How To Finally Stop Procrastinating: Oliver Burkeman | E125

This weeks episode entitled 'How To Finally Stop Procrastinating: Oliver Burkeman' topics:
00:00 Intro
01:01 Why do you write about happiness?
04:11 Happiness and meaning
11:25 Embracing our limits
18:13 Why do we put our happiness on the future?
20:23 Pursuit of efficiency
24:11 Living up to your external reputation
27:45 Procrastination
33:57 How to prioritise
41:20 The water melon problem
48:55 Why self analysis is so important
50:53 Why do we purse ambition over happiness
57:15 We’re addicted to the speed of life
01:04:50 Embracing small changes
01:08:10 Embracing our irrelevance
01:14:20 A question from your book
01:16:04 The last guest question
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[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Oliver Burkeman's perspective on time management, efficiency and happiness is probably the most fascinating I've heard. Hit like and subscribe for a new episode every Monday and Thursday, thank you all! 🙏🏽

[@chrispulsin5431]

Oh nice one. Two a week going forward? Keep up the good work mate 🙌

[@DrPaulScience]

So much of this rang true with me! Thank you both for your perspectives.

[@WilliamJonesChess]

[ square brackets] = my own thoughts. Say no to all things u don’t want to do. Say yes to all things u want to do. It is harder than this. You have to say no to things u do want to do. 1. Psychotherapist James Hollis 6:50 Is what you are doing enlarging or diminishing you? There are times when life is not enjoyable, but this moment is about growth. There are times when life is too fun, but it is missing the point, there is no purpose behind this activity. One time when I had a friend going through a crisis. I am helping him out. I did the dry-cleaning for him. I know I am in the right place, remember thinking I am in the right place, I should not be anywhere else. [well said] 2. SB: I am coming to learn 9:36 we should go back to human. OB: Ask yourself what are u doing every day that your ancestors did 1000 of years ago? Such as exercise, being in the outdoors, connecting with people. OB: What we are doing with our days is manipulating symbols: images, words and ideas. [interesting] 3. OB: We want to do too much because we are avoiding feeling our finitude 14:10. Isn’t it great to believe u are limitless? I say no. The kind of limitation I am talking about is confronting it, feeling, living it is the precondition to doing the most extraordinary things with life. Because u get to give up on this impossible quest to fit yourself to every expectation. 4. OB: 15:10 Neglect things that are good to do. [Choose your sacrifices] [ The successful bargain with the future] There are 25 things u can do. 24 are good. Withstand the anxiety, get rid, and focus on the 1/25. [96% are good, but you must focus on that 1 choice = 4%] SB: I will come to an end. We don’t live with such a belief. 5. SB: efficiency trap 19:30 is u value the present only in terms of a future. Isn’t it funny. Next 14 hours- every 1 minute 21:21 is planned. But no time to eat. No time to send a voice mail to mum saying I love her. 6. SB Juggling balls world record 38:30 is 14. Too many balls to juggle at once = metaphor for life. 7. OB: Do u want to be immortal? 40:40. If u were, when asked ‘Should u do a task today?’ answer can often be well who cares, I can do it anytime. It is unpleasant to confront our finitude, but life would have less meaning if it did not stop. 8. OB: 41:20 watermelon video: attention is hijackable. No one got up that day and thought: today, I really want to spend an hour people put 600 rubber bands round a melon, to watch it explode. What u pay attention to is your life. It is the question of distraction. We are literally paying with our attention. 9. SB: I feel I have an obligation to make content for the world 49:12 is a top form of therapy for me. 10. SB: No one thinks Elon Musk is happy. He said in a Joe Rogan interview he does not want to be him. 51:00. 11. Radical Incrementalism 1:04:50 making progress little and often, not binging on progress. 12. We need to embrace our own relative irrelevance 1:08:28. What is the upside? OB: None of us matter in a cosmic time scale, or the life of a planet. Nothing done in a human life is outlived by the cosmos. Most fulfilled people are the ones u never hear from, as they are doing low profile things. The more profile a person has, the more screwed up they are. 13. Do u do enough to keep learning?

[@madeleineqiex6327]

Hey @stevebartlett I am a workaholic who is failing at it now, though because of my past life/work life , I cannot read a novel anymore without feeling like I am really lazy… if it’s not a book that is Teaching me something about Self/Life/Productivity is “just lazy lazy lazy” internal dialogue - which has now in my second stage of Life, or Life Version #2, or My Second Life… now I’m trying to stop me fighting against time and allowing myself to enjoy Reading a 📖 just for the fun of it 🙄😂🫠🙀not working yet 😹 I’d rather watch 🎈’s or 🐝’s fly…. Downtime is important to be productive when you have to - then fragout in your jammies (PJ’s) away from the camera 🎥 Enjoy the Life in every moment you can ❣️always. And do that vegging-out as perfectly as you may do other things… the importance is the people you love and you and your relationship to them… keep all your balls in the air and enjoy watching where they land rather than stressing out about where they land - they’ll land where they will regardless of the stressed focus you put on anyone of them. ❣️🎈🎈🎈💓

[@gavinbinding]

It's nice to hear someone speak about not having a morning routine.

