Oliver Burkeman

Productivity expert, journalist and author of Sunday Times bestseller Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.

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Oliver Burkeman's Biography

Oliver Burkeman is a best-selling author and keynote speaker. His books include Four Thousand Weeks, Time Management for Mortals [Penguin Vintage, 2021] and Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts, forthcoming from Bodley Head in September 2024; as well as The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking [Penguin Vintage, 2012] and Help! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done [Penguin Vintage, 2011]. For many years Oliver wrote a popular weekly column on psychology for the Guardian, This Column Will Change Your Life. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher. He has a devoted following for his writing on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment. He has also presented a number of programmes for BBC Radio 4, including Oliver Burkeman is Busy, Why Are We So Angry? and Living with the News. Four Thousand Weeks – the title is a reference to the average lifespan of a human – is a New York Times bestseller and named one of the best books of 2021 by the Financial Times, The Times, The Observer, Audible, Time and Barnes & Noble. Here, Oliver explores why the central challenge of time management isn't becoming more efficient, but deciding what to neglect; why, in an accelerating world, patience is a superpower and why, in conditions of limitless choice, burning your bridges beats keeping your options open. In Meditations for Mortals, Oliver offers a four-week ‘retreat of the mind’, offering perspective shifts and practical tools for confronting our limited time, the challenges of prioritization and the lure of distraction, in order to cross the gap from knowing to doing, and take action on what counts.

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How to set goals with Oliver Burkeman

Oliver Live

How to manage your time better ‘Accept that you’ll never be in control’ 3

Oliver Burkeman- Understanding Patience

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Oliver Burkeman Keynote Topics

Four Thousand Weeks – Time and How to Use It

Oliver invites audiences to rethink their relationship with time, reminding us that the average human life lasts just four thousand weeks. Instead of chasing endless efficiency, he shows why the key is deciding what truly matters and embracing limits.

This talk offers a liberating approach to time management, helping professionals focus on priorities, let go of distractions, and find meaning in the moments that count. It’s a refreshing perspective for anyone feeling overwhelmed by modern life.

What Is Happiness and How to Break Free from Hyper Optimism

Our speaker explores why the relentless pursuit of happiness often leaves us more dissatisfied. Oliver challenges the myth of hyper optimism and reveals a more grounded, resilient path to fulfillment.

This session empowers audiences to embrace life’s imperfections with clarity and compassion. Attendees leave inspired to redefine success, cultivate balance, and pursue a deeper, more sustainable sense of happiness.

How to Navigate the Productivity and Wellness Quandary

In this keynote, Oliver examines the tension between doing more and living well. He explains why productivity hacks can backfire and how to balance achievement with genuine wellbeing.

The talk equips leaders and teams with practical tools to rethink success and avoid burnout. It’s a powerful reminder that true productivity comes not from doing everything, but from doing what matters most.

Oliver Burkeman's Biography

Oliver Burkeman is a best-selling author and keynote speaker. His books include Four Thousand Weeks, Time Management for Mortals [Penguin Vintage, 2021] and Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts, forthcoming from Bodley Head in September 2024; as well as The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking [Penguin Vintage, 2012] and Help! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done [Penguin Vintage, 2011].

For many years Oliver wrote a popular weekly column on psychology for the Guardian, This Column Will Change Your Life. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Psychologies and New Philosopher. He has a devoted following for his writing on productivity, mortality, the power of limits, and building a meaningful life in an age of bewilderment. He has also presented a number of programmes for BBC Radio 4, including Oliver Burkeman is Busy, Why Are We So Angry? and Living with the News.

Four Thousand Weeks – the title is a reference to the average lifespan of a human – is a New York Times bestseller and named one of the best books of 2021 by the Financial Times, The Times, The Observer, Audible, Time and Barnes & Noble. Here, Oliver explores why the central challenge of time management isn't becoming more efficient, but deciding what to neglect; why, in an accelerating world, patience is a superpower and why, in conditions of limitless choice, burning your bridges beats keeping your options open. In Meditations for Mortals, Oliver offers a four-week ‘retreat of the mind’, offering perspective shifts and practical tools for confronting our limited time, the challenges of prioritization and the lure of distraction, in order to cross the gap from knowing to doing, and take action on what counts.