#1 Time EXPERT: Being “Productive” Is Making You MISERABLE | Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Burkeman is a bestselling author, journalist, and the mind behind “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” and “Meditations for Mortals.” We discuss our broken relationship with time, his philosophy of imperfectionism, why productivity isn't a moral imperative, and more. READ MORE👉🏼http://bit.ly/richroll951 ✌🏼🌱 – Rich This Episode Is Brought To You By… Birch: For 27% off ALL mattresses👉🏼https://bit.ly/birchliving BetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month👉🏼https://bit.ly/betterhelp2025rrp Momentous: High-caliber human performance products for sleep, focus, longevity, and more. For listeners of the show, Momentous is offering up to 35% off your first order👉🏼https://bit.ly/LiveMomentous2025 WHOOP: The all-new WHOOP 5.0 is here! Get your first month FREE👉🏼https://www.join.whoop.com/Roll Check out all of the amazing discounts from our Sponsors👉🏼https://www.richroll.com/sponsors LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/rrpitunes Spotify: http://bit.ly/rrpspotify Google: http://bit.ly/rrpgooglepods Meal Planner: http://meals.richroll.com Voicing Change Book: http://richroll.com/vc Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RichRollPodcastClips Newsletter: http://bit.ly/rollcallemail 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:19 Opening Reflections on Time and Anxiety 00:02:52 The Illusion of Control Over Time 00:05:44 Overwhelm and the Productivity Trap 00:07:56 Productivity as a Moral Imperative 00:11:02 Self-Worth and Productivity Debt 00:12:24 Personal Origins of the Guest’s Work 00:14:18 The Global Thesis: Embracing Finitude 00:15:26 Acceptance, Surrender, and Recovery 00:16:27 Lessons from 12-Step and Hitting Rock Bottom 00:18:19 The Power of Accepting the Impossible 00:20:01 The Ongoing Nature of the Journey 00:22:07 Limit-Embracing Life and Vulnerability 00:24:25 The Striver’s Dilemma and Productivity Deprogramming 00:26:03 Acceptance as a Path to Action 00:26:59 Saying No and the Reality of FOMO 00:27:46 The Kayak vs. Superyacht Metaphor 00:29:48 Embracing Imperfection and Perfectionism 00:32:29 Sponsor Break 00:35:07 Practical Tools: Free Writing and the Done List 00:40:23 Completion, Momentum, and Sequential Action 00:41:53 High Stakes, Perfectionism, and Interruptions 00:44:07 The Myth of the Future Self 00:45:47 Deprogramming Future-Orientation 00:48:00 Intimate Interruptions and Time Elasticity 00:50:19 Allowing for Life’s Interventions 00:52:51 What Life Wants from You 00:56:16 The Tension Between Significance and Insignificance 00:57:08 Daily-ish Practice and Momentum 00:58:57 The Value of Returning After Lapses 01:01:07 Stacking Small Wins and Making Decisions 01:04:03 Reframing Procrastination 01:05:42 The Role of Fear and Avoidance 01:09:02 People-Pleasing as Narcissism 01:11:25 Sponsor Break 01:13:55 From Philosophy to Practice: Meditations for Mortals 01:16:04 The Power of Story and Self-Understanding 01:19:11 Privilege, Burden, and Universal Finitude 01:22:54 A Trojan Horse for Self-Actualization 01:26:10 Agency Through Acceptance 01:27:51 Ambition, Acceptance, and Action 01:29:05 What If It Were Easy? 01:33:35 Meditation, Allowing, and Getting Out of Your Own Way 01:36:27 Comfort Zones and Low-Level Suffering 01:37:40 Low-Stakes Practice and the Power of Small Steps 01:39:00 The Importance of Doing Anything vs. Nothing 01:41:32 Self-Optimization and the Limits of Control 01:46:44 The Misconception of Living for the Future 01:48:29 Scruffy Hospitality and Authentic Connection 01:50:50 Embracing Mystery and Uncertainty 01:54:51 A Book as an Active Companion 01:55:34 Closing Reflections and Gratitude CONNECT WITH RICH ✩ Website - http://richroll.com​ ✩ Rich Roll Podcast - https://richroll.com/all-episodes/ ✩ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richroll/ ✩ Twitter - https://twitter.com/richroll ✩ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/richrollfans ✩ Strava - https://www.strava.com/athletes/14443?oq=rich ✩ Memoir: Finding Ultra - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/finding-ultra/ ✩ Meals - http://meals.richroll.com​ ✩ Cook - The Plantpower Way - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/the-plantpower-way-signed/ ✩ Italian! - The Plantpower Way: Italia - https://www.richroll.com/shop/books/the-plantpower-way-italia-signed/ ✩ Support - https://www.patreon.com/richroll Thanks To The Team: Jason Camiolo, Dan Drake, Morgan McRae, Blake Curtis, Desmond Loh * * * * * NEW TO RICH? Hi I'm Rich Roll. I'm a vegan ultra-endurance athlete, author, podcaster, public speaker & wellness evangelist. But mainly I'm a dad of four. If you want to know more, visit my website or check out these two the NY Times articles: http://bit.ly/otillonyt http://bit.ly/vegansglam I LOVE MAIL! SEND IT HERE: 2630 Conejo Spectrum St. Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 #richroll #richrollpodcast