[@elsakiyemartins7886]

Right? 💙

[@Michael-4]

Everyone has a morning routine.

[@turkubode]

@@Michael-4 I don’t

[@mattwade646]

Just finished re-reading Oliver's book 4,000 Weeks. My highlighter genuinely ran out. It's up there, tied ironically, with Atomic Habits, as maybe the best non-fiction book I've read in my 47 years. It goes deep - it's as much about life and philosophy as it is productivity. And luckily Burkmann is an amazing writer, so brings these themes to life beautifully. Wonderful stuff.

[@anjasims5805]

Can lots of people please like this conversation (if they liked it) so that more people will see it? I experienced this conversation as more eye-opening than some of the ones with better known thinkers and writers (which were also great, just didn’t quite hit a nerve like this one). Loved it.

[@annaw7437]

I always feel guilty watching these podcasts during my working hours, when I wfh, because I know I 'should' be working, but this is so (much more) interesting! But then I realize... although the work's gotta be done (it's a job=money for living), these podcasts bring so much more value into my life and mental health... so it's an easy choice as to what is more important to me.

[@ktkee7161]

Do you sit and watch them? I only use podcasts while I'm doing something: housework, cooking, trying to get to sleep..

[@EmmaAhmed88]

Diary of a CEO is a part of my Monday 😊

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🙌🏽

[@sbIvanov]

Quotes from the podcast: "Any action that brings something to the world would involve a confrontation with your personal limitations"

[@kyracl7318]

Great episode! Can I please make a suggestion, when you have guests on can you provide links back to websites, organisations or books that are mentioned. Last week when you had John on I wanted to look into the charities he mentioned. Some of your guests are authors so links to the their books will be great! :)

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thanks for the suggestion Kyra! Great idea

[@jcvirtcloudconsultancy7552]

Yeah - I agree to this suggestion as well... I mean I could look it up myself but would prefer to save time if the publisher can do this for me

[@kyracl7318]

@@TheDiaryOfACEO Thank You!

[@probablecausetocheckhard-drive]

@@jcvirtcloudconsultancy7552 given the topic ; we might never get round to looking it up

[@newme5481]

@@probablecausetocheckhard-drive 😄

[@iswoo4705]

Me who had to study for exam- hmm an hour long video about how to stop procrastination? Why not?

[@progressandproductivity]

very funny

[@haniia843]

Since I found out about this podcast last month it’s been my favourite thing to listen to. Always bringing on such amazing guests. Keep up the great work!

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thank you Hanii 🙏🏽

[@progressandproductivity]

great video Happiness isn't feeling good, it's finding something that's more important than feeling good.

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thanks for listening 🙏🏽

[@ShredTraining]

Yep. You're right. Procrastinating in the title is why I'm here. Always seeking the magic answer.

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🙌🏽

[@joshroy6212]

Perfect timing! This episode was much needed, thank you. 🙏🏽

[@elsakiyemartins7886]

Great chat. Very nice guest. Oliver is a simple human simplifying life in times of spiritual materialism, performative success and social media status. I no longer feel bad for missing my morning pages 😆

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thanks for watching Elsa 🙌🏽

[@worldculturesonviewpodcast4686]

Loved this! This interview resonated with me personally, as I am practicing much of what has been talked about. Thought-provoking interview, as always.

[@JoJo_GSD]

Wowser, this one I'm going to watch at least twice🤔🤗 Brilliant, thank you so much to everyone involved. Mr Burkeman, thank you so much 🤗

[@UnknownUser-yp8fw]

I like Steven cause he seems like a good, funny and intelligent man. Nothing more nothing less

[@allisonschneider924]

Fantastic. Both of you. I needed this and will be listening to this particular talk again and probably again!

[@BethBeautiGuru123]

I came across this video whilst stressing about my project due in Friday I felt like everything was going wrong and was spending my time stressing and overthinking about my work rather than doing it. This conversation really helped me feel like I’m not alone and that many people feel this way.

[@dancorpe3945]

MEGA 🙌🏻 These podcast fill my life to the brim!

