cover of episode Meditations for Mortals, with Oliver Burkeman • Episode #169

Meditations for Mortals, with Oliver Burkeman • Episode #169

2025/1/25
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#mindfulness and meditation#literature and publishing#life philosophy#personal introspection#work-life balance reflections#self-discovery and growth#procrastination#personal growth and self-discovery#work-life balance People
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Emily
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Kate
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Oliver
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@Kate : 我体验了Oliver Berkman的《Meditation for Mortals》,它承诺能帮助读者过上更理智、更自由、更充满魅力的生活。我对Oliver Berkman的了解仅限于书中的版本。 @Oliver Burkeman : 我写作的唯一方式就是写我试图弄清楚的事情,以及这些事情如何能帮助别人。人们很容易知道自己想如何生活,但却难以付诸行动。这本书是关于弥合“知道”和“做到”之间的差距。我效仿的不是佛陀,而是马库斯·奥勒留,他的《沉思录》是一系列供思考和反思的见解和观点。改变和以不同方式看待世界的最实际方法是让一些想法深入你的内心。我希望探索如何转化为行动。几乎在每一种情况下,你真的都有选择。你可以自由地做任何你想做的事,你只需要面对后果。将你如何度过你的时间和你在乎的事情联系起来是非常有力量的。如果你能够看到你正在选择的意义,即使你觉得你没有选择,我认为这实际上可以创造一种对你生活的更大的掌控感,因为你理解你为什么这样做。最终,某些事情会成为你很容易想做的事情,并且会找到时间去做,因为它们对你来说足够重要。 @Emily Bohill : 你可以自由地做任何你想做的事,你只需要面对后果。“每日式”的概念是在一开始就考虑到我们可能会犯错,我们可能无法每天都做到这一点。承认我们是凡人,我们是有缺陷的凡人,这让我的肩膀放松了。“不完美主义”是这一系列小文章的指导原则,它是关于拥抱我们的缺点、拥抱我们的局限性、拥抱我们的恐惧。限制我做任何事情的唯一的人是我自己,而开始的唯一方法就是开始。优柔寡断是舒适的,因为在您没有采取任何措施的情况下,完美仍然是可以实现的。我们称之为舒适区的状态实际上是一个不舒适区,因为你感觉不好。真正的舒适区是过着你最充实的生活,做你觉得你想做的事情。“邋遢的款待”是另一个礼物。你如何吃掉一头大象?一点一点地吃。你如何攻击一项大任务?交易完美换取良好和完成。只要你拖延,你就不必做出任何决定。这本书的广度是它的优势之一,我认为这本书中毫无疑问地有一些东西适合每个人。你是有缺陷的,但知道这一点是第一步,然后你继续前进并完成它。这本书给了我很多,我绝对已经接受了。这减轻了负担。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Oliver Burkeman, the author of "Meditations for Mortals," discusses his inspiration, the book's structure, and his concept of "imperfectionism." He emphasizes the importance of moving from knowing to doing and uses relatable anecdotes to illustrate his points.
  • The book is a four-week mental retreat that aims to help readers lead a saner life.
  • It focuses on bridging the gap between knowing and doing.
  • The concept of "imperfectionism" is introduced as an approach to life that accepts limitations and embraces imperfection.

Shownotes Transcript

Step into a world of philosophical musings and practical wisdom with Oliver Burkeman. 'Meditations for Mortals' is his latest book designed as a four-week mental retreat, promising to help readers lead a 'saner, freer, and more enchantment-filled life'. Oliver joins Kate to talk about everything from the inspiration he took from Marcus Aurelius to how to invite people over without feeling like you have to spend three hours tidying the house. He also reveals his tips on making life-changes that stick, and the books he turns to when he's not reading for work.

Keen to test out the methodology, Kate is then joined by City high-flyer and busy mother-of-three Emily Bohill to discover how Meditations for Mortals works in practice. From managing work-life balance to facing literal rats in the PTA shed, we explore whether the lessons of Meditations are ones that will stay.

This episode is for everyone who is keen to turn knowledge into action and embrace life's imperfections. No less important is the fact that Meditations for Mortals is perfect for sparking deep conversations, and there's nothing we love more at The Book Club Review than that.

Reading list 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life by James Hollis   Find out more and sign up for The Imperfectionist (a free newsletter) at Oliver Burkeman's website   Subscribe and support the show Want more from the pod? You can subscribe to The Book Club Review via Patreon. Click through for full details and to sign up with a 7-day free trial.   You'll get a weekly-ish minisode, with access to the full archive, and extra bits and bobs like extended episodes or Patreon-only specials, plus access to book recommendations from Kate and fellow pod fans in the chat group. At the higher tier you can join the pod book club and come and talk books with me, Kate, in person. We meet on the last Sunday of the month via Zoom, with a recording posted to listen back to anytime. In February we're reading All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley, and in March it's Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munroe. Upcoming books are decided by members vote, so join in and suggest one that you would love to read and discuss.    If you're a Substacker you can also subscribe and support the pod there. (It's slightly cheaper as you don't get the chat or the book club options, but everything else is just the same.)   Timecodes for the time-poor

00:00 Introduction

01:32 An overview of the book, and the degree to which Oliver Burkeman put himself in there

03:55 The relationship between Meditations for Mortals and Four Thousand Weeks

06:24 Imperfectionism

10:45 Practical Applications and personal reflections

13:01 Field-testing the book’s methodology

29:37 Daily-ish and embracing imperfection

34:34 Scruffy hospitality and overcoming procrastination

45:34 Has it changed our lives?