The Cal Newport Show

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 164: LISTENER CALLS: Training for Hard Intellectual Work Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.

LISTENER CALLS:
- Optimal amounts of advanced scheduling. [6:46]
- Recommendations for not going overboard with strategic planning. [14:31]
- Training for hard intellectual work. [19:12]
- Convincing students to limit social media (rant alert). [28:30]
- Keeping eyes healthy. [43:45]

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

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Ep. 163: The Books I Read in December 2021 Jan 10, 2022

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.

OPENING CHAT: The Books I Read in December 2021

DEEP WORK QUESTIONS:
- How do I handle insecurity about my writing ability? [35:39]
- How do I balance non-work and work activities? [39:51]
- How can I take regular breaks to avoid eye strain? [43:53]
- How can I reduce anxiety around long term projects? [45:43]
- How should academic handle paper rejections? [48:36]

DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS:
- What are your (Cal’s) thoughts on fasting and deep work? [54:59]
- How should I maintain a healthy body posture while at the computer? [01:00:56]
- How do I stick with habits for more than a couple days? [01:01:55]
- How does a digital minimalist find interesting books to read? [01:04:57]

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

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Ep. 162: LISTENER CALLS: Ambition and the Deep Life Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.

LISTENER CALLS:
- Getting better vs. selling harder. [3:29]
- Convincing a girlfriend to use less social media [9:15]
- Time-blocking tips [20:29]
- Ambition and the deep life [26:17]
- Advice of an ideal desk set up [32:56]

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

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Ep. 161: Should I Follow My Skill or My Passion? Jan 03, 2022

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.

DEEP WORK QUESTIONS:
- How can a freelancer perform deep work? [9:56]
- Should I follow my skill or my passion? [12:50]
- How do you manage group projects in college? [21:51]
- Do you recommend listening to music while doing deep work? [24:16]
- What do you do when your boss has allocated you to a team “half time”? [26:20]

DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS:

- How do you return to time blocking after falling off the wagon? [36:25]
- How do you include non-work activities into your workday? [38:53]
- How do you structure you time if you love what you do? [40:10]
- How should you think about the Deep Life in retirement? [43:12]

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

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Ep. 160: REPLAY: What is Discipline (and How Do I Get It?) Dec 30, 2021

Show notes

Because I'm away on vacation these week, I'm replaying a classic show from the Deep Questions archives. This is Episode 125, which originally ran back in August.
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Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
DEEP DIVE: How Reachable Should We Be? [1:45]
DEEP WORK QUESTIONS
- What should I do if I finish a time block early? [8:28]
- How do I work deeply at home with a crying newborn? [12:54]
- How I work deeply while taking care of a child full time? [17:50]
- How do I manage a shared mailbox with my team? [23:11]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS
- What is discipline (and how do I get it)? [32:18]
- Should I take a harder job to get better faster? [40:04]
- What about people who don't want to do deep work? [43:49]
Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 159: REPLAY: How Much Should I Read? Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

Because I'm away on vacation these week, I'm replaying a classic show from the Deep Questions archives. This is Episode 109, which originally ran back in June.
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Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
BOOK REPORT: The Square and the Tower [04:28]
DEEP WORK QUESTIONS
- What should I do if I like my job but dislike the industry? [12:32]
- How hard should I push back against a shallow company culture? [17:06]
- Is productivity only for people with certain personality types? [25:57]
- What is the best strategy for an aspiring academic? [28:22]
- Should I ask experts or learn on my own? [30:14]
- Can you tell me more about the CIA's mail tubes? [35:36]
- How do I get on the New York Times bestseller list? [41:28]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS
- Is there value in keeping a daily record of significant activity? [50:32]
- Can I pursue the deep life if I have mental health issues? [56:46]
- Are there wrong ways to pursue the deep life? [1:01:01]
- How much time do I (Cal) spend reading? [1:04:48]
Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 158: LISTENER CALLS: The Story of My First Book Deal Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
LISTENER CALLS:
- Was Tesla the ultimate deep thinker? [4:01]
- Writing for academic audiences (bonus: the story of my first book deal). [7:03]
- The difference between deep work and the deep life buckets (bonus: Jesse and I discuss the latest progress on my new book). [19:05]
- Do YouTubers have a terrible job? [45:06]
- Preparing for the GMAT and job interviews. [52:18]
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 157: JENNY BLAKE: Help Me Do Less! Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, author Jenny Blake joins me for a conversation about her new book, FREE TIME: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business (https://itsfreetime.com/book), which helps entrepreneurs engineer the stress out of their work. I ask her to use myself as a case study and apply her principles to helping me reduce stress in my working life.
Though FREE TIME doesn’t come out until March, if you pre-order a copy now (at https://itsfreetime.com/book) you’ll get immediate access to a pair of free copies of the audiobook: one for you and one for a friend.
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 156: LISTENER CALLS: My Process for Writing New Yorker Articles Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
OPENING CHAT: Cal is excited about his new email setup.
LISTENER CALLS:
- Shutdown struggles. [13:58]
- The difference between value-based planning and the deep life buckets. [17:47]
- Drowning in meeting prep. [28:21]
- Fiction book recommendations. [32:34]
- My process for writing New Yorker Articles. [40:27]
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 155: Is Your Productivity System Leaking? Dec 13, 2021

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.
DEEP DIVE: Is your productivity system leaking? [6:01]
DEEP WORK QUESTIONS:
- How do I accomplish big projects in small amounts daily effort? [12:50]
- How do I make more money as I become more efficient? [17:28]
- What’s the best way to add structure to chaotic non-profit? [21:22]
- How do I build an autopilot schedule for unpredictable work? [27:10]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS:
- How do I modify your student advice for a part-time student? [33:32]
- How do I filter news? [40:31]
- Where should start in planning for the future? [43:22]
- Why does the FIRE movement get so much attention? [47:19]
- How do I convince myself to execute my plans? [53:41]
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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