[@KazeemSupply]

@12:51 to @14:00 is powerfullllll! One of the best so far and I haven't finished

[@Kundaliniyogawithkiranjot]

Another super fantastic really helpful conversation, thank you 🙏

[@BrandonSmith-vb5uc]

You should get David goggins on your podcast. He is in the uk in September for the arnold sports festival. It would be great opportunity to do an amazing podcast with someone with so many stories to tell.!!

[@saxon681]

Wow love this broadcast. The factor stopping people to take ownership is often the fear that they have something to lose. Well, your ultimate destiny is the same as every other living creature. . Therefore, you may as well have some fun and challenge yourself whilst you have the power and consciousness to do so.

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thanks for sharing Grant 🙏🏽

[@saxon681]

@@TheDiaryOfACEO Cheers Pickle

[@johnnyfounder951]

I completely subscribe to the relevance topic, this truth sets you free.

[@uselessentrepreneur785]

Definitely worth a listen to... fascinating

[@angalmeida29]

Thank u Steve for your honesty

[@Jodiel03]

I totally clicked on this one in particular because it stated ‘procrastination’ 👌🏻

[@bethaniesharyne6932]

Loved this!! So happy to see how much you are growing recently been watching since you had 8,000 subs at the start, also your book is phenomenal 👏🏻👏🏻

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thank you so much for following Bethanie🙌🏽

[@leanneoneill8897]

T

[@EmmaAhmed88]

Cant wait to listen to this one today!

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Enjoy Emma!

[@mitchconnor22]

I like this guy a lot, this space is filled with so much stuff that sounds great and sounds intelligent but it’s almost confusing and impractical, more basic down to earth views are needed In this space to break up the stereotypical rubbish

[@blackphoenix4519]

Interesting topic. Will watch later

[@leedeehan]

It took me a while to decide if i wanted to watch this

[@TheDanzilla7]

Sounds great, I'll watch it later.

[@dk1828]

😂

[@AlicePriceMusic]

Loved this one

[@susiewatts1982]

Extremely interesting podcast Steven x

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thank you susie!

[@TobyNewbatt]

Great guest here, essential watch and listen for my start of the week thank you.

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Thanks for listening Toby 🙏🏽

[@lozb1631]

Hi Steve on Jake Humphries episode you spoke about it being difficult to recruit females onto the show which is such a shame as the ones you've had on.up to now have been great. My top 3 females is love to see are 1. Katie Piper- entrepreneur/author 2. Sandi Toksvig-comdedian/author/journalist 3. Stacey Dooley-journalist/presenter Males 1. Peter Crone-mind architect 2. Tom Daley-athlete 3. Stephen Fry-actor/author Cheers.

[@probablecausetocheckhard-drive]

this is one for the watch later list

[@Mustapha94__]

Wake up Monday. Shower. Check a KZbin upload 🤟🏿

[@ramzibousselam2717]

Wish a good day buddy ❤

[@Mustapha94__]

@@ramzibousselam2717 you too!

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🙌🏽

[@untoldhistory2800]

I’ll watch this another time

[@iamaaronsmith]

Steven i love your podcast, ive always wanted to ask though - why do you 'hope no one is listening'?

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🤫

[@mohibquadri4053]

Amazing 💜

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🙏🏽

[@AndreMurrell]

Random question, but what Microphone do you use for your podcasts Steven?

[@ure2grit931]

16:38 people are telling themselves if they got here they'd be happy but 19:40 fixated on only valuing the present for what it can give you in the future

[@Flywithcraig]

The irony of finding this video while procrastinating 😏

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

👀

[@NatchOfficial]

Class 😎

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@ShiveRzHD]

Here’s me sitting at working, watching this podcast about how to stop procrastinating instead of doing work. Oh the irony 🤣

[@yinkao2422]

Q

[@shaunallsopp_]

Procrastinating by watching this, instead of uni work

[@GemmaGessey]

Me too!

[@curlieslbbs3874]

8.26 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿✌️👌🏼yes I feel this x

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🙌🏽

[@whatwilliswastalkingabout]

Saved to Watch Later

[@darnitthelma4247]

Bet it’s still on that list? 😂😂😂😂

[@Michael-4]

What 99.9% of people need is a bridge from creating an idea to creating it in reality.

[@Cool74448]

I know Oliver from Ali Abdaals podcast but this time again no proper intro to the guest was done. Steven. As a listener I want to know if the interviewee is an authority in the subject area and an GOOD intro does that.

[@colourful.foodie]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@Sador_1]

Waiting for the Adesanya interview to get uploaded

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

👀 this Thursday

[@lozb1631]

Yeah it's Monday so diary of a ceo day😁

[@benfel9403]

I'll get back to watching this video later...

