45. How to work through time anxiety, practice gratitude, and embrace acceptance

PLAYING-IT-SAFE

It was an honor to chat with Oliver Burkeman, columnist for the Guardian, journalist by training, and author of the books: “4000 weeks: time management for mortals and happiness: the antidote for people who can’t stand positive thinking.”

I have been following Oliver’s work for years and had so many questions to ask him, but of course, there were time constraints. So I did my best to ask him about his writing process and the story behind his books, how he practices acceptance, gratitude, and other psychological processes, and his take on some sassy comments he has made over the years.

If you haven’t read Oliver’s books, I highly recommend them! He’s one of those writers that do a fantastic job sharing science in a story format, and he does it so elegantly that after you read either a chapter he wrote or his column in the Guardian, you want to read more.

This conversation has 3 segments:

• Oliver’s writing process and how he handles interruptions, self-criticism, time anxiety, and comparison thoughts related to writing.
• How Oliver experiences gratitude, acceptance, and approaches day-to-day challenges.
• Oliver’s take on different topics: the problem with self-help books, what emotions are, the difference between meaning and happiness

And if you listen to the end, you will hear who Oliver would like to have a scotch and cigar with!

As I finish writing this conversation, I remind myself of the last paragraph in Oliver’s book, The Four Thousand Weeks:

“The average human lifespan is absurd, terrifying, insultingly short. But that isn’t a reason for unremitting despair or for living in an anxiety-fueled panic about making the most of your limited time. It’s a cause for relief. You get to give up on something that was always impossible - the quest to become the optimized, infinitely capable, emotionally, invincible, fully independent person you’re officially supposed to be. Then you get to roll up your sleeves and start work on something that’s gloriously possible instead.”

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