309: Discussing the Art of Doing Nothing with Celeste Headlee

Today’s guest wins the prize – if there indeed were a prize – for fastest repeat appearance on the show.

That’s right, we first heard from Celeste Headlee when we chatted about her last book.

celeste headlee

Her new book, out today, is called Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving.

Wow, is it an eye-opener, challenging conventional wisdom on a number of topics.

From the book’s inner jacket: “Burnout is now classified as a legitimate medical diagnosis according to the World Health Organization. Do Nothing offers an understanding of how we’ve arrived at this point and how to break the cycle.”

Let’s indeed break that cycle, shall we?

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In today’s episode, Celeste and I explore:

  • Challenging the idea that work is good and idleness is bad
  • How tracking her own time led to the realization that she (and all of us) have more than enough
  • What research says about focused work and how to achieve it
  • And lots more!

Celeste’s New Book

You can order both Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving right now!

The Do-Nothing Book Trailer

Celeste’s Tips for Retaining What She Reads

Celeste takes her notes by hand rather than electronically. Well, she uses a tablet, actually, but one that allows her to write directly onto the tablet (she wants to save a few trees too). Studies show we are much more likely to retain what we write versus what we type.

She then categorizes her notes by folders for easy reference later if needed.

Check Out These Additional Resources

Visit Celeste’s website here for more about her and her work.

Be sure and grab your copy of Celeste’s book now.

Considering bringing Celeste in to work with your group.

Connect with Celeste on Twitter and LinkedIn.

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