Productivity Expert On How Productivity Ruins Your Life - Oliver Burkeman

Hey friends, in this weeks episode of Deep Dive I chat to author and journalist Oliver Burkeman. For many years Oliver wrote a popular weekly column on psychology, happiness and productivity for The Guardian called 'This Column Will Change Your Life' and has also written a handful of books including 'Four Thousand Weeks: Time And How To Use It' which looks at how our obsessiveness with being busy and trying to master our time can actually make us more unhappy, avoid important decisions about our future and make us less in control of our lives.
In the conversation we discuss what most productivity gurus get wrong about productivity, how you will never get everything done and why you should start embracing the fact of human finitude.
Season 2 Episode 2
⭐️ First 200 get 20% off the annual premium subscription for Brilliant: brilliant.org/deepdive
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00:00 Intro
02:03 Being A Productivity Guru
05:30 We Have 4,000 Weeks To Live
10:34 The Truth About Productivity And Time
46:00 How To Think About Goal Setting
01:00:11 Stepping Into The Reality Of Your Life
01:10:10 Ten Tools For Embracing Your Finitude
01:23:58 Social Media Q&A
01:53:36 Quick-Fire Questions
🔗 CONNECT WITH OLIVER
📕 Book - 4000 Weeks Time And How To Use It - geni.us/076mG
💻 Website - www.oliverburkeman.com/
🐦 Twitter - / oliverburkeman
📧 Newsletter - www.oliverburkeman.com/the-im...
🔗 CONNECT WITH ALI
🎥 KZbin Channel - / aliabdaal
🐦 Twitter - / aliabdaal
📸 Instagram - / aliabdaal
💻 Website - aliabdaal.com
👥 Linkedin - / ali-abdaal
📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED
Oliver’s Guardian Column ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’ - bit.ly/3GPH28B
Happy by Derren Brown - geni.us/bWpd9lk
A Book Of Secrets by Derren Brown - geni.us/reABIgA
Getting Things Done by David Allen - geni.us/UVgx
Raptitude by David Cain - www.raptitude.com/
The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman - geni.us/cYJIs0
Traction by Gino Wickman - geni.us/BCc4K
How Writers Journey To Comfort And Fluency by Robert Boice - geni.us/3Krbswx
The Evolution Of Desire by David M Buss - geni.us/KCA6sh4
Effortless by Greg Mckewon - geni.us/PD9p7dm
Notion - go.aliabdaal.com/notion
Satre's Concept Of Bad Faith - bit.ly/3qMb1bH
Tim Ferriss' Fear Setting Exercise - bit.ly/3nLd12c
Giving What We Can - www.givingwhatwecan.org/
12 Rules For Life - The Antidote To Chaos by Jordan Peterson - geni.us/ogBn79
📄SHOW NOTES & TRANSCRIPT
Visit the website for the transcript and highlights from the conversation - aliabdaal.com/podcast/
🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST
Deep Dive is the podcast that delves into the minds of entrepreneurs, creators and other inspiring people to uncover the philosophies, strategies and tools that help us live happier, healthier and more productive lives. In each episode, Ali has conversations with guests from wide-ranging areas around the five pillars of a good life: health, wealth, love, happiness and impact - to empower you to live your best life.
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RSS - feeds.transistor.fm/deep-dive
🧠 SPONSORED BY BRILLIANT
This episode is kindly supported by Brilliant, the best way to learn maths, science and computer science online. Brilliant focuses on helping you learn through interactive courses that work to develop your intuition and first principles knowledge, rather than just memorising methods and facts. Sign up at brilliant.org/deepdive - the first 200 people will receive 20% off the annual premium subscription.
🍿 SPONSORED BY CURIOSITY STREAM
This episode is kindly supported by Curiosity Stream, the leading streaming subscription platform that gives you access to thousands of documentaries and non-fiction titles. Curiosity stream also support independent creators on their platform Nebula which is run by me and other creators where you can access exclusive content including the original episodes of Deep Dive which you won't find anywhere else. You also get early, ad free access to mine and a bunch of other creators videos. Sign up at curiositystream.com/deepdive and you'll get 42% off annual plans as well as FREE ACCESS to Nebula as a part of the bundle.
👋🏼 GET IN TOUCH
You can also Tweet @AliAbdaal with any feedback, ideas or thoughts about the lessons you've learnt from the episodes and we can thank you personally for tuning in 🙏
PS: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a kickback from 😜

[@samuelvilz]

One of those podcast episodes where you're having a rough, sloppy day and then this pops up and you listen to it while doing the dishes and cooking, and everything starts shining in a new light. Thank you, Ali and Oliver. I'm only halfway through and it already feels very therapeutic 😌💚

[@TheElenaNumb]

Your comment made me leave my bed and go get shit done starting with cleaning dishes

[@samuelvilz]

@@TheElenaNumb 😊 Thank you for letting me know! Have an awesome day, Fatima!

[@emilyesnyman]

Yes! This is literally how i feel :)

[@judemajasan4322]

"Life is difficult. This is one of the great truths. Because when you fully internalise the truth that life is difficult, then it no longer matters that life is difficult." Gem!

[@luckyluc7412]

I was glad to hear someone else struggles to reply to friends. I have to write it on my to do list and it still gets put off but I think that part of that is to do with how I value socialising in person much more. I feel guilty that messaging people feels like a chore.

