The Cal Newport Show

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Ep. 303: The Problem with Grand Goals Jun 03, 2024

Show notes

The desire to cultivate a more intentional and remarkable existence – what we call “the deep life” – is universal. In today’s episode, Cal talks about one of the most common traps in this pursuit: hoping that the achievement of a singular grand goal will make all parts of your life better. Cal discusses the problems with the grand goal approach and argues why the more systematic lifestyle-centric mindset will not only produce better results, but end up leading to remarkable opportunities anyway. He then takes questions and calls from readers and reviews the five books he read in May.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: How to create a deep life [9:55]
- Is it too late to start living deep at the age of 27? [31:29]
- Is it possible to cultivate a deep life at a job that requires full attention? [36:05]
- How come there are different Deep Life Stacks? [38:57]
- How do I cultivate a deep life with small children? [46:40]
- Do I need to “limit my missions” if I have a standard day job? [54:40]
- CALL: Keeping focus after having children [58:28]
CASE STUDY: Finding books to help cultivate a deep life [1:12:18]
FINAL SEGMENT: The 5 Books Cal Read in May 2024 [1:22:47]
Science and Human Values (J. Bronowski)
The Hot Zone (Richard Preston)
Extinction (Douglas Preston)
When the Shooting Stops…the Cutting Begins (Ralph Rosenbaum and Robert Karen)
The Great Partnership (Jonathan Sacks)
Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
zocdoc.com/deep
expressvpn.com/deep
notion.com/cal

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 302: Re-Enchanting Work May 27, 2024

Show notes

We talk a lot on this show about how to organize and execute your work, but not enough about where to do it. In this episode, Cal explores the theory and practice of “adventure working,” in which you escape to novel and inspiring locations to tackle your most demanding and interesting cognitive efforts. He then answers reader questions about habits and rituals, before ending with a critical look at a famous football club’s distressing embrace of pseudo-productivity.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Re-Enchanting Work [5:39]
- What are Cal’s health habits? [31:12]
- What’s the difference between discipline and rituals? [34:08]
- How does Cal read so much? [37:37]
- What are Cal’s writing-related rituals? [40:44]
- Should I go slow in my job hunting? [45:05]
- CALL: Working at a natural pace as a teacher [49:47]
- CALL: How to navigate the “pull system” [54:31]
CASE STUDY: Organizing files in a household [1:00:57]
CAL REACTS: Manchester’s United’s Pseudo-Productivity [1:11:13]
Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
calnewport.com/adventure-studying-an-unconventional-new-approach-to-exam-preperation/
calnewport.com/bonus-post-an-adventure-studying-case-study/
instagram.com/p/B1y5dV3HSC9/?igshid=1r2acwbmfztew
apcc.org/pond-stories-mary-olivers-blackwater-pond-provincetown/
scottishfield.co.uk/scotland-travel/the-black-heart-of-scots-crime-writer-ian-rankin/
calnewport.com/the-power-of-the-outdoor-office/
calnewport.com/deep-habits-my-office-in-the-woods/
theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/08/sir-jim-ratcliffe-manchester-united-remote-work-ban-email-traffic
theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/hybrid-work-attention-productivity/677598/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 301: Reclaiming Time and Focus (w/ Jordan Harbinger) May 20, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, the proverbial tables are turned, with Cal being interviewed by Jordan Harbinger about time, focus, and the quest for a slower notion of productivity. (This interview originally aired as episode 975 Jordan's can’t-miss podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show).
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
- INTERVIEW: Cal being interviewed by Jordan Harbinger [1:54]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
mintmobile.com/deep
grammarly.com/podcast
landroverusa.com/defender
rhone.com/cal
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 300: Hidden Technology Traps May 13, 2024

