Not long ago, I published a splashy op-ed for the New York Times.

It was titled, There's a Good Reason Why You Can't Concentrate.

Now, it argues that technology is rapidly diminishing our ability to think, and that this is a major problem for both the individual, as well as the success of our society more broadly.

In it, I propose that the solution is a revolution in cognitive fitness, not unlike the

physical fitness revolution that emerged in the second half of the 20th century.

Here's how I conclude the piece.

I write, my intention is to spur a shift in understanding that can build into a larger revolution. I'm done seeding my brain, the core of all that makes me who I am, to the financial interest of a small number of technology billionaires or the short-sided conveniences of hyperactive communication styles. It's time to move past fretting about our slide into the cognitive shallows and decide

to actually do something about it. Now, this essay's made the rounds and I'm proud of it, but

there's one question that I've been asked more than any other by people who read it. How do I become

more cognitively fit? I gave a few ideas in the essay, but people want a more systematic

brain fitness routine, a sustainable way to push back against the digital forces trying

to make us dumber. Well, it's Monday, which means it's time for a Monday advised episode of this

show, which seems like the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into this question.

All right. So here's the plan. In the week since this piece has come out, I've refined my

cognitive fitness program into five different components. And I'm going to go through each of these.

I'll justify why each makes sense and then give some practical

advice for making that component work. Now, these five components add up to a basic cognitive

fitness plan that I think basically everybody should consider adopting. So if you've been feeling

like you've literally been losing your mind to technology and you're ready to start taking back control, then this episode is for you.

As always, I'm Cal Newport, and this is Deep Questions, the show for people seeking depth in a distracted world.

And we'll get started right after the music.

Music world. And we'll get started right after the music. All right. So let's get started with our first component here. We'll do a reveal. And it is

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