[@atharvabhagwat2082]

"Life is difficult when you internalize the truth when you have a difficult problem to solve it seems less difficult because by default it is going difficult" That's one of the best takeaway from the Podcast 🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@ArifGhostwriter]

I'm loving the imagery here. Essentially he's turned the productivity mindset on its head. So you don't wake up into your day & be specific about what you're going to get done - you wake up into the 'rubble' of the day ahead - & decide what 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 going to get done that day. Don't designate - relegate.

[@ashleymulti]

I finished Four Thousand Weeks on Audible this week and it was fantastic. I learned so much from it, and it was refreshing to hear a philosophical approach to time a management. It wasn’t a series of life hacks to save precious seconds but a new perspective on how to LOOK at time. I highly recommend it!

[@ivanbenisscott]

"there's something of the destination in every moment of the journey".... Best take on this question I've heard!

[@wijdanh326]

The idea of accepting that your gonna miss out and be okay with that is so freeing. Thank you this was a great episode enjoyed it as usual ♥️♥️.

[@JordanKaufman]

Just use "welcome"

[@chrismytton]

Enjoyed seeing Ali’s therapy session with Oliver.

[@kardunno]

This is the most life changing, freeing, unblocking thing I have ever watched!

[@samuelvilz]

Bloody A+, dude. Definitely will come back to this episode when I notice a sense of chaos and lack of direction in my life again.

[@florence2056]

I loved his book The Antidote! So great to have him on your podcast!

[@luckyluc7412]

I love this stance on productivity. I always feel there is more I could be doing. I suppose advice on productivity can also be very individual. I need to learn to take more breaks rather than do more productive things in the day. Thanks Ali, your interview style is great, the conversation flows and your interest in the content shows.

[@marionannmacredie]

I loved 4000 weeks. A fantastic interview! One I will listen to again. Thank you both! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

[@ZeelKinkhab]

*"Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort."* --Paul J. Meyer

[@hendcorp]

Thank you for this awesome episode, Ali! I've just bought his book and waiting for delivery now.

[@zhvanrekani1408]

Thank you for the useful conversation bro Ali 👍

[@elvira.silverguld]

amazing interview, I enjoyed it very much!!

[@scottgibson92]

This is really good! Interesting things I had not thought about.

[@joshuabarends3427]

So much wisdom!!! The ideas that were discussed made me question and reshape my whole mental modal. Thank you guys so much, I really needed this.

[@BrendanEvan]

“Anything’s possible in the hypothetical future” Ah yes, welcome to where I live all day. Need to root myself in the present instead

[@KatzeMelli]

I enjoy this conversation massively! Amazing :) More realism, less delusion.

[@razabadass]

Thank you Oliver, Ali, Angus, Elizabeth and people not on camera here in general! Raza :)

[@perforatedfold]

i second bird by bird, was req’d reading for a writing class~great book :)

[@AashishKishnani]

That's actually deep for 2 hrs!

[@alexandyulie]

woohoo first interview after lazik! a new profile pic is needed now! congrats!

[@underquartz9481]

Nice Ali. Your content is... I can't even say! it's amazing :3

[@mo-hammadabunaser1367]

It was quite jarring hearing that Ali doesn't use the things he makes videos about for any more time after he's done making the video about how he uses it in so much detail

[@pronoynath1171]

Ali, can u do a Podacst with DR. Peterson too? It might be great

[@razabadass]

Also, fingers crossed for payday times and the hopeful watching of season 0 for the deep dive on the nebulae system! Raza :)

[@James777822]

At 51mins, basically ; If a things worth doing, it's worth half arseing it (Or you won't do it at all )

[@smileykam]

Random thought! If there is some technology you are not using such as the reMarkable perhaps you should make give aways. I wouldn't mind having a reMarkable tablet.

[@atharvabhagwat2082]

What would be your reaction if you have Tim Ferris on your Podcast?

[@veadleuva3631]

Yoo! This is the first time I commented 1st on a video

[@khurshidahmad2063]

Why is there a huge gap between acpecting being productive and actually being productive 😢 At least in my case 🤠

[@TheBlessingReport]

Great video

[@INDAHASMIGIANTI]

I’m so early

[@johnkardier6327]

53:44 Vitesse ×3. Ouahou.

[@NettieFIRE]

32:18 …. forms of ‘emotional avoidance’ 🤦🏻‍♀️nail on the head damn!

[@earthisabigspaceship3117]

to many ads

[@sonalichakrabarty2560]

Wassup

[@fernandourrutia2566]

[@banele2935]

Investing in crypto now should be in every wise individuals list, in some months time you'll be ecstatic with the decision you made today.

[@craigblack520]

@Chris Loren Expert Roger Washington is a certified Broker I've worked with him for weeks now living all my trading worries on him to earn FINANCIAL FREEDOM

[@JohndJost]

I'm from the UK, 🇬🇧 i and my colleagues gave him a try and it has been good returns of our investment, Thanks Mr Roger Washington🇺🇸

[@mattiek7526]

I fell asleep in this interview 😴Additionally, buy new chairs for guests as they are not comfortable and you too

[@pnarsenturk6966]

It is so annoying that Oliver constantly sort of changes subject or answers Ali with a completely unrelated example

[@mertcantimur]

I normally love Ali’s work and perpective on things. But this podcast as a whole is unfortunately terrible. Ali does not know how to truly listen, he is always thinking about what to say next etc. I don’t like Joe Rogen as a person but he is the true master of this.

[@Great_PatBingsoo]

The usefulness of this title seems to stop at the book. The conversation borders on the trivial or the speculative. Trivial because everyone knows he is going to die. Speculative because the grander claims are very loosely supported, proceed from non-sequiturs, and are often based on strawmen (claiming time management authors try to take control of time itself). Seems like a half-baked stoicism.