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Optimal Living Daily - Personal Development and Self-Improvement

3341: Welcome to the Post-Productivity World by Cal Newport on Personal Fulfillment

Optimal Living Daily - Personal Development and Self-Improvement

Optimal Living Daily LLC

Self-improvement, Education, Health & Fitness, Mental Health

4.63.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2024

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3341: Cal Newport explores the transition from the "Age of Productivity," where mastering tools and systems was key, to a new era focused on work philosophies that emphasize meaningful creation and personal fulfillment. This shift, sparked by figures like Merlin Mann, reflects a deeper search for a fulfilling work life, moving beyond mere efficiency toward a more thoughtful approach to what we do and why we do it. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2011/11/05/welcome-to-the-post-productivity-world/ Quotes to ponder: "Survey the current landscape of self-improvement blogs. It’s no longer popular to post about productivity porn." "The Age of Productivity began its decline around the time Mann, its Prometheus, turned his back on it." "What matters in this new age is your work philosophy, not your systems." Episode references: Getting Things Done: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280 The 4-Hour Workweek: https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is Optimal Living Daily.

0:03.0

Welcome to the post-productivity world by Cal Newport of Cal Newport.com, and I'm Justin

0:09.0

Molick.

0:10.0

Welcome to the old podcast, the OLD podcast, that stands for optimal living daily.

0:14.4

Where I read to you, and simple as that.

0:17.2

So let's continue the tradition and continue optimizing your life. Welcome to the post-productivity world by Cal Newport of Cal Newport.

0:30.0

The Age of Productivity.

0:34.0

September 8, 2008 was an important date in the world of self-improvement writing,

0:40.0

yet almost no one knows this.

0:42.0

To understand what happened on this date we should Yet almost no one knows this.

0:42.8

To understand what happened on this date, we should return briefly to 2004, the early days of

0:48.7

blogging.

0:50.0

It was then that a web programmer named Merlin Mann

0:53.4

stumbled onto a powerful formula,

0:56.0

blogging about becoming more productive.

0:59.4

He called his site 43 folders,

1:01.9

a tribute to the tickler file from David Allen's Getting Things Done system.

1:06.0

43 folders timing was good.

1:09.0

A new generation of tech savvy knowledge workers needed help navigating a work environment defined by information

1:15.0

overflow, and Mann offered them a tantalizing promise.

1:19.9

With the right combination of high-tech productivity tools, you could find your way into a utopian

1:24.9

state where work becomes effortless, especially if you use a Mac.

...

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