The gist: In the book Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals, Oliver Burkeman talks about the popular productivity myth that we need to unlearn.
Some of my favorite productivity books could barely be considered “productivity books.”
One example?
Oliver Burkeman’s 2021 book “Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.”
Instead of introducing you to yet another “life-changing” (insert eyeroll here) productivity framework or tactic, it’s more focused on the psychology and philosophy of productivity culture.
For example, questioning why society is so obsessed with productivity in the first place (which you know I love theorizing about as well).
One point I completely agree with him on is that a big part of the obsession comes from a false promise we’ve been taught about productivity.
Unlearning hustle culture starts with recognizing that it’s actually a lie.
Let me tell you about it…
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The false promise of “you can do it all”
In Burkeman’s perspective, the productivity and self-help industries have tricked us all into believing that if we can just find the right framework, hack, or tool, we'll actually have the time and energy to do all the things we both want and need to do.
That with the right “life system,” we can live a life where we always reach all our big goals while still staying on top of our email inbox, to-do list, household chores, and everything else.
And what's more, we won't ever feel overwhelmed, stressed, or busy while doing all this.
It's this idea that a perfectly productive, optimized, and easy life is just out of reach, one productivity tool away, and it's your fault you haven't found the secret yet.
As Burkeman put it when sharing his own experience chasing that dream:
"I’ve squandered countless hours—and a fair amount of money, spent mainly on fancy notebooks and felt-tip pens—in service to the belief that if I could only find the right time management system, build the right habits, and apply sufficient self-discipline, I might actually be able to win the struggle with time, once and for all."
And if you've found your way to the Work Brighterverse, you've probably been on a similar journey.
But regardless of how much our productivity or focus actually improves, we never arrive at that magical point where endless productivity feels effortless.
Because the promise is a trap, and that magical endpoint doesn't exist.
Why it's a trap
I'm not sure if it's ever been true that anyone has time for everything they want to do. But even if it was true in the past, it sure as hell isn't anymore.
In modern society, we both have too many things we HAVE to do, and endless options for things we WANT to do.
Our options are practically infinite, and our responsibilities are ever-growing.
Think of all the things you want to do in your career, all the places you want to go, all the new hobbies you want to try, all the movies you want to watch, all the books you want to read...
Do you really think there's time for all that?
I could probably spend the rest of my life doing nothing but reading and still not get to all the books that interest me. And that's JUST books.
And our options for things to do grow at an exponentially faster rate than human life expectancy.
That's where the book's title comes from: the average lifespan is roughly four thousand weeks, yet we have millions of options for how to fill them.
What to do about it
So, if you’ve fallen for the false promise of productivity, what can you do about it once you realize it’s a lie?
Just go with it, really.
Accept the fact that you have extremely limited time.
Embrace it, even.
Let go of the idea that you’ll be able to do everything you want to.
And instead of spending your time and energy in a productivity shame spiral trying to become productive enough to “fit everything in,” spend it on figuring out and prioritizing the few things that matter most to you.
Or, as Burkeman puts it, “I’m aware of no other time management technique that's half as effective as just facing the way things truly are.”
Are you ready to start working brighter?
Productivity isn't black and white, it's personal as hell. And there's no single lifehack or framework to solve your problems.
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