Ep. 27: Inside My Planning Discipline, the Joys and Sorrows of Slack, and Finding Depth Among Shallow Friends | DEEP QUESTIONS

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal Newport

Technology, Education, Self-improvement

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2020

⏱️ 80 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions about what’s on my weekly plan at the moment, the complicated impact of Slack, and pursuing depth among friends more interested in fun.I will be sending out a new request for text questions to my mailing list soon. You can sign up for my mailing list at calnewport.com. You can submit audio questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/CalNewportPlease consider subscribing (which helps iTunes rankings) and leaving a review or rating (which helps new listeners decide to try the show).Here’s the full list of topics tackled in today’s episode along with the timestamps:WORK QUESTIONS* Is monthly planning necessary? (Bonus: A look at my current plans) [2:12] * Breaking up time blocks [10:03]* Debunking writer’s blocks [11:28]* Favoritism versus career capital [17:56]* When to stop studying [27:35]* Getting back up when struggling in your work [30:19]QUESTION ROULETTE [34:58]TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS* The productivity apps I use [42:49]* Do academics need good digital presences? [43:37]* Leaving social media when you can’t leave the house [45:13]* The mixed impact of the rise of Slack [50:53]BACKSTAGE PASS [57:41]DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS* Finding a calling when you’re interesting in many things [1:01:57]* Sticking to the deep life when you’re friends are deeply into the fun life (Bonus: tales from my one day as a Dartmouth frat brother) [1:07:14]Thanks to listener Jay Kerstens for the intro music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Cal Newport and this is Deep Questions, the show where I answer queries for my readers about work, technology, and the deep life.
0:24.0	We have a good show.
0:26.0	This batch of questions that I'll be drawing from today seems to have a lot of queries about career stuff
0:32.0	so that should be interesting. I will also play a little
0:36.0	question roulette and I will give you an update on the Deep Work HQ in the backstage past segment.
0:45.0	Of course to submit your own questions you need to sign up for my mailing list at Cal
0:48.7	Newport.com and look out for the semi-regular surveys I send out to that list to solicit new
0:56.1	queries for this show. Before we get started let's do a quick review of the week.
1:11.6	So I'm looking here at Apple, iTunes Podcast Store, and let's grab a recent five-star review. This one comes from Velvet Hammers, who writes,
1:17.2	listing the calendar report is like having my own productivity coach.
1:21.7	With every episode I feel challenged to reflect on or adopt a new behavior to improve my approach
1:26.9	to work or life.
1:28.8	This podcast has value on its own or to listen to in combination with his books, deep work and digital
1:33.4	minimalism are the two books I have read. Well, Velvet Hammers, I appreciate that
1:39.5	just like I appreciate all reviews as that really helps people take that plunge into our weird idiosyncratic
1:45.4	world of work technology and the deep life. We're also up to 398 ratings.
1:50.3	So like an odometer turning over I suspect or suppose I should say that going to 400 will be
1:58.2	Minimally fulfilling to watch so there we go we're close guys a few more ratings we hit 400 400. All right. That's enough admin. We got a lot of questions. I don't want to cut us any shorter than we need to so let's get rolling as always with some work questions
2:20.0	Natalia asks, do you plan your month the same way as you plan your week? Well, Natalia, the answer is no, and for the very good reason that I don't plan my months.
2:27.0	The scale of planning I do in my productivity system is daily, where I deploy time block planning, weekly, where I have a
2:37.3	weekly planning discipline where I look at the week of head, get a sense of what needs to
2:41.6	be done, perhaps some ongoing habits or heuristics,
	...

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