The Cal Newport Show

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 273: A Deep Response to Distraction Nov 06, 2023

Show notes

A viral video making the rounds recently argues that the key to promoting learning is to deliver education in apps that are equally addictive as social media. Cal takes a closer look at the brain science behind this claim and argues why it is fundamentally impossible to beat attention engineered apps at their own game. We shouldn’t, however, give up hope, as our brain has a completely unrelated motivation system, built on a behavior called episodic future thinking (EFT), that we can leverage to make deep activities like learning seem more rewarding than the short term distractions beckoning from our phones. Mastering the EFT system is indeed critical to cultivating a deep life.

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: Can we make learning as addictive as social media? [2:33]

- Can I be happy in a job that doesn’t require me to learn? [33:44]

- How can I fight deep procrastination to learn better? [40:52]

- How can I identify the school for my kid to learn better? [47:11]

- How can I reflect on work concepts without feeling the urge to work? [51:48]

- How does Ultralearning apply to Slow Productivity? [55:36]

- CALL: Recommendations on learning [58:02]

CASE STUDY: Designing a system to learn [1:00:50]

The 5 books Cal read in October 2023 [1:10:14]

Links:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6FORpg0KVo

youtu.be/wmdG-uZk6JY?si=2_S6Mer1VnBJE3Wv&t=120
sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/

calnewport.com/the-father-of-deliberate-practice-disowns-flow/

ideas.ted.com/mental-time-travel-is-a-great-decision-making-tool-this-is-how-to-use-it/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

zocdoc.com/deep

hensonshaving.com/cal

blinkist.com/deep

expressvpn.com/deep

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

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

Ep. 272: The Essential Tools (w/ David Epstein) Oct 30, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Cal reviews what he believes to be the four essential tools for feeling on top of everything you need to do. If you’re missing one of these, you might struggle. If you use all four, you’re probably safe never thinking about “productivity” again. Cal is then joined by friend of the show, New York Times bestselling author David Epstein, to answer listener questions about their personal struggles to take control of their lives.

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 Productivity Toolkit [2:30]

- What is the most underrated productivity superpower? [35:05]

- Should I journal? [43:59]

- How do I build a system to help me remember things? [48:23]

- Can I use a split-day strategy to time block a reactive job? [52:01]

- Help! I’m stuck at age 30. How do I get unstuck? [54:42]

CAL REACTS: How can we make learning as addictive as social media? [1:16:06]

Links:

youtube.com/watch?v=P6FORpg0KVo

Thanks to our Sponsors:

rhone.com/cal

grammarly.com/podcast

policygenius.com/deepquestions

mybodytutor.com

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

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

Ep. 271: The Long Game Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Much of the advice we discuss is about how to improve things right now. But what are the right strategies for ensuring that we’re happy about where we are five or even ten years in the future. How do we ensure, in other words, that we won’t look back at major swaths of our lives with regret? In this episode, Cal discusses three big ideas for playing the long game when it comes to cultivating a deep life.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: https://youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: What can you do now to stay content later? [3:30]

- What habits help you escape complacency? [25:51]

- How do I know if I need a major change to my life? [31:00]

- How can I rediscover my drive to live deep with a boring (but stable) job? [36:08]

- CALL: Avoiding the stress of having a large “to-do” list [41:07]

CASE STUDY: Designing a deep work t-shirt to be productive [47:22]

CAL REACTS: Is Social Media a Collective Trap? [56:03]

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions

https://www.hensonshaving.com/cal

https://www.expressvpn.com/deep
https://www.shopify.com/deep

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

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

Ep. 270: Depth vs. Distraction Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

An increasing number of people are suffering from “super distractions” that rise above the level of harmless diversion and instead start to actively hold them back in their life. Some of the common culprits cited include social media, online pornography, and alcohol. In this episode, Cal takes a closer look at what creates super distractions and uses this insight to come up with an effective game plan for fighting back.

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: Taking control of your life from super distractions [8:09]

- How can I stay productive while in between goals? [36:24]

- Will I become depressed from a dopamine fast? [40:46]

- How can I overcome negative thoughts? [44:01]

- Are there rituals to help me handle shallow work more efficiently? [50:19]

CASE STUDY: Success with an electronic detox [58:27]

Cal Reacts: NPR left Twitter and the effects are negligible [1:06:59]

Links:

niemanreports.org/articles/npr-twitter-musk/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

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

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

Ep. 269: Don’t Get Started Oct 09, 2023

Show notes

After an episode in which Cal reviewed ancient wisdom on cultivating a deeper life, he turns his attention back to more recent advice. Focusing on three of the more unconventional but unambiguously effective ideas that he has proposed in his twenty years of professional writing on these topics.

