Every so often, a book arrives that feels less like new information and more like a deep exhale – a reminder of what we already know, but too often forget. Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks is one of those books.
Burkeman begins with a sobering truth: if we live to the age of 80, we have roughly four thousand weeks on this planet. Four thousand. Not a limitless stretch of time, but a finite gift. From that foundation, he explores how we might approach life differently – not by doing more, but by living more fully.
What I love about Burkeman’s writing (having first enjoyed his earlier work The Antidote) is the combination of wit, humility, and wisdom. He reassures us that productivity hacks won’t save us, that perfection is a mirage, and that our real task is to make peace with limitation – and, in doing so, discover the joy of being alive.
At My Manifesto, we share a similar conviction. Our book and workshops invite people to slow down, reflect, and name what matters most – to craft a personal manifesto, a private declaration of wisdom and intent. Like Burkeman’s reflections, this practice doesn’t magically remove life’s tensions, but it helps you navigate them with greater clarity and compassion.
I couldn’t help but think of our Inspiration Cards as I read Four Thousand Weeks. Each small card, like Burkeman’s insights, is a gentle nudge to pause, notice, and choose with intention. Whether it’s a reminder of your strengths, your values, or the simple beauty of an act of kindness, they serve as anchors in the whirlwind of days.
I think Oliver Burkeman would appreciate many of our Inspiration Cards, but one in particular, created and suggested by my wise and loving Dad, Gerry Robinson (who just quietly is about to live fully into his 4,500th week!), reads:
“Usually we live life more than we think it. When we think it, we live life more.”
So if you’re looking for your next read, I wholeheartedly recommend Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks. It’s not a manual for squeezing more into your schedule. It’s an invitation – to see your time differently, to embrace your limits, and to live with the kind of intentionality that makes four thousand weeks feel like enough.
Because, as we often say at My Manifesto: life really is better when you know what matters most, and you have your personal manifesto as your guide.
With special thanks to both Burkeman and my Dad!
Go well.