Oliver Burkeman, Thinker & Writer

‘Your experience of being alive consists of nothing other than the sum of everything to which you pay attention.’

I first came across the writing of Oliver Burkeman in his weekly column for the Guardian newspaper. Each week beneath the gently ironic title of ‘This Column Will Change Your Life’, Oliver would ponder on an idea or technique intended to make modern living just a little easier. 

He’d cut through the worst excesses of the cult of positive thinking with his laser guided wit, and somehow, in so doing, unearth genuinely useful insights, not least about creativity and the way we work.

Now he’s written two books with a third on the way, and I love how he threads together ancient truths from Stoicism and Buddhism, together with discoveries from the latest research into neuroscience and human behaviour.

Our conversation, recorded remotely, begins with his own writing process, before we go on to explore the evils of procrastination and perfectionism, and the universal curse of self-doubt; Oliver explains why when you’re feeling overwhelmed becoming more efficient is maybe the worst thing you can do; and he shares a brilliant tip on how to navigate those tough calls one has to make in life about whether a job or a relationship or a life change is the right thing to do. Oh, and if you listen very carefully about two thirds of the way through you’ll hear my local ice cream van making his rounds.

This is a thought provoking conversation with a lovely human being in possession of a very large brain. I hope you enjoy it.