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: Getting started is overrated [6:29]

- How can I become more confident in social settings? [36:15]

- Is it ok to be an ordinary person? [40:52]

- Is it important to have friends? [46:41]

- I took a pay cut to become a teacher again. How can I better organize my life to prioritize craft? [49:36]

- Is it ok to use YouTube to discover new ideas? [57:28]

Reader’s React: Is Productivity Natural? [1:05:04]

Links:

calnewport.com/dangerous-ideas-getting-started-is-overrated/

calnewport.com/treat-your-mind-as-you-would-a-private-garden/

calnewport.com/should-you-work-like-maya-angelou-or-eric-schmidt/

calnewport.com/on-tire-pressure-and-productivity/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

moshlife.com/deep

zocdoc.com/deep

hensonshaving.com/cal

mybodytutor.com

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

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

Ep. 268: Stoicism and the Deep Life Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

Stoicism seems to be all the rage at the moment. In what ways is it relevant to our question to live deeply in a distracted world? And in what ways is it not? Cal takes a closer look at Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and discusses his relationship with the philosophy more generally.

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 Ideas from Marcus Aurelius’s, “Meditations” [2:30]

- Can I realistically make an impact as an English teacher? [35:28]

- Can a seasoned professional screenwriter switch careers after 23 years? [40:02]

- I’m an accomplished professional but lack a competitive drive to do more. Is there a way to build this? [45:34]

- How can a CEO lower his anxiety with elements of work that aren’t strengths? [54:37]

- How can I bounce back from a deflating work setback? [1:02:52]

The 5 Books Cal Read in September 2023 [1:11:07]

Thanks to our Sponsors:

grammarly.com/podcast

policygenius.com

blinkist.com/deep

expressvpn.com/deep

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

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

Ep. 267: Why Are You Tired? Sep 25, 2023

Show notes

Knowledge workers increasingly describe themselves as exhausted and burnt out. Why is this happening? In this episode, Cal argues that some of the obvious answers aren’t enough to explain the phenomenon. The real answer is both less expected and perhaps more fixable than we expect.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Tiredness and the ability to produce work [8:18]
- How can I read more without falling asleep? [34:25]
- Is screen time before bed killing my sleep? [38:19]
- How can I still have fun while being productive? [44:20]
- Is discipline an identity or a tool? [50:21]
- How do I find my way back to the deep life? [56:39]

CASE STUDY: A magazine editor integrates projects into a deep life [1:02:00]

Final Segment: Lauren Groff’s slow productivity [1:35:06]

Links:

Authors for Voices of Color auction: Afvoc2023.givesmart.com
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/09/books/lauren-groff-vaster-wilds.html
https://www.thefp.com/p/why-i-traded-my-smartphone-for-an-ax
https://midland-school.org/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749597809000399
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/09/books/lauren-groff-vaster-wilds.html

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions
https://www.hensonshaving.com/cal
https://www.rhone.com/cal
https://www.shopify.com/deep

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

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

Ep. 266: Take Control of Your Technology Habits Sep 18, 2023

Show notes

Do we need to move to a ranch in the middle of nowhere to take control of our technology habits? Cal argues that these types of extreme examples are counter-productive, making it seem like real changes are close to impossible. He offers instead an alternative approach based on zero-based budgeting your technological life.

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

Today’s Deep Question: What does it really take to cure your smartphone addiction? [3:33]

- How can I build an audience without being consumed by social media? [31:20]

- If my kid uses an iPad for school, will he become cursed with digital distraction? [40:33]

- Does the digital minimalist community approve of Goodreads and Letterboxd? [48:52]

- I’m 30 years old and lost. How can I get my life back on track? [53:43]

- How can I stay on top of current events without scrolling social media? [1:02:11]

Closing Discussion: Is the Friendship Recession Real? What can you do to escape it? (w/ Jamie Kilstein) [1:08:38]

Links:
https://www.thefp.com/p/why-i-traded-my-smartphone-for-an-ax
https://midland-school.org

Thanks to our Sponsors:

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

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

Ep. 265: Big Ideas for Deeper Living Sep 11, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Cal visits eight of the most influential books in personal productivity, identifying for each a single idea that ended up most resonating both with his own work and the culture more generally.

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

Today’s Deep Question: What productivity ideas from other authors are the most worth paying attention to? [4:54]

- How do I time-block for the unanticipated “a-ha!” moment of insight? [40:23]

- Is my life as a surgeon dooming me to a reactive life? [45:19]

- Is it possible to read too many productivity books? [52:10]

- Is the Deep Life influenced by The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People? [58:55]

- Am I a disciplined worker if I only respond to deadlines? [1:01:09]

The 5 Books Cal Read in August 2023 [1:09:31]

Thanks to our Sponsors:

cozyearth.com

hensonshaving.com/cal

mintmobile.com/deep

moshlife.com/deep

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

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

Ep. 264: IN-DEPTH: How to Master Change (with Brad Stulberg) Sep 04, 2023

Show notes

Change is unavoidable. You can either fear it or learn to master it. In this interview episode, Cal talks with longtime friend of the show, Brad Stulberg, about his new book, “Master of Change.”

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: How to Master Change (with Brad Stulberg) [3:55]

Links:

bradstulberg.com/

Thanks to our Sponsors:

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

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