Four Thousand Weeks

Book Chat with Lani Assaf

 

Episode Notes (by minute):

  • 1:30: How Lani is a big fan of Four Thousand Weeks and decided to read it after hearing about from friends in Haley Nahman’s newsletter

  • 2:45: “we've been sold this dream of time management and of productivity. And it's just that, it's just not real. It's just sort of a flawed relationship with time as a resource. 

  • 5:30: How this book helped Lani think about being present, and how she feels present at concerts and live music 

  • 8:30: How the book helped give Lani a philosophical understanding of why we are all obsessed with our to do lists because it makes us feel like we are in control 

  • 9:30: Warren Buffet’s approach to goal setting: write down your top 25 goals. Then, pull out the top 5 and eliminate all of the other ones. 

  • 12:00: The Effeciency Trap: that the more work you get done, the more work someone may give to you 

  • 14:00: Why its a good idea to be in sync with people, and how being a digital nomad does not allow for that 

  • 20:00: Parkinson’s Law: how work expands to fill the amount of time available for completion 

  • 27:00: The 10 tools for embracing finitude: 1) adopt a “fixed volume” approach to productivity, 2) serialize, serialize, serialize, 3) decide in advance what to fail at, 4) focus on what you’ve completed, not just on what’s left to complete, 5) consolidate your caring, 6) embrace boring and simple-purpose technology, 7) seek out novelty in the mundane, 8) be a “researcher” in relationships, 9) cultivate instantaneous generosity, 10) practice doing nothing 

  • 31:00: What being a “bad texter” could mean, and how sending a voice note could improve your connection with someone 

  • 36:30: How powerful the title of the book is and that on average we have 4,000 weeks to live 

  • 37:30: How hopefully this book is liberating for you in a way that any career or life can be meaningful 

  • 39:00: Focus on the things that you can control. Don't beat yourself up about the things that you think that you should do but don't get around to it. 

    (Note: these are quick notes and takeaways by David Nebinski. Please see the episode for more accurate information)

Published Date: 12/21/23