.remove('dark');
localStorage.setItem("pref-theme", 'light');
} else {
document.body.classList.add('dark');
localStorage.setItem("pref-theme", 'dark');
}
})
</script>
<script>
document.querySelectorAll('pre > code').forEach((codeblock) => {
const container = codeblock.parentNode.parentNode;
const copybutton = document.createElement('button');
copybutton.classList.add('copy-code');
copybutton.innerHTML = 'copy';
function copyingDone() {
copybutton.innerHTML = 'copied!';
setTimeout(() => {
copybutton.innerHTML = 'copy';
}, 2000);
}
copybutton.addEventListener('click', (cb) => {
if ('clipboard' in navigator) {
navigator.clipboard.writeText(codeblock.textContent);
copyingDone();
return;
}
const range = document.createRange();
range.selectNodeContents(codeblock);
const selection = window.getSelection();
selection.removeAllRanges();
selection.addRange(range);
try {
document.execCommand('copy');
copyingDone();
} catch (e) { };
selection.removeRange(range);
});
if (container.classList.contains("highlight")) {
container.appendChild(copybutton);
} else if (container.parentNode.firstChild == container) {
} else if (codeblock.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.nodeName == "TABLE") {
codeblock.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.appendChild(copybutton);
} else {
codeblock.parentNode.appendChild(copybutton);
}
});
</script>
</body>
</html>