Break Free from Burnout: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less with Cal Newport #466

Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Dr Rangan Chatterjee

Health & Fitness, Medicine, Alternative Health, Mental Health

4.8 • 10.9K Ratings

🗓️ 2 July 2024

⏱️ 108 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In today's fast-paced world, the pursuit of productivity often leads to overwhelm. In fact, one report suggests that 88% of UK workers have experienced some degree of burnout over the past two years. But what if there’s a better way to work and live? This week, I’m delighted to welcome Cal Newport back to my Feel Better Live More podcast. Cal is a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and a founding member of the Center for Digital Ethics. He’s a New York Times bestselling author whose books have reached millions of readers in over forty languages. His latest book, Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout, challenges our current notions of work and offers a revolutionary approach to productivity. In our conversation, Cal and I explore the concept of "slow productivity" and how it contrasts with our culture of constant busyness. We discuss why traditional productivity methods are falling short, particularly in the realm of 'knowledge work' - a term Cal uses to describe intellectually demanding professions - and how modern digital tools have exacerbated the problem of burnout. During the conversation, he shares the three core principles of slow productivity: doing fewer things, working at a natural pace, and obsessing over quality. We delve into practical strategies for implementing these principles in various work environments, even for those who feel they have little autonomy in their jobs. We also touch on the importance of solitude and reflection in living an intentional life. Cal emphasises how smartphones and social media have impacted our ability to be present and socialise, particularly for younger generations, and he offers insights on setting boundaries with technology and creating healthier norms around its use, too. Our conversation also extends to the value of lifestyle-centric planning versus goal-centric planning, challenging cultural norms around constant connectivity and redefining success beyond professional achievements. This episode is packed with actionable advice that can help you reclaim your time, reduce stress, and find a more balanced approach to work and life. Support the podcast and enjoy Ad-Free episodes. Try FREE for 7 days on Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/feelbetterlivemore. For other podcast platforms go to https://fblm.supercast.com. Buy tickets for my stage tour https://drchatterjee.com/tour Thanks to our sponsors: https://boncharge.com/livemore https://drinkag1.com/livemore Show notes https://drchatterjee.com/466 DISCLAIMER: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or qualified healthcare provider. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on my website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

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0:00.0	If you're working a lot, but you're working on something just tangible and meaningful, it's not going to burn you out.
0:07.9	What's burning people out is the fact that they're busier than they've ever been before, but they feel like they're producing much less.
0:14.8	So what's going to burn you out is four or five hours of Zoom meetings plus 125 emails sent and received. It's almost like a
0:22.6	psychological experiment. We're going to have you spend your entire day talking about work,
0:28.5	no actual work is going to get done, and we're all going to pretend like this makes sense.
0:32.8	Hey guys, how you doing? I hope you having a good week so far. My name is Dr. Rongen Chatterjee,
0:39.3	and this is my podcast. Feel Better, Live More.
0:45.4	In today's fast-paced world, the pursuit of productivity often leads to overwhelm. In fact,
0:51.9	one report suggests that 88% of UK workers may have experienced
0:57.9	some degree of burnout over the past two years, but might there be a better way to work and live?
1:05.3	Well, this week, I'm delighted to welcome Cal Newport back onto my podcast. Cal is a professor of computer science at Georgetown
1:14.4	University and a founding member of the Center for Digital Ethics. He's also a New York Times
1:21.1	best-selling author whose books have reached millions of readers in over 40 languages, and his
1:27.2	latest book, Slow Productivity, The Lost Art of
1:31.0	Accomplishment Without Burnout, challenges our current notions of work, and offers a revolutionary
1:37.8	approach to productivity. In our conversation, we explore the concept of slow productivity and its three core principles,
1:47.2	doing fewer things, working at a natural pace and obsessing over quality.
1:53.5	And Cal explains how it offers us a way through our current culture of constant busyness.
1:59.6	We also discuss how modern digital tools have exacerbated
2:03.5	the problem of burnout and why traditional productivity methods are falling short, particularly in the
2:10.1	realm of knowledge work, a term cow uses to describe professions that are demanding off our brains
2:16.8	instead of our hands.
	...

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