Russell recommended I read Oliver Burkeman’s column ‘the eight secrets to a fairly fulfilled life’.
This was the final edition of Burkeman’s ‘This column will change your life’ that ran weekly from 2006 to 2020.
The purpose of this final column was to give the stage to the principles that came up over and over again during the column’s 14-year run.
I had heard of Burkeman, but I hadn’t read anything of his before. I connected immediately with his style: both tongue-in-cheek and earnest, but also piercing with clarity.
A few of the eight “secrets” resonated deeply.
There will always be too much to do – and this realisation is liberating.
My takeaway: Don’t beat yourself up for this one. Most of modern life feels like a constant learning, and relearning, of this lesson.
When stumped by a life choice, choose “enlargement” over happiness.
My takeaway: Us humans are bad at predicting what will make us happy. So we should choose that which will help us grow the most.
The capacity to tolerate minor discomfort is a superpower.
My takeaway: How many of life’s greatest ambitions are set aside due to the avoidance of “tolerable levels of unpleasantness?” Chilling.
The future will never provide the reassurance you seek from it.
My takeaway: Stop trying to control what you can’t.
I’m looking forward to poking through a few more of Burkeman’s columns. Thanks again for the recommendation, Russell!