The Cal Newport Show

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Ep. 233: Escaping Your Tyrannical Inbox Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

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: How can I free myself from spending all day in my inbox? [8:24]
- Why does Cal suggest having multiple email addresses? [43:27]
- How do I convince my colleagues to actually read process-centric emails? [47:16]
- How do I work with people who enjoy email check-ins? [52:16]
- How do I get key information out of email an into a better system? [57:25]
- How can I focus when my job demands an open door policy? [1:01:11]
Something Interesting: Alex Haley wrote on a cargo ship [1:12:42]
Links:
affect.media.mit.edu/pdfs/16.Mark-CHI_Email.pdf
tim.blog/autoresponse/
blog.rescuetime.com/communication-multitasking-switches/
www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/01/23/magazine/cal-newport-interview.html
alexhaley.com/2018/08/04/aboard-the-african-star-by-alex-haley/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
mintmobile.com/deep
huel.com/questions
hensonshaving.com/cal
blinkist.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 232: The Lumberjack Paradox Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

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
Today’s Deep Question: Why are lumberjacks happier than lawyers? [3:06]
- Should I leave a good job to gain more autonomy? [32:34]
- Should I quit my trainer job? [38:31]
- What does Cal’s workday look like? [45:52]
- How can I create a career without skills? [54:48]
CASE STUDY: The Slow Lawyer [58:38]
Books Cal Read in December [1:05:33]
Links:
- washingtonpost.com/business/2023/01/06/happiest-jobs-on-earth/
- frugalwoods.com/2021/09/15/mr-fw-retired-and-we-paid-off-our-mortgage-frugalwoods-fire-is-complete/
- bench.co/blog/small-business-stories/paul-jarvis/
- calnewport.com/blog/2017/05/22/john-grishams-15-hour-workweek/
- itsfreetime.com/about
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by Better Help: betterhelp.com/deepquestions
huel.com/questions
policygenius.com
notion.com/cal
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 231: Fight Burnout with Work Cycles Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

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: Work Cycles [6:57]
- Should I leave my relaxing job to make more money? [33:54]
- Is there a need for deep work retreats? [45:59]
- How do I find time to work deeply when I’m busy? [53:07]
Case Study: On Walking and Remote Work [57:25]
- Can Cal explain more about the “celebration” bucket? [1:02:09]
SOMETHING INTERESTING:
- Deep work cafe [1:10:28]
cbsnews.com/news/manuscript-cafe-in-tokyo-serves-an-antidote-to-writers-block/
- Gloria Mark’s new book [1:12:50]
amazon.com/Attention-Span-Finding-Fighting-Distraction/dp/1335449418

Links:
basecamp.com/handbook/09-how-we-work
bluemountaincenter.org/life-at-bmc
cnn.com/travel/article/amtrak-free-residency/index.html
myfranciscan.org/visit/hermitage/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
80000hours.org/deep
blinkist.com/deep
ladderlife.com/deep
zocdoc.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 230: How Well Are You Living? Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

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 well are you living? [11:14]
- How do you track deep life habits? [28:07]
- How do I become more social? (Bonus: How does Cal avoid being killed by Jocko?) [34:15]
- How do I distill essential ideas from complex topics? [46:13]
- How does Cal research his articles? [53:49]
- Should I get a Deep Life tattoo? [59:41]
THREE INTERESTING THINGS:
- Guillermo Del Toro Bought a Second House to Boost his Creativity [1:13:33]
kpcc.org/show/the-frame/2016-07-22/bleak-house-a-tour-inside-guillermo-del-toros-creative-man-cave
- Kary Mullis’s Nobel-Winning Moment of Insight [1:19:56]
nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1993/mullis/lecture/
- Charles Dickens Wrote “A Christmas Carol” on Foot [1:22:38]
Thanks to our Sponsors:
stamps.com/deep
grammarly.com/deep
hensonshaving.com/cal
mybodytutor.com
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 229: Developing Discipline Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
QUESTIONS:
- How do I find time to study for a better job? [5:14]
- How do I find rare and valuable skills to develop? [8:37]
- How do I develop discipline if I have an easy job? [12:33]
CASE STUDY: A graduate student with 5 kids takes control of his life [30:06]
- Should I work or spend all my time with my son? [35:50]
- How do I manage a strategic plan with lots of unpredictable projects? [42:54]
- How does role-based communication work? [46:09]
- How do I plan projects with unpredictable time demands? [50:58]
- Should I move my family across the country to accept my dream job? [52:56]
- How do you make time for Quality time with your wife with such a busy schedule? [58:43]
- Does Cal write reports on the books he reads? [1:01:18]
- Does slow productivity apply only to knowledge workers? [1:07:17]
- Why do my side hustles fail? [1:10:35]
Thanks to our Sponsors:

https://www.notion.com/cal
https://www.cozyearth.com
https://www.blinkist.com/deep
https://www.expressvpn.com/deep

