Over the past month, I’ve been working my way through Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman—a daily-read, four-week “retreat of the mind” designed to help readers reframe perfectionism, reflect on how they spend their time, and release the illusion of total control.
The idea is simple: one meditation per day. Reflect, question, absorb. It’s not about hacking your habits—it’s about softening your grip on the wheel.
What the Book Aims to Do
Burkeman makes no secret of his thesis, and he repeats it often (maybe too often):
“You’re never going to sort your life out.”
The purpose isn’t despair. It’s permission—to stop trying so hard to win an unwinnable game. As he puts it:
“When you give up the unwinnable struggle to do everything, that’s when you can start pouring your finite time and attention into a handful of things that truly count.”
What Worked for Me
🧠 The Myth of Mastery
“Imposter syndrome… the belief that there’s a basic level of expertise that pretty much everyone else has attained, but that you haven’t.”
As someone juggling professional, military, family, and fitness roles, while having friends knocking these out of the park, it’s easy to assume others are operating from some secret playbook. Burkeman reminds us: we’re all winging it—just at different altitudes.
One of the things Burkeman and a lot of others neglect to mention about imposter syndrome… It may not be a lack of individual confidence, but rather an oversized perception of the importance of the role/job we are assuming.
🕰️ You Will Never Get Caught Up—And That’s Okay
“The incoming supply of things that feel as though they genuinely need doing isn’t merely large, but to all intents and purposes infinite.”
This is the managerial version of chasing inbox zero, only to find that inbox infinity creeps in from the side door. Burkeman encourages you to stop fighting entropy and start choosing your battles.
I try to prioritize tasks weekly and daily, but I still find myself addressing every email even in the quiet hours of the morning and feeling the pressure of ‘missing’ information.
🧭 Freedom in Limitation
“The result will be freedom… not freedom from limitation, but freedom in limitation.”
This distinction gave me language for something I’d felt but hadn’t articulated: leadership and adulthood aren’t about avoiding trade-offs, they’re about owning them. True agency isn’t unlimited options—it’s thoughtful selection.
🔄 The Power of “Good Enough”
“When you no longer demand perfection… that’s when you’re free to plunge energetically into them.”
Perfectionism, especially in high-tempo leadership environments, can quietly strangle creativity and confidence. Letting go of “ideal” makes space for real effort—and progress.
What Didn’t Land as Well
While I appreciated the rhythm of daily reading and the permission to slow down, I struggled with a few things:
- Continuity across my roles: The book lacked a throughline that connected the meditations to how I operate as a manager, a leader, a parent, or even a fitness junkie.
- Tone: At times, the tone felt overly self-assured or heavy-handed—like Burkeman was hammering a point that already landed.
- Abstraction drift: Occasionally, the book drifted too far into philosophical abstraction when I craved something more tactical.
A Few Favorite Highlights
- “Treat your to-do list like a menu.”
- “You’re pretty much free to do whatever you like. You need only face the consequences.”
- “What does life want from me right now?”
- “Being kinder to yourself isn’t a cop-out. It’s a strategy.”
- “Pay yourself first—with time.”
Final Thoughts
Meditations for Mortals gave me a lot to think about—even if it didn’t always speak to every corner of my life. It’s not a guidebook or a system. It’s a permission slip. A reminder that the game isn’t to win life, but to live it—intentionally, meaningfully, and maybe with a little more ease.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re just one productivity hack away from peace of mind, this book offers a refreshing (if slightly smug) reality check:
You’re not behind. You’re just human.
Glad I read it… Not only should we cut ourselves slack, but remember that others probably deserve our patience as they similarly struggle. Strict with self, and patient with others—like some old guy Marcus said.
Ben Sloot 
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