Deep Questions with Cal Newport Cal Newport
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- Technology
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Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
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Ep. 292: Single-Purpose Notebooks
On his recent book tour, Cal found great success using a small notebook dedicated to developing a single idea. In this episode, he explores this “single-purpose notebook” strategy, identifying when it makes sense and why it works. He also takes listener questions about his new book, “Slow Productivity,” and reacts to a recent article about TikTok’s stumbles.
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: Single-Purpose Notebooks [5:02]
- If “pseudo-productivity” isn’t effective, why is it so common? [27:07]
- Can you explain the difference between limiting missions, projects, and daily goals? [34:59]
- Should everyone buy a $50 notebook? [39:21]
- How does “Slow Productivity” relate to mental models and first principles? [48:12]
- Should I read your new book slowly? [52:44]
- CALL: Does Cal ever stress about work? [55:24]
CASE STUDY: Applying lifestyle-centric career planning [1:00:31]
SOMETHING INTERESTING: TikTok Falters [1:08:56]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
bramses.notion.site/bramses/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51notebookstories.com/2013/05/06/picasso-sketchbook/anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10788/remembering-bruce-chatwin-the-greatest-travel-writer-that-ever-livednotebookstories.com/2023/12/22/a-notebook-in-the-movie-elf/com/tech/personal-tech/quitting-tiktok-less-swiping-more-sleeping-1e166a39?page=1 newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/tiktok-and-the-fall-of-the-social-media-giants
Thanks to our Sponsors:
mintmobile.com/deeppolicygenius.com/deepquestionsnotion.com/calcozyearth.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. -
Ep. 291: Do Better, Do Less
What does the story of the rise of the singing superstar Jewel teach us about escaping busyness in our knowledge work jobs? In this episode, Cal makes the connection, extracting a key lesson about quality as an engine for slowness, and then providing concrete advice and examples for applying this lesson to your own professional life. Also: listener questions and the books Cal read in February.
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: Doing Better, Do Less [5:00]
- Is my job too hard? [38:25]
- How do I sell myself better? [42:52]
- How do I convince myself to do actual hard work? [45:42]
- How do I find time to get better if I'm busy? [48:46]
- What is the values plan? [53:23]
The 5 books Cal read in February 2024 [1:01:45]
The Sabbath (AJ Heschel)
Making Movies (Sidney Lumet)
Killer of the Flower Moon (David Grann)
Orthodoxy (G.K. Chesterton)
The Good Shepherd (CA Forestor)
Links:
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
shopify.com/deep
drinklmnt.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
blinkist.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. -
Ep. 290: Financing the Deep Life (w/ Noah Kagan)
One of the most common strategies for achieving a powerful ideal lifestyle vision is to leverage entrepreneurial activities to find a stable source of income that allows autonomy and flexibility. To help understand how to succeed in such ventures, Cal interviews the entrepreneur and author Noah Kagan about his new book, "The Million Dollar Weekend." Recording on the road as part of his book tour for "Slow Productivity," Cal also shares some lessons about what he's been observing.
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: Marketing guru Noah Kagan [11:06]
Links:
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/deepquestions
mauinuivenison.com/deepquestions
zocdoc.com/deep
expressvpn.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. -
Ep. 289: The Email Catastrophe
How did we end up tyrannized by our inboxes? How is this related to Tyrannosaurus? What was it like working at a high-tech company at the exact moment email was introduced? In this episode, Cal weaves together all these questions into a story about the unexpected ways technology impacts our lives and what we can do after the fact to make things better.
