Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Sometimes the quest for productivity can seem like the embrace of activity for the sake of activity, a prospect that inevitably leads to exhaustion. In today’s episode, Cal explores this idea by discussing “productivity rain dances,” why they’re dangerous, and what works better instead. He then answers listener questions and ends with a Tech Corner segment in which he fact checks Joe Rogan’s understanding of ChatGPT.

Transcribed - Published: 17 February 2025

In a recent appearance on the Tim Ferriss podcast, the prolific fantasy author Brandon Sanderson revealed how he reshaped his media company to help him do what he does best. In this episode, Cal explores the idea, and asks the key question: why is this not more common? In exploring an answer he uncovers a bigger issue in modern digital knowledge work and points towards potential answers. He then answers listener questions and concludes with a tech corner about Alan Turing.

Published: 10 February 2025

One of the most common complaints from listeners to the podcast is the feeling that they’re too distracted; both at work and at home. In today’s episode, Cal reviews five major explanations for this current state of affairs, and then uses this new understanding to identify concrete actions to make things better. He then answers reader questions and reviews the five books he read in January.

Transcribed - Published: 3 February 2025

Remote work is a hot discussion topic right now as president Trump moves to eliminate it from government work. For those who are still allowed to work from home this new focus provides a good chance to rethink how to get the most out of these arrangements. In today’s episode, Cal presents three foundational ideas from his reporting about what makes remote work actually work, and for each provides concrete advice individuals can apply to make their own virtual setups better. He then answers reader questions and ends with a tech corner focused on what the law says about whether social media should be banned for kids.

Transcribed - Published: 27 January 2025

In a recent article for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson writes about the troubling trends toward increased solitude. In this episode, Cal looks at the role technology plays in these trends, pointing out some surprising factors and then using these insights to come up with a practical plan for reconnecting with the world. He then answers listener questions and concludes with a tech corner segment inspired by yet another New Yorker column.

Transcribed - Published: 20 January 2025

One of the most popular and most derided topics in online productivity spaces are so-called morning routines. In this episode, Cal wades into this content, identifying three major categories of these routines. For each, he explores what’s good and what’s bad. In the end, he uses these lessons to update his own daily routines in some highly specific ways. He then answers reader questions and ends with a “tech corner” segment that builds on Cal’s latest essay for The New Yorker.

Transcribed - Published: 13 January 2025

In this episode, Cal talks about his journey into the tinsel-tinged world of Hallmark Christmas movies, where he discovered an unexpected connection between these low-budget productions and a key idea in the quest to cultivate a deep life in a distracted world. He then answers questions from listeners and reviews the books he read in December.

Transcribed - Published: 6 January 2025

It’s the New Year, which means people are thinking about making changes to their lives. In this episode, Cal offers small but high impact tweaks – what he calls “course corrections” – to immediately find more depth in 2025. He then answers listener questions and ends with a tech corner segment where he steps into an online debate about the future of social media.

Transcribed - Published: 30 December 2024

In celebration of Christmas vacation, Cal decides to have some fun with today’s episode by letting producer Jesse take over the show and ask all the questions he’s always wanted to hear Cal answer…

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

Transcribed - Published: 19 December 2024

Transcribed - Published: 16 December 2024

Australia recently passed a world-first law banning social media use for kids under the age of 16. In this episode, Cal looks carefully at the arguments in favor and against this new law before detailing his thoughts. He then connects this specific argument to all of our larger battles to tame technology’s impact in our lives. This is followed by listener questions and a review of the books Cal read in November. 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: Tackling Social Media’s Hidden Dangers [2:08] - How do I find friends now that I don’t use social media? [37:13] - Is continuous hard activity desirable? [42:47] - How does Cal research his books and articles? [46:49] CASE STUDY: A Phone Addict Seeks a Fresh Start [51:08] - How does the idea of the idea of the deep life “Longer Short Way” connect to Slow Productivity? [1:02:07] FINAL SEGMENT: The 5 Books Cal Read in November, 2024 [1:10:34] Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? cnn.com/2024/11/28/australia/australia-passes-social-media-law-intl-hnk/index.html apnews.com/article/australia-social-media-children-ban-safeguarding-harm-accounts-d0cde2603bdbc7167801da1d00ecd056 Thanks to our Sponsors mybodytutor.com cozyearth.com/deep drinklmnt.com/deep byloftie.com (use code: DEEP20) Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Transcribed - Published: 9 December 2024

