A time management/self help book with a difference. Like me, Oliver Burkeman is a productivity nerd, a little over-obsessed with the mechanics of time management and productivity tools. This is his "seen the light" book, the title driven by the realisation that we all have maybe 80 years of life, and we need to ensure we are using it well. Using it well clearly does not involve fretting about to do lists, tracker apps, or even goal and task management. All that does in Burkeman's view is make you neurotic and unfulfilled. He encourages us all to embrace a more relaxed approach to "getting things done", and focus instead on having a more fulfilled life. We all need to realise that we all have far too much to do, and we need to focus on "enlargement" over a nebulous idea of the pursuit of happiness. He also suggests we tolerate discomfort, take uncomfortable advice willingly, remember everyone has imposter syndrome, and accept that no one knows what the future will bring. Along the way adopt better tolerance including patience, and even be a little more "selfish" in your personal life management. I enjoyed the book, as I enjoyed his regular Guardian column and his "imperfectionist" emails. A refreshing book compared to much of the self help porn I often read.

Read on Kindle. Published August 2021.