Summer is at its peak here in Washington. The rose bush I nervously cut back in April has bloomed an abundant number of gorgeous pink and orange flowers. Small pears appear on the tree we mistakenly thought was apple. Everything is a verdant green, despite the drying heat and sunny skies. The temperature is hot but stable. There is a sense of fullness to the long days. The sky begins to shift towards a pale blue as early as 4 a.m. and the last vestiges of light remain until after 10 p.m.
My rate of book reading seems to match this abundant growth season. My nightstand and bookshelves overflow with potential. This week, despite my already burgeoning book shelf, a book came in that captured my attention: Four Thousand Weeks, Time Management for Mortals, by Oliver Burkeman. (the link is to an episode with Krista Tippett - I have yet to listen to it, but know it has to be good, so I included it!)
Only one copy of this title came into the store on Tuesday, and I felt like it arrived for me. I have already read the book and am reeling from the result. It is the ultimate get real about your time book. Instead of selling one on how to maximize time, increase productivity and turn your life into a blissfully smooth operating system, Burkeman instead presents us with hard truths. For each of us, if we are lucky, we have about 4,000 weeks on earth, which equals to 80 years plus or minus. He himself an admitted productivity junkie, began to realize that all of our focus on individual time management fails to address the core question - are we actually living our lives? And is our quest for ultimate productivity actually keeping us from living a life of meaning?
Both individually and collectively, we tend to delude ourselves into believing all things are possible and that the goal of life is to become more efficient and streamlined. Yet pursuing this path can lead to meaningless. Limits and recognizing our finite time actually brings meaning to experiences and existence.
As I read his words, my own mantra of sorts came to mind: Uncomfortable, Expensive, Uncertain. Rather than trying to plan out my days and achieve ultimate productivity, how can I use these three words to clarify what is important to focus on?
Is it uncomfortable? Am I NOT doing something because it will make me uncomfortable - and yet by doing this thing, will I grow or experience something more fully? How can I move towards what is uncomfortable?
Is it expensive? Not in a luxury way, but am I avoiding something because it is expensive, either monetarily or in time? Yet, if I invest in it, will it actually move me forward in my knowledge and experience of life? Will it create an amazing memory?
Is it uncertain? Am I not doing something because I am uncertain of the outcome? Burkeman talks a lot about how we want certainty and we want our efforts to pay off in the future. Sometimes it works out this way, but sometimes it does not. We have no control over the way future events will unfold, even if we have done all of the right prep work. By giving up reliance on the equation that our efforts must equal positive results or they are not worth doing, we free ourselves to be engaged in the present and on our tasks at hand, regardless of their outcome.
This book is a great and thought provoking read with many more points to consider within our finite slice of time :-) I highly recommend it!