By now, I’ve lived a good portion of my 4,000 weeks. If you’re reading this and are anywhere near my age, chances are you have too.
That number – FOUR THOUSAND – is the average human lifespan, expressed in weeks.
Not years. Not decades.
Just… WEEKS.
It sounds short.
Because it is.
Let it sink in.
I came across Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals after someone described it to me as “the anti-productivity productivity book.”
That caught my attention.
As a guy who has run a business, coached teams, raised a family, and still finds time to ski hard and grill lamb like a champion, I’ve read my fair share of time management books. Most preach the same gospel:
- do more
- fit more in
- color-code your calendar
- gamify your to-do list
But Burkeman? He flips the script.
Time Isn’t a Resource—It’s Life Itself
What Burkeman reminds us – sometimes uncomfortably – is that time isn’t this external thing we manage. It’s the actual fabric of our lives. And every time we try to “master” it with hacks and shortcuts, we often wind up missing the point.
He doesn’t suggest we give up on goals or stop trying to improve.
But he does challenge the obsession with efficiency for its own sake.
That hit home for me.
Because if I’ve learned anything in my own Third Chapter of life, it’s that presence beats productivity every time.
The Beauty of Limits
Burkeman argues that we don’t suffer from having too little time – we suffer because we refuse to accept our limits.
We’re taught to believe we can do it all:
- the perfect job
- the travel bucket list
- the side hustle
- the ideal family life
and still have time for cold plunges, journaling, and intermittent fasting.
But we can’t. And that’s okay. We just have to accept being okay with this mindset.
The real freedom, Burkeman says, comes not from doing everything, but from choosing a few things—and doing them well.
I couldn’t agree more. That’s why I ski fewer resorts, but ski them deeper. Why I grill the same lamb recipe I learned at 10 and still find joy in it. Why I read slowly, revisit books like this one, and write blog posts not to go viral – but to connect.
Mortality Isn’t Morbid—It’s Motivating
The book isn’t gloomy. It’s liberating.
Burkeman encourages us to make peace with our limited time not by cramming more into each day, but by treating time as something sacred. Something to be savored.
He urges us to resist the trap of “deferred living” where joy is always just one completed task away.
Sound familiar?
Instead, he calls for delight in the ordinary. The walk, the quiet meal, the moment of conversation that wasn’t on your to-do list.
He points out that our attitude should be that we GET to make choices with the time we have, not HAVING to make choices. It’s all in the mindset.
If you’re like me – navigating life after 50 with a strong back, a curious mind, and an evolving sense of what matters – this book is a must-read. Not because it’ll help you “do more,” but because it helps you do what counts.
Key Takeaways (or “Week-Wise Wisdom”)
- You’ll never get it all done—and that’s normal.
- Focus is freedom. Choose a few things that really matter.
- Don’t postpone joy for when things “calm down.”
- Embrace the ordinary; time is made of moments, not milestones.
- Four thousand weeks isn’t a warning—it’s a permission slip.
Final Thought
Reading Four Thousand Weeks felt like talking to a wise friend who isn’t trying to get me to join into whatever brings him joy or a productivity app—but simply reminding me:
This. Is. It.
You’ve got four thousand weeks. Maybe more. Maybe less.
So, if you’re still waiting for the right time to book that ski trip, try that new grilling idea, or finally order the DNA test you’ve been putting off—consider this your nudge.
Because the clock isn’t ticking down.
It’s ticking with you.
And you’re still livin’ your best life—one week at a time.
Live!
Brian
