Four Thousand Weeks Is the Best Book I’ve Read on Productivity In 2022
This book makes you re-evaluate our modern-day notion of productivity.
There are a lot of books about productivity.
And I’ve read most of them.
But the one book advocating for Slow Productivity (even though the book doesn’t explicitly call it that) that I’ve found that started to change my mindset is Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman.
Here are just a few reasons:
- It’s counter-cultural. Time is not something to be used and controlled, it’s something we experience and flow with. If we work within the limits of time, our lives will be more productive, meaningful and joyful.
- It debunks the efficiency trap. The more efficient you are (you “get more done”), the more new things you accumulate on your to-do list. It makes you feel more stressed and overwhelmed as you can’t possibly do it all.
- It forces us to face finitude. When you decide to spend your time on a particular project or a task, you are choosing to focus on that as that is the most important thing right now. You must thus embrace the joy of missing out on everything else. It will feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
These reasons are just the tip of the iceberg.
If you are interested in Slow Productivity, I recommend this book to get you thinking. It makes you re-evaluate our modern-day notion of productivity.
(And if you’ve read it, do you agree? What other book would you recommend for those overwhelmed by the need to “be productive”?)
I’m Notion certified and write about Slow Productivity Notion Systems for busy multi-passionate 9to5ers to make time and find focus for creative passions and experience joyful productivity.
If you like this essay, I’m sure you’ll love my tweets. Follow me on Twitter @slow_is_better.
Interested to dive even deeper? Subscribe to The Slow Digest newsletter where I share original & curated content.
