Greetings!
Can you believe it’s already time for another dose of reading, writing, and randomness? I can! To get us all in sync, enjoy this quote:
Quote of the Week:
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by.”
―Douglas Adams
A Reading That Changed My Perception of Time:
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Like many of you, I sometimes obsess about productivity. I am no stranger to lists, spreadsheets, and life hacks, savoring every dopamine hit that comes with crossing off another task or making progress toward a major goal. Surely you’ve tried methods to improve your focus, prioritize your values, and streamline your life to get you on the path to achieving everything you want.
This book, my friends, has no interest in such efforts. In Four Thousand Weeks (the length of an eighty-year life), Burkeman aims to burst our productivity-driven illusions: “The real measure of any time management technique,” he observes, “is whether or not it helps you neglect the right things.” While this may sound defeatist, or at least depressing, it can be excellent news. The finitude of life is not a condition we can plan our way out of, but rather a gift — the one thing worth optimizing. Take the time to enjoy Burkeman’s thoughtful, often humorous examination of what real time management means.
A Writing Hack to Save Time:
Voice to Text. Yes, I know I just recommended a book that advises against “time hacks.” However, I prefer to view this technique as a “life enhancement” rather than a productivity trick, and most of us already use it in other ways.
I don’t decide when inspiration strikes, and often I am not at a laptop or toting a pen and paper when it does. I used to try keeping post-its and pens in the car and by my bed, just in case I’d get a great idea mid-drive (or mid-rest — never both at the same time, mind you). One day, while voice-to-texting my wife, I noticed my phone was pretty good at turning my talking into writing. I tried the feature with Notes and Google Docs, and voila! I could say what I was thinking and have a (reasonably) accurate rough draft in a few minutes.
I’ve been relying on this gem for years now; as you can see, I’ve been using it since my TikTok days.
A Truly Random Hopscotch Through Time:
Everything Everywhere by Gary Arndt. Like the title suggests, this podcast is completely unfettered in its range of topics. Gary Arndt, who has traveled to every country in the world, releases a new episode every day — he’s up to 1300+ shows. Each day, he showcases his cosmopolitan curiosity with topics ranging from ancient battles to futuristic technology, famous figures to fascinating nobodies, railways to cruciferous vegetables. Clocking in at about 10 minutes per episode, these are fun little audio snacks anytime your ears have a few moments free to hear something new. You can obviously dive in anywhere and skip around however you like, since each episode is its own topic. For starters, I recommend checking out “The Most Dominant Athlete in the World” or, for a vaguely Easter-y theme, “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Eggs.”
And that's it! Did you like what you saw? Please share Lau’s Little List with anyone who you think would enjoy an extra dose of reading, writing, and randomness in their lives!
I would greatly appreciate any feedback you'd like to provide. Which recommendation was your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of in the next installment? Do you have any other suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.