Embracing The Limitations Of The Reading Life

Lessons for readers from Four Thousand Weeks

One of the biggest issues readers face is the massive amount of books that are currently in print. There are many opinions out there on the internet about what books are worth reading and it can get overwhelming as our list of books to read grows faster than we can keep up. I find this true in my life as my interests and reading across genres varies widely. I want to keep up with the latest nonfiction hit. Oh wait, I should be reading the classics. But what about modern novels? The process of choosing can become daunting. If you are like me, it can be hard to be present to the current book without keeping an eye on the next book in the queue.

I recently re-read Oliver Burkman’s wonderful book on productivity Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. It is one of the best books on productivity that has come out in the past decade or so. There are many books on productivity out there and most of them focus on systems and ways to fit more into your already busy schedule. But Burkeman helps us look at the limitations to most productivity advice and makes the case that our lives are short (about 4,000 weeks) and we should embrace our limitations and our humanity. As I read the book again, I saw many parallels to our reading lives.

1. Embrace your limits.

With the average lifespan being four thousand weeks, the number of books a reader can complete in their lifetime is even fewer than that number. The reality is that we will not be able to read every book we want in our lifetime. This may seem like a harsh reality but it is actually freeing. If you embrace the fact that you are limited in books, you can choose more carefully which books to read.

2. Choose books not to read.

I listened to a podcast years ago and the host was interviewing a man who reads biographies and writes a blog where he ranks biographies that he reads and writes reviews on those books. He mentioned that he would love to read widely but he cannot do that because he loves biographies and wants to keep his website going for others. This was freeing to me to realize that we can choose to not read certain books or genres or we can choose to read in seasons. Choosing not to read a book does come with the cost of missing out but it also frees you up to read a different book.

3. Limit works in progress.

I read multiple books at one time. I try to keep the number of books manageable but it sometimes gets out of control. Since reading Burkeman’s book, I have been trying to keep my works in progress under control. This allows you to make progress faster on fewer books which could lead to reading more books as you are choosing to focus your attention rather than spread it in multiple directions.

4. Allow books to take the time they take.

I admit this is hard for me. Tracking books and setting reading goals has trained me to finish books quickly. As I read through a biography of every US President, I often had to set page goals per day to stay on track to finish my project by a certain time frame. Lately, I have been reading more slowly and allowing books to take the time they take. For example, I just read Dante’s Divine Comedy and I planned on reading it over a few weeks but it ended up taking over two months. The type of writing and the density of the imagery, demanded a slower pace with that book.

I also find that fiction slows me down. I can read nonfiction and history quickly as I am looking for ideas and facts and the book paces onward. Fiction is slower. It demands immersion in setting, characters, and plot. I have realized that I just have to read fiction more slowly because of the type of writing.

In a consumer culture that loves progress, fast dopamine hits, and visual progress, embracing your limits with your reading life can be a freeing process. It may feel difficult at first, if you are the type of person who typically consumes books. Hopefully these ideas from Burkeman can help us all slow down and give ourselves permission to let reading work in us rather than consume books. Just a caveat, every book is different. When I am reading for pleasure, I read at whatever pace the book calls for. So depending on your reading goals, these may not apply to a certain book. But if you want to read and think deeply and connect ideas, the process of embracing limits and slowing down can help you become a better reader.