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: The Email Catastrophe [3:47]
- How do I deal with email overload in a government job? [45:34]
- How do I deal with an employer who demands constant responsiveness?[55:36]
- How can I concentrate when coding when I need to use my web browser? [58:27]
- How do I overcome my fear of missing important emails? [1:02:35]
- CALL: Can slow productivity work for an academic? [1:06:38]
CAL REACTS: Reader Comments on his NYT Op-Ed [1:17:47]
Links:
newyorker.com/magazine/2019/04/08/the-day-the-dinosaurs-diedpnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1817407116newyorker.com/magazine/1994/01/10/e-mail-from-bill-gatesblog.rescuetime.com/communication-multitasking-switches/nytimes.com/2024/02/16/opinion/creative-work-productivity-seasonality.htmlUse this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/ FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
zocdoc.com/deeppolicygenius.com/deepquestionsblinkist.com/deepmoshlife.com/deepshopify.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. -
Ep. 288: Confronting Your Phone
We’ve become so used to our phones in our lives that we’ve stopped realizing how arbitrary and unusual the content we’re watching really has become. In this episode, Cal looks closer at what we’re really spending time doing on our phones, then provides step-by-step instructions for healing this relationship.
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: Confronting Your Phone [4:30]
- What does Cal think about Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”? [28:35]
- Can you pursue high quality leisure after a day filled with deep work? [33:14]
- Can commercial breaks be used for high quality leisure? [37:24]
- Will digital minimalism work in an age of augmented reality? [40:34]
- How can a full time YouTuber practice digital minimalism? [46:53]
-CALL: How to share content online? [52:38]
CASE STUDY: Cost-benefit analysis of technology usage [1:00:39]
CAL REACTS: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Search for Depth [1:06:43]
Links:
twitter.com/explore/tabs/trending
instagram.com/explore/tags/popular/?hl=en
tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en
newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/the-consolations-of-fantasy
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
ladderlife.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
rhone.com/cal
mintmobile.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. -
Ep. 287: Minimalist Notes
A deep life requires that you encounter and make sense of a large amount of incoming information, from narrow data relevant to a professional project, to broad insights into your purpose. How do you keep track of all of this? In this episode, Cal proposes a minimalist approach aimed at minimizing the friction required to keep tabs on what matters.
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 track information that matters [2:55]
- How should I make use of non-cognitive time? [27:37]
- Can people with ADHD become better at learning? [32:49]
- What does Cal think of Gloria Mark’s “4 myths of attention span”? [36:31]
- How can I concentrate on my dissertation when I have a full-time job? [47:04]
- How can I stop wasting my afternoon time blocks? [53:20]
- CALL: How can I better organize my idea notebooks? [1:01:38]
CASE STUDY: Avoiding the hyperactive hive mind to work more efficiently [1:05:46]
CAL REACTS: Is it bad to be slow? [1:13:46]
Links:
dailystoic.com/try-not-to-be-so-slow/
gloriamark.com/attention-span
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
grammarly.com/podcast
drinklmnt.com/deep
cozyearth.com (promo code “cal”)
expressvpn.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.
Customer Reviews
5 Stars! One questions - what’s up with “drawling?”
This is one of my favorite podcasts right now, so much good content! Love the deep dives and the case studies. There is one thing that flummoxes me, however. Cal says “drawling” instead of “drawing.” Why? Is this an east coast thing? Have people corrected him and he just delights in the idiosyncrasy of it? I HAVE TO KNOW 😬
Worth Listening To
This is the only podcast I listen to that has insights that I actually end up applying to my own life. Many podcasts give advice, but none else have prompted me to make real positive changes that stick.
At the beginning of the podcast’s run, Cal mostly just answered questions from listeners and readers of his blog. In the last year or so, he has changed the format, for the better imo. He starts with a discussion of a particular topic, then answers questions he has prepared before the show that tie into that main theme. (And then at the end he talks about something unrelated that he finds interesting.) This has added more variety to the show, and more importantly, allows ideas to develop across episodes.
The show promotes a way of life called the Deep Life, which is the central idea around which most or all of the themes orbit. I find that listening to the podcast regularly helps keep this way of life top of mind, no matter what the theme of the day is.
As for the jokes, I find them endearing.
Smooth out your life
If you’re a self improver, this show is for you. Cal’s advice is articulate, hilarious, and pragmatic. Everything from productivity to career direction to living more meaningfully with less distraction. My life runs like a TAG Heuer thanks to Cal. Smooth. Okay, not always, but increasingly. Thanks Cal!