Four Thousand Weeks
Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman · first published 2021
76% recommend24% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Philosophical take on time management that argues life is too short to do everything, so accepting limits and choosing what matters eases anxiety. Suits productivity-obsessed people tired of hacks and systems.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
The average human lifespan is absurdly, outrageously, insultingly brief: if you live to 80, you have about four thousand weeks on earth. How should we use them best? Of course, nobody needs telling that there isn't enough time. We're obsessed by our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, the struggle against distraction, and the sense that our attention spans are shrivelling. Yet we rarely make the conscious connection that these problems only trouble us in the first place thanks to the ultimate time-management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks.
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Four Thousand Weeks is a good book that touches on this. It begins with the premise that most people have infinite desires, and all people have finite time, and it's unlikely you will accomplish even 1% of all of your dreams…
on “Ask HN: I want to be an expert in many things but my lifetime won't be enough” ↗Recommend reading "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman. It's about time management, but not the traditional "how to get everything done" sense. He talks about what a normal person can do with their "4000 weeks", or, roughly speaking, their…
on “Ask HN: What you up to? (Who doesn't want to be hired?)” ↗I really enjoyed Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. It's more of a kick in the pants than an inspirational book, but it actually helped me think about (and act on) my priorities.
on “Ask HN: What are some good inspirational and uplifting books?” ↗A fantastic anti thesis to the OP article is a recommendation I found here on HN: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman Reading that book is just so calming - as Vonnegut said “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
on “You have only so much time – are you using it right?” ↗…where Newport was going. Most of what I've read of him in the past advocates for getting off of social media to gain control over your time - which I think is good advice. I'd recommend Oliver Burkeman's Four Thousand Weeks: Time management for mortals as it's very different from the productivity-oriented time management books that tend to dominate the genre.
on “Your work matters – Build your schedule accordingly” ↗Two that I recently completed: 1. "Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire" by Luke Burgis 2. "Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It" by Oliver Burkeman and one bonus which definitely made me think: "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
on “Ask HN: Books that teach you to think” ↗Read some self-help books. Really. I recommend Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkman and Mindset by Carol Dweck. A career coach or counselor will be able to give you information and help you figure out how to achieve your goals, but nobody can actually tell you what…
on “Ask HN: Paid Career Advice Services for people in their mid-20s” ↗…self-compassion, medication, and some books that helped me see “productivity” through a new lens and recognize the pathological relationship with myself that it was keeping me trapped in. Books I recommend: 1. Four Thousand Weeks by Burkeman 2. Self Compassion by Neff 3. The Now Habit by Fiore If you can only read one, read 4000 Weeks. Game changer.
on “Show HN: An all-in-one app designed for deep work and to build atomic habits” ↗Was reading this article and thinking wow this person sounds just like Oliver Burkeman and then I checked the author and it was! Highly recommend his latest book four thousand weeks, which is refreshing in the current world of productivity advice.
on “Self-improvement is embracing your messy, imperfect life” ↗To everyone who feels pressured after reading that headline, I strongly recommend reading the book "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman. For me, personally, it's the single most important book that I have ever read, by far. It has immediately improved my quality of life, simply by changing perspectives.
on “You have only so much time – are you using it right?” ↗Thanks for sharing this. The post turned me onto the “Four Thousand Weeks: Time and How to Use It” by Oliver Burkeman, which was quite a sobering eye-opener. For those interested, I found a great summary[1] by Matt Swain of the material covered in the book [1] https://www.mattswain.com/booknotes/four-thousand-weeks
on “For productivity geeks, futility is a relief and a starting point” ↗You might find the book "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman helpful. It's not all about productivity, but also how we relate to time. (we didn't always worry about it so much) Here are a couple of the more detailed…
on “Ask HN: How can I come to peace with the years I wasted on pointless things?” ↗I highly recommend reading "Four Thousand Weeks". https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54785515-four-thousand-w...
on “Why are you so busy?” ↗I was the same way, but it helped that I've more recently made a conscious effort to be process focused instead of outcome focus. Oliver Burkeman's book Four Thousand Weeks was good at reframing for me.
on “Aleksandr Sorokin smashes 24-hour world record with 198.6 mile run” ↗If you think you need therapy then get a therapist. You might enjoy the book Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman.
on “Ask HN: Are we all burned out?” ↗