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

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Ep. 228: A World Without Busyness Dec 26, 2022

Show notes

Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
DEEP DIVE: A World Without Busyness? [4:51]
- In an era of Quiet Quitting is it easier to become a star? [22:09]
- How do I resist my job’s demand for out-of-hours work? [29:52]
- Should new writers use social media to get feedback? [35:31]
- Should I use social media to promote my filmmaking website? [46:11]
- Am I too busy find new ideas? [53:54]
THREE INTERESTING THINGS:
- On Teenage Luddites [1:03:07]
calnewport.com/blog/2022/12/16/on-teenage-luddites/
- Deep Work in Stocism [1:07:48]
- Finding the Deep Life in the Mountains [1:09:09]
outsideonline.com/culture/essays-culture/moving-to-a-ski-town-steamboat-springs-colorado-no-regrets/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
ladderlife.com/deep
eightsleep.com/deep
wren.co/deep
zocdoc.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 227: Visions of the Deep Life? Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

- DEEP DIVE: Should I Manage Time or Stress? [2:50]

- How do I switch from a push to pull model of task management? [27:05]
- Where should I live? [40:13]
- Is “rare and valuable” the same as “impressive”? [49:01]
- CALL: Integrating Deep Work to create a Deep Life [54:43]
- How do I reconcile my lifestyle vision with my husbands very different vision? [58:09]
- How does Cal structure his values document? [1:04:12]

THREE INTERESTING THINGS:
Twitter, Attention, and Democracy [1:14:28]
(nytimes.com/2022/12/11/opinion/what-twitter-can-learn-from-quakers.html)
Research: Walking Helps Thinking [1:22:10]
(apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xlm-a0036577.pdf )
Novelist Ian Rankin’s Slow Productivity [1:23:47]
(theguardian.com/books/2016/may/07/my-writing-day-ian-rankin)
Thanks to our Sponsors:
shopify.com/deep
rhone.com/cal
blinkist.com/deep
masterclass.com/deep
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 226: The Productivity Dragon Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

Get your questions answered by Cal!
Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
- CALL: How do I balance different productivity systems? [5:24]
- How do I deal with a sudden increase in my work responsibilities? [12:29]
- How use the “waiting for” column on my task board when crafting a weekly plan? [18:39]
- If I adopt a natural pace to my work will I lose the race to success? [30:57]
- Should I quit my job to pursue a new business idea? [45:04]
- How do I handle a short period of having too much work? [50:20]
- I’ve lost my will to work. What do I do? [56:28]
- Does Cal get annoyed when people incorrectly cite his ideas? [1:02:56]
Books I Read in November 2022 [1:11:39]
Thanks to our Sponsors:
mybodytutor.com
rhone.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.

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Ep. 225: Should I Become A Thriller Writer? (w/ J.T. Ellison) Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
DEEP DIVE: Did Alan Turing Invent The Computer? [5:25]
INTERVIEW: Thriller writer J.T. Ellison [25:23]
Thanks to our Sponsors:
policygenius.com
eightsleep.com/deep
hensonshaving.com/cal
Get a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at stamps.com/deep. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show!
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 224: A World Without Twitter? Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo
DEEP DIVE: A World Without Twitter? [7:28]
bit.ly/3hQ9Wh4
LIVE CALLER: Starting a new company alone [34:28]
- How do I (carefully) convince my employer to embrace Deep Work? [51:48]
- I just quit my job. How do I reset my life? [1:03:36]
- How do I deal with having too much freedom in my job? [1:10:09]
- CALL: Which tool should I bring when I only have room for one? [1:17:53]
- Who does Cal personally admire? [1:23:43]
THREE INTERESTING THINGS:
- A novel solution to cell phones in schools [1:41:57]
bit.ly/3i2olHd
- The age of social media ending. Welcome to my party! [1:47:19]
bit.ly/3gosVit
- Eat, pray, herd [1:50:26]
wsj.com/3tOv6za
Thanks to our Sponsors:
grammarly.com/deep
eightsleep.com/deep
ladderlife.com/deep
wren.co/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

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