Transcribed - Published: 5 December 2024

We cover a lot of advice on this podcast, covering a lot of different topics. In today’s episode, Cal takes on the challenge of summarizing every big idea he promotes in less than five minutes. He then provides some theoretical connective tissue to explain how they all connect. This is followed by reader questions and a rant about “productivity.” Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3...

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 2024

There’s a video trending on the internet at the moment arguing that its audience (presumably, young men) should disappear from the world to focus on going “beast mode” on their goals. Cal takes a closer look at this video and argues that it points toward a much larger issue – a mismatch between the modern digital environment and our human brains – that affects all of us. He then answers listener questions and calls and concludes with a tech corner segment. Below are the questions c...

Transcribed - Published: 25 November 2024

Almost everyone feels uneasy about their relationships with their smartphones. But the question is why? In today’s episode, Cal looks past the most common answers to seek a deeper understanding built on an unexpected source: the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant. He then answers listener questions and ends the show with another edition of the tech corner segment. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s t...

Transcribed - Published: 18 November 2024

During the election season our devices take a particularly hard tool on our health and happiness. Now that the votes have been cast and counted, Cal proposes it’s time to take a temporary but radical break from the exhausting digital chatter. He then answers questions from his listeners and discusses Martha Stewart and the problems of “aesthetic productivity.”Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly...

Transcribed - Published: 11 November 2024

A common theme on this show is the importance of focus and the need to train the ability. This can be a long term project, but are there things you can do right away to improve your ability to concentrate? In this episode, Cal explores five easy ideas that will immediately improve your focus ability. He then answers listener questions and reviews the books he read in October 2024. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answere...

Transcribed - Published: 4 November 2024

We talk a lot on this show about how to organize your professional efforts. But what about all your obligations outside of work? The personal goals, the household repairs, the family tasks? In this episode, Cal discusses organizational strategies custom-fit to these types of obligations. He then answers listener questions and checks in on a hidden trend in the world of technology. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answere...

Transcribed - Published: 28 October 2024

One of the most common complaints from people attempting to cultivate a deep life in our distracted world is procrastination. You want to make regular progress on something important but find you just can’t get going. In this episode, Cal discusses a less well understood cause of some procrastination and offers unconventional advice for facing it. He also answers listener questions and reacts to an article about a famous author’s unexpected regret. Below are the questions covered i...

Transcribed - Published: 21 October 2024

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, a semi-regular interview series with people at the frontiers of deep living, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Oliver Burkeman to the Deep Work HQ to talk about his new book, MEDITATIONS FOR MORTALS, and more generally the tension between wanting to get your act together and becoming unhealthily obsessed with productivity.Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaINTERVIEW: New York Times best seller Oliver Burkeman [3:40]Links:https://www.cal...

Transcribed - Published: 17 October 2024

Do you struggle to consistently make progress on hard things that are important to you? In today’s episode, Cal describes a way to improve this state of affairs: a systematic training regime called the discipline ladder. He then answers listener questions about their own struggles with discipline and reacts to an article claiming that professors are lazy (gasp!). Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s t...

Transcribed - Published: 14 October 2024

It has become second nature to maintain a continuous partial participation in the world of digital networks. In today’s episode, Cal reflects on a week in which he spent too much time online, and argues why this continuous partial participation is dehumanizing, and what you can do to escape. He then takes questions and calls from listeners and reviews the five books he read in September. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions ...