[@darnitthelma4247]

😂

[@GemmaGessey]

Me: must start my masters assignments "Watches video instead titled procrastination"

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

😂

[@GemmaGessey]

@@TheDiaryOfACEO I did start my work though so winner winner

[@justsean6199]

👍🏻

[@Professional_Youtube_Commenter]

Just one more video and I'll get back to work.

[@ktkee7161]

Does anyone else look at these and think great, but an hour and twenty minutes?! Maybe later.

[@stevenp6761]

I will watch this video later.

[@TheDiaryOfACEO]

🙌🏽

[@hennygt7]

@@TheDiaryOfACEO I think you missed the joke 😂 Amazing video, as always!

[@stevenp6761]

@@hennygt7 yes, he missed it :)

[@darnitthelma4247]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@raindaresmusic]

“I have to pick my balls in life.” -Steven Bartlett (2022) The 15th Ball…

[@eugeniab2990]

i’ll watch this video later

[@rafalmichalszaton9263]

🙂

[@beasdingbaavai880]

What if average lifespan of humans were 100k weeks, would we still find ourselves in the same miserable scenario as in 4k weeks?

[@BlakeLamude]

i’m about to sleep goodnight

[@emilyspen]

When you work out how many weeks you've got left 😅😅

[@SuperTommy2005]

I fell for the Procrastinating title

[@heathermaich8966]

volume different for the 2 people

[@ricocutz]

22:00

[@toluelizabethashneefamotib1508]

You don't have to have a morning ritual to be productive.

[@ricocutz]

8:40

[@DanAston96]

Me? 28:05

[@Professional_Youtube_Commenter]

yawn, i tried to get into this otopic, but both the host and guest and boring.

[@WilliamJonesChess]

Oliver Burkeman and Stephen Bartlett Diary CEO Released 14th March 2022 Watched 24th May 2022 [ square brackets] = my own thoughts Say no to all things u don’t want to do. Say yes to all things u want to do. It is harder than this. You have to say no to things u do want to do. 1. Psychotherapist James Hollis 6:50 Is what you are doing enlarging or diminishing you? There are times when life is not enjoyable, but this moment is about growth. There are times when life is too fun, but it is missing the point, there is no purpose behind this activity. One time when I had a friend going through a crisis. I am helping him out. I did the dry-cleaning for him. I know I am in the right place, remember thinking I am in the right place, I should not be anywhere else. [well said] 2. SB: I am coming to learn 9:36 we should go back to human. OB: Ask yourself what are u doing every day that your ancestors did 1000 of years ago? Such as exercise, being in the outdoors, connecting with people. OB: What we are doing with our days is manipulating symbols: images, words and ideas. [interesting] 3. OB: We want to do too much because we are avoiding feeling our finitude 14:10. Isn’t it great to believe u are limitless? I say no. The kind of limitation I am talking about is confronting it, feeling, living it is the precondition to doing the most extraordinary things with life. Because u get to give up on this impossible quest to fit yourself to every expectation. 4. OB: 15:10 Neglect things that are good to do. [Choose your sacrifices] [ The successful bargain with the future] There are 25 things u can do. 24 are good. Withstand the anxiety, get rid, and focus on the 1/25. [96% are good, but you must focus on that 1 choice = 4%] SB: I will come to an end. We don’t live with such a belief. 5. SB: efficiency trap 19:30 is u value the present only in terms of a future. Isn’t it funny. Next 14 hours- every 1 minute 21:21 is planned. But no time to eat. No time to send a voice mail to mum saying I love her. 6. SB Juggling balls world record 38:30 is 14. Too many balls to juggle at once = metaphor for life. 7. OB: Do u want to be immortal? 40:40. If u were, when asked ‘Should u do a task today?’ answer can often be well who cares, I can do it anytime. It is unpleasant to confront our finitude, but life would have less meaning if it did not stop. 8. OB: 41:20 watermelon video: attention is hijackable. No one got up that day and thought: today, I really want to spend an hour people put 600 rubber bands round a melon, to watch it explode. What u pay attention to is your life. It is the question of distraction. We are literally paying with our attention. 9. SB: I feel I have an obligation to make content for the world 49:12 is a top form of therapy for me. 10. SB: No one thinks Elon Musk is happy. He said in a Joe Rogan interview he does not want to be him. 51:00. 11. Radical Incrementalism 1:04:50 making progress little and often, not binging on progress. 12. We need to embrace our own relative irrelevance 1:08:28. What is the upside? OB: None of us matter in a cosmic time scale, or the life of a planet. Nothing done in a human life is outlived by the cosmos. Most fulfilled people are the ones u never hear from, as they are doing low profile things. The more profile a person has, the more screwed up they are. 13. Do u do enough to keep learning?