Living Well with Less: Embracing Limitations and an Imperfect Life with Oliver Burkeman

The Happier Life Project

This episode of The Happier Life Project explores the idea that living well might not come from doing more, achieving more, or constantly striving; but from embracing less.
What if the key to a fulfilling life lies not in endless productivity, but in recognizing our limitations and finding peace in the life we already have?

Bestselling author of ‘Four Thousand Weeks’ and ‘The Antidote’ Oliver Burkeman joins the show to talk about his newest release, ‘Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts’. A former Guardian columnist and contributor to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and New Philosopher, Burkeman is known for his deep, compassionate insights on time, mortality, and the pursuit of a meaningful life.

This conversation delves into the psychological strain of relentless self-improvement, the illusion of ever having everything under control and being on-top of things, and the calm that emerges when we stop chasing the idea of finally having everything figured out. Burkeman challenges the very premise that life can ever be truly mastered, and the damaging belief that we’re somehow incomplete until we do. Instead, he invites us to let go of the idealised life and begin a more liberating journey, grounded in acceptance and intention.

Chatting to host Gabby Sanderson, Oliver shares how changing our relationship with avoided tasks can create a surprising sense of freedom, and how embracing our limitations can lead to greater clarity, connection, and purpose. The “recovering productivity geek” also reflects on why being truly present matters more than chasing endless to-do lists, why fearing the future is futile, and how accepting the limits of time might be the most liberating shift we can make. This episode offers grounded, thoughtful insights for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the pace of modern life and looking for a calmer, more meaningful way to live.

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