Transcribed - Published: 7 October 2024

One of the single most important factors in your attempts to cultivate a deep life is your job. Yet, many people don’t give much thought to the role their work will play in their conception of a life well-lived. In this episode, Cal looks deeper at this topic. He starts by outlining four common traps people fall into when thinking about their work and happiness, then offers an alternative model that works better. He continues by answering listener questions about jobs and happiness, and ends ...

Transcribed - Published: 30 September 2024

In this episode of IN-DEPTH, a new semi-regular interview series with people at the frontiers of deep living, Cal interviews bestselling author Ryan Holiday about the systematic construction of an intentional life. They begin by talking about lessons from Ryan’s new book. RIGHT THING, RIGHT NOW, then go deep on Ryan’s own journey from a college drop-out working in a Hollywood talent agency to becoming a fully independent and massively successful writer and media personality.Video from today’s...

Transcribed - Published: 26 September 2024

Why can you never seem to find enough time to make progress on the non-urgent but important priorities that can move you closer to the ideal of the deep life? In this episode, Cal reviews three common “time destroyers,” and for each offers solutions to fight back. He then takes questions and calls from his listeners and ends with a discussion of Amazon and the bureaucracy mailbox. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answere...

Transcribed - Published: 23 September 2024

One of the more viral suggestions from Cal’s recent book, SLOW PRODUCTIVITY, was to occasionally skip out of work to see a movie. In this episode, Cal dives deep into criticisms of this advice and decodes what this tells us about where knowledge work is faltering and how we can make things better. He then answers questions from listeners and reacts to some productivity advice given from a well-known CEO. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Ge...

Transcribed - Published: 16 September 2024

Becoming notably good at something valuable is one of the most powerful tools for crafting a deep life. But how do people do this? In this episode, Cal explores three useful rules for getting good in search of depth. He then answers listener questions and reacts to a remarkable collection of advice from almost seven decades ago. 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 V...

Transcribed - Published: 9 September 2024

The fall is the perfect time to tune up your productivity and organizational systems. With this in mind, in this episode, Cal discusses a tool he has long used in his own life but never discussed before in public: the weekly template. He then answers questions on the theme of personal productivity from listeners and reviews the books he read in August. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3...

Transcribed - Published: 2 September 2024

In this classic episode, Cal talks about the surprising myth of doing less. Cal then answers questions about discipline and solving complicated problems. Cal concludes the episode with a review of the books he read back in April 2022. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: The Surprising Math of Doing Less [3:33]- How do I im...

Transcribed - Published: 26 August 2024

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: The Elements of the Deep Life [2:31] - How should I get started in a new remote work job? [17:39] - How I time block a purely reactive job? [22:49] - Should I bother capturing tasks that are fast to complete? [26:20] - How do I tame ...

Transcribed - Published: 19 August 2024

Summer is the perfect time to ready yourself for significant changes in your life. A chance to seek more depth in a distracted world. But for many, the goal for these changes is unclear. They know they want something deeper, but they don’t know what exactly that is. In this episode, Cal describes a method called structured journaling that can help you clarify your vision for what you seek. He then answers readers’ questions and ends with a final segment in which reacts to a provocative claim ...

Transcribed - Published: 12 August 2024

It’s mid-summer, people have some extra breathing room in their schedule, they’re relaxed. This moment of quiet seems like a perfect time to revisit some of this show’s most popular ideas about finding productivity in a world drowning in digital distractions. In this episode, Cal reviews his five most effective productivity related ideas. He then answers reader questions and reviews the seven books he read in July 2024. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their times...

Transcribed - Published: 5 August 2024

In our current digital world, distracting world events have a way of completely destabilizing our ability to focus on work that matters. In today’s episode, Cal provides advice for escaping these destabilizing attention environments and regaining some sense of mental peace and depth. He then answers questions, takes a call, and reports on some fun sightings of his book Deep Work out in the wild. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your qu...

Transcribed - Published: 29 July 2024

Discipline is critical to cultivating a deep life, but what exactly does this concept mean? In this episode, Cal uses a concrete case study from Reddit to dive deeper into the nuances of discipline and to then identify concrete, practical advice for improving your ability to take disciplined action. He then answers listