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 ✌🏼🌱 – RichThis Episode Is Brought To You By…Birch: For 27% off ALL mattresses👉🏼https://bit.ly/birchlivingBetterHelp: Get 10% OFF the first month👉🏼https://bit.ly/betterhelp2025rrpMomentous: 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/LiveMomentous2025WHOOP: 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/sponsorsLISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCASTApple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/rrpitunesSpotify: http://bit.ly/rrpspotifyGoogle: http://bit.ly/rrpgooglepodsMeal Planner: http://meals.richroll.comVoicing Change Book: http://richroll.com/vcClips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RichRollPodcastClipsNewsletter: http://bit.ly/rollcallemail00:00:00 Intro00:01:19 Opening Reflections on Time and Anxiety00:02:52 The Illusion of Control Over Time00:05:44 Overwhelm and the Productivity Trap00:07:56 Productivity as a Moral Imperative00:11:02 Self-Worth and Productivity Debt00:12:24 Personal Origins of the Guest’s Work00:14:18 The Global Thesis: Embracing Finitude00:15:26 Acceptance, Surrender, and Recovery00:16:27 Lessons from 12-Step and Hitting Rock Bottom00:18:19 The Power of Accepting the Impossible00:20:01 The Ongoing Nature of the Journey00:22:07 Limit-Embracing Life and Vulnerability00:24:25 The Striver’s Dilemma and Productivity Deprogramming00:26:03 Acceptance as a Path to Action00:26:59 Saying No and the Reality of FOMO00:27:46 The Kayak vs. Superyacht Metaphor00:29:48 Embracing Imperfection and Perfectionism00:32:29 Sponsor Break00:35:07 Practical Tools: Free Writing and the Done List00:40:23 Completion, Momentum, and Sequential Action00:41:53 High Stakes, Perfectionism, and Interruptions00:44:07 The Myth of the Future Self00:45:47 Deprogramming Future-Orientation00:48:00 Intimate Interruptions and Time Elasticity00:50:19 Allowing for Life’s Interventions00:52:51 What Life Wants from You00:56:16 The Tension Between Significance and Insignificance00:57:08 Daily-ish Practice and Momentum00:58:57 The Value of Returning After Lapses01:01:07 Stacking Small Wins and Making Decisions01:04:03 Reframing Procrastination01:05:42 The Role of Fear and Avoidance01:09:02 People-Pleasing as Narcissism01:11:25 Sponsor Break01:13:55 From Philosophy to Practice: Meditations for Mortals01:16:04 The Power of Story and Self-Understanding01:19:11 Privilege, Burden, and Universal Finitude01:22:54 A Trojan Horse for Self-Actualization01:26:10 Agency Through Acceptance01:27:51 Ambition, Acceptance, and Action01:29:05 What If It Were Easy?01:33:35 Meditation, Allowing, and Getting Out of Your Own Way01:36:27 Comfort Zones and Low-Level Suffering01:37:40 Low-Stakes Practice and the Power of Small Steps01:39:00 The Importance of Doing Anything vs. Nothing01:41:32 Self-Optimization and the Limits of Control01:46:44 The Misconception of Living for the Future01:48:29 Scruffy Hospitality and Authentic Connection01:50:50 Embracing Mystery and Uncertainty01:54:51 A Book as an Active Companion01:55:34 Closing Reflections and GratitudeCONNECT 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/richrollThanks 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/otillonythttp://bit.ly/vegansglamI LOVE MAIL! SEND IT HERE:2630 Conejo Spectrum St.Thousand Oaks, CA 91320#richroll #richrollpodcast