Oliver Burkeman on the Power of Embracing Imperfectionism

This was such an interesting conversation and I think perfect to start this year with! I loved that it asked thoughtful questions without rushing to neat answers. The different rabbit holes host and guest go down are truly thought provoking. It’s definitely made me curious to read more by Oliver Burkeman.

I’ve also come to realise (quite clearly) that I have a rather dysfunctional relationship with time!!

Burkeman argues (rather counter-intuitively) that to truly be immersed in time, you have to be willing to waste it. The moment you add pressure (eg telling yourself: “I need to savour this”) you’ve already lost something. That really rang true.

Another insight that stayed with me came from Jennifer Roberts, quoted in the episode: “Patience is a form of power.” She urges us to resist the pull of speed and acceleration, and instead build the inner strength required to be patient. This is something that feels increasingly hard, rare, and yet so valuable.

Lastly, I was intrigued by the idea that "not doing the thing" now requires discipline. In a world of endless choice and overwhelming abundance, Burkeman suggests this is a distinctly modern challenge: choosing not to act, not to optimise, not to fill every moment.

It definitely made me reflect and think again about how I relate to time, choice, and attention.

https://timesensitive.fm/episode/oliver-burkeman-on-the-power-of-embracing-imperfectionism/

Nile

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Jan 17, 2026

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Wow. I will try to make time to listen to this episode and learn more about Oliver Burkeman because just the few things you mentioned are bang on. Last year I started to feel as though time was rushing by and couldn't figure out how to slow it down. Then in the summer I took my first proper vacation in years and decided I would do low to no screens. Just books, beach and campfire. That one week felt like two and August was the first month that actually felt like 30 days. Since then I've been forcing myself to take two days off a week rather than one as I was doing before and now it feels as though time has finally slowed down. And Burkeman is definitely right about the discipline involved in not acting and maximizing. It feels as though hustle culture has permeated every aspect of our lives and I'm not sure how that happened.

Alicia

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Feb 19, 2026

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I've never thought so long and hard about the concept of time! But then again, that's not a luxury I afford myself often, so I'm reinspired to hit the reset button after listening to this interview! I'm intrigued by the idea of taking ownership of our own time. It sounds kind of ridiculous put like that but Burkeman's comments about the source of urgency often being someone else's agenda are worth reflecting on. It absolutely is a decision to 'not do' just as it is to 'do', and if we don't take that decision into our own hands then it's decided for us by others, our subconscious or pure randomness.

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