Show notes

There has been a lot of attention paid recently to the impact of technology like social media on the mental health of young people. But this is not the only technology trap lurking for this generation. In this episode, Cal talks about three subtle but significant ways in which our current technology culture is setting up young people for professional failure in the years ahead. He then provides some advice for resisting this fate. In addition to this discussion, he answers questions from the audience and reacts to one of the coolest examples of slow craft that he’s encountered in a long while.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: The Burnout Society [7:53]
- How can I stop distraction relapses? [35:18]
- How can I reduce my social media addiction without abandoning these technologies? [39:37]
- How can I schedule deep work with a scattered class schedule? [44:29]
- How should I reintroduce video games after a successful digital declutter? [47:14]
- How do I apply Slow Productivity later in life? [51:04]
- CALL: How to formulate a deep life when you’re young [54:41]
CASE STUDY: Tweaking the time block planner [1:06:44]
CAL REACTS: A Slow Reconstruction of an Ancient City [1:11:00]
Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJ4hkpQW8E
www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2023-cs-smartphone-research-report_final-for-web.pdf
tenochtitlan.thomaskole.nl/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 299: Our Love/Hate Relationship with Personal Productivity May 06, 2024

Show notes

Cal has been writing professionally about issues related to personal productivity for two decades. In today’s episode, he provides a short history of what he’s observed during this period about out constantly shifting relationship with this topic, from the quiet optimism of the 1990s, to the techno-mania of the early 2000s, to the whiplash shift from anti-distraction to anti-work sentiments in the 2010s. He ends with a summary of where we are today and what he currently thinks matters in thinking about getting things done. During the Q&A session, Cal is joined by special guest host Scott Young (whose new book is GET BETTER AT ANYTHING) to help answer your questions. We conclude with a list of the books Cal read in April.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: The 20-year history with personal productivity [4:20]
- How does Cal organize his files as a technical researcher? [1:04:55]
- How slow is too slow? [1:18:48]
- Does “Monk Mode” actually work? [1:27:25]
- How do I adapt my organizational systems to do more complicated work? [1:36:07]
- What are the most underrated habits for living a great life? [1:49:46]
CASE STUDY: Unconventional slow productivity [1:55:56]
FINAL SEGMENT: The 5 Books Cal Read in April 2024 [2:04:51]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51
moehrbetter.com/gtd-advanced-workflow-diagram.html
Books Discussed in Deep Dive:
7 Habits of Highly Effective People
How To Become CEO
Getting Things Done
The Four Hour Work Week
Essentialism
How To Do Nothing
April Books:
An Empire of Their Own by Neal Gabler
Co-intelligence by Ethan Mollick
Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan
The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb
To Heal a Fractured World by Jonathan Sacks
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
notion.com/cal
zocdoc.com/deep
shopify.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 298: Rethinking Attention Apr 29, 2024

Show notes

We think of information as something neutral; a spotlight that helps illuminate the reality of the outside world. Accordingly, more information is better than less. In this episode, Cal pushes back on this model, arguing that the form in which information arrives can strongly impact the understanding we extract. We must therefore be more intentional about what and how we pay attention. He then answers reader questions and surveys some unusual but entertaining stories about slowness.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Rethinking attention [4:08]
- What books should I read to help me develop a deep life? [34:35]
- Does writing by hand have benefits for your brain? [38:40]
- Should I get a brain scan to prove I have a low IQ? [43:46]
- Should I use ChatGPT for book recommendations? [47:39]
- How can I avoid wasting your gap year? [49:40]
- CALL: Is “Slow Productivity” related to “The Burnout Society” by Buying-Chui Han? [55:32]
CASE STUDY: Utilizing the phone foyer method [1:01:58]
FINAL SEGMENT: Slow news [1:10:58]
Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51
slow-watches.com/
penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318747/help-wanted-one-rooster-by-julie-falatko-illustrated-by-andrea-stegmaier/
rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/1108/1415296-why-handwriting-is-good-for-your-brain/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 297: The Deep Life Hardware Apr 22, 2024

Show notes

Why do you struggle with your grand attempts to escape distraction and aimlessness to make your life deeper? In this episode, Cal draws on an unexpected metaphor – Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, and the Analytical Engine – to help identify the subtle obstacle on your path to increase depth. With this new understanding in hand, he then details a specific gameplan to get around it. Later, he takes questions from the audience and reacts to the new AI Pin, a tool intended to render smartphones obsolete.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: The Deep Life Hardware [4:09]
- Does personal productivity make us anxious? [34:04]
- How can I build skills without getting in the way of my existing work? [42:11]
- How can I build a deeper life after years of neglect? [46:00]
- How is Sam Sulek’s stripped down YouTube channel doing so well? [52:12]
- How can I convince my husband that I’m not a time management snob? [1:02:38]
- CALL: Obsessing over quality [1:06:04]
CASE STUDY: Shifting a mindset to do more deep work [1:11:04]
CAL REACTS: Is the Al Pin the End of Smartphones? [1:17:46]
Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow
computerhistory.org/babbage/engines/
theverge.com/24126502/humane-ai-pin-review
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversation-with-cal-newport-the-key-to/id1498802610?i=1000652834277
samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/363-knowledge-work
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 296: Jane Austen’s To-Do List (LIVE) Apr 15, 2024

Show notes

In the first ever live episode of Deep Questions, recorded at People’s Book in Takoma Park, MD, Cal extracts a modern productivity lesson from the tale of Jane Austen’s frustrated ambitions, before taking questions from the audience.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: Jane Austen’s To-Do List [3:22]
— Is Cal building his YouTube channel with social media tactics? [27:36]
— How can I do less in such a busy world? [31:53]
— How do I escape the flow state? [37:01]
— How can someone become a star while obsessing over craft? [40:52]
— How can I apply Slow Productivity to unrelated projects? [46:40]
— How does Cal develop his writing frameworks? [50:20]
— How can I apply Slow Productivity principles to a team? [52:48]
— How can I avoid the Zoom apocalypse? [57:48]
— Is there a conflict between working at a natural pace and obsessing over quality? [1:07:16]
— How can a personal trainer build a wellness solution company? [1:09:46]
— How can our team not get delayed with technical problems? [1:13:00]
— How can a young lawyer manage peer relationships with teams? [1:16:38]
Links:
— Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
— Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
— Cal’s Monthly Books directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51

Thanks to our Sponsors:
blinkist.com/deep
drinklmnt.com/deep
expressvpn.com/deep
cozyearth.com (Use promo code “Cal”)
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 295: Artists Revolt Against Social Media Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

In this episode Cal takes a closer look at a growing trend of artists quitting social media and instead reverting to old-fashioned websites. Are these acts of principled sacrifice or a sustainable way to be creative online? Cal argues for the latter, showing how the internet without social media curation algorithms can be a place of rich discovery and audience building. He then takes questions on similar topics and ends by playing a few rounds of “deep or crazy” during the final segment.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: A Quiet Revolt Against Social Media [7:37]
- Is my deep living too extreme? [45:06]
- LinkedIn is getting toxic. Should I quit that too? [47:39]
- Where do online articles fit into the life of a digital minimalist? [51:09]
- Did Cal design the specifications for the hardcover copy of “Slow Productivity”? [54:04]
- How do I not feel overwhelmed by online content after a Digital Declutter? [58:07]
- CALL: Obsessing over quality [1:01:08]
CASE STUDY: Applying lessons from “Digital Minimalism” [1:06:37]
CAL REACTS: Deep or Crazy? [1:13:54]
Links:

Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
twitter.com/HumanitiesGU/status/1772436799727472942
youtube.com/watch?v=W3h9gV_z8OM
youtube.com/watch?v=tV6BbPTN5PQ
youtube.com/watch?v=r0RqucKwIcw

Thanks to our Sponsors:

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ep. 294: A Tactical Assault on Busyness Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

One of the biggest problems afflicting knowledge workers in the digital age is frantic busyness; days filled with emails, chats, and meetings, without much to show for all the effort. In today’s episode, Cal dives into one of the most-discussed ideas from his new book, Slow Productivity, which offers a simple, tactical assault on this state of persistent busyness. He then answers listener questions about similar issues and lists the book he read in March.
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
Video from today’s episode: hyoutube.com/calnewportmedia
Deep Dive: A Tactical Assault on Busyness [3:47]
- How can I stop chasing the “perfect” productivity system? [34:51]
- How do I avoid losing my day to distraction? [39:08]
- How do I help my partner escape meeting quickstand? [42:31]
- How do we design the perfect client/task/scheduling system? [48:59]
- Can Apple Vision Pro help deep work? [54:46]
The 5 Books Cal Read in March 2024 [1:06:43]
A Short History of England (Simon Jenkins)
Into the Impossible (Brian Keating)
The Amen Effect (Sharon Brous)
Sink the Bismark! (CS Forester)
Hidden Potential (Adam Grant)
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/can-an-ai-make-plans
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
expressvpn.com/deep
zocdoc.com/deep
notion.com/cal
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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