I read Burkeman's 4,000 weeks this summer, and it rocked my world. I really enjoyed reading your take on his thoughts after you've had time to think about them for a couple of years. Thanks for this.
I used to read books like Getting Things Done. Until I listened to a podcast by CGP Grey and Brady Haran, both YouTubers. Grey was describing his various productivity methods using note taking apps etc and his 'method' for managing to-do lists, workflow etc. Brady was entertained, intrigued and mystified as he puts no such thought into productivity, methods, systems etc and has a very similar quality of output. 'But how do you manage priorities?' Well, he doesn't need thousands of items on a todo list, as he knows that if something really needs doing, he'll do it. And if it doesn't, he won't. In listening to those two fundamentally different mindsets, I realised that writing lists, and then (I found) failing to do the things on the list, was 100% the wrong approach for me. So now I don't read about productivity, nor write down long lists of things to do, nor write down goals etc. I plan when I need to. But I don't spend my time obsessing with systems, processes etc for productivity as I know that, for me, they are a time sink and worse than having no 'system' and just going by how I feel.
So much good stuff here! This sentence in particular resonated w me: "there's no consideration of whether the experience of falling asleep together—for you, and the child—has any value at all." Going to check out the book now....
Thank you for this!
Loved this ✨
I read Burkeman's 4,000 weeks this summer, and it rocked my world. I really enjoyed reading your take on his thoughts after you've had time to think about them for a couple of years. Thanks for this.
Cheers, Seth, agree. Oliver's blog is great too
I used to read books like Getting Things Done. Until I listened to a podcast by CGP Grey and Brady Haran, both YouTubers. Grey was describing his various productivity methods using note taking apps etc and his 'method' for managing to-do lists, workflow etc. Brady was entertained, intrigued and mystified as he puts no such thought into productivity, methods, systems etc and has a very similar quality of output. 'But how do you manage priorities?' Well, he doesn't need thousands of items on a todo list, as he knows that if something really needs doing, he'll do it. And if it doesn't, he won't. In listening to those two fundamentally different mindsets, I realised that writing lists, and then (I found) failing to do the things on the list, was 100% the wrong approach for me. So now I don't read about productivity, nor write down long lists of things to do, nor write down goals etc. I plan when I need to. But I don't spend my time obsessing with systems, processes etc for productivity as I know that, for me, they are a time sink and worse than having no 'system' and just going by how I feel.
So much good stuff here! This sentence in particular resonated w me: "there's no consideration of whether the experience of falling asleep together—for you, and the child—has any value at all." Going to check out the book now....