4:11 How Oliver got into journalism

He always had a copy of the Guardian at the breakfast table growing up

He had his own column at the Guardian for 14 years

On the relationship between reader and columnist

11:00 Why Oliver stopped the Guardian column in 2022

Ending one project opens the door for another project

On being a risk-averse, cautious person, but still embracing the insecure path at work

14:30 On how the book �Four Thousand Weeks� has been received by the general public

It�s had huge positive reviews

Writing the book is �the advice that [Oliver] needs to hear�

Oliver�s hunch is that when you write about timeless issues through a personal lens, it improves the chances of resonating with a lot people

17:46 On adapting time management approaches when switching from working in the office to the home environment

�The pandemic robbed us of our navigational aids�

Consider having more resilient plans that don�t require absolute control of your day

Oliver makes time for deep focus work, which is about four hours in the morning

23:18 The problem with focusing too much on efficiency

�It leads to more stress and busyness, and less focus on the things we care about�

Efficiency is infinite, so it will never be a solution

Focus your attention and energy on things that matter

27:33 Our relationship with time

Society has conditioned many of us to relate to time in an instrumental way, i.e. the value of an hour is determined by whether or not it gets us to certain crucial goals

30:35 The art of single-tasking

Multi-tasking is a way for people to feel in control

Build the muscle of neglecting other tasks so you can focus on one at a time

33:04 The �Efficiency Trap�

�A million different tactics can be helpful but the most important thing is the spirit in which you use them�

Organise two to do-lists: one long list, and a capped list

Keep a �done� list to visualise what you have achieved

37:31 The section in Oliver�s book about Jennifer Roberts� Art History assignment for her students at Harvard University

The challenge was to sit and look at a painting and sculpture for three hours without a break

Oliver undertook it at the Harvard Art Museum and it really helped him to slow down

So many of us suffer from impatience so we need frameworks to helps us slow down

Art appreciation needs to be done slowly

42:16 Being more present with your family

Parents try to ensure the best possible future for their children rather than focusing on the here and now

Retired grandparents are much more present with their grandchildren

It�s good to remind yourself regularly to bring things to the present moment

We all have a choice with how we spend our time

45:00 On time pressure

There is evidence for the claim that people don�t want as much agency over their time as they think

Understanding Terry Hartig�s research from Sweden on emotional well-being and time pressure

�Time is most valuable when it�s most well-coordinated with other people�

The notion of �Collective Restoration� is when everyone is having a break at the same time, e.g. summer holidays

51:10 Reconciling the idea that time doesn�t make room in your day � we have to make room for it

It seems that higher productivity and technology has freed up time for the average person � but rather than using that extra time for leisure, people use it to become even more productive

We use time to be �busy�, what social psychologists call �Idleness Aversion�

Work around the time that you have, not the work or tasks that you need to do

54:10 Atelic activities

Atelic activities are done for their own sake, not in order to achieve a particular end

Nassim Taleb said: �My only measure of success is how much time I have to kill�

Having a hobby is a great way to inherently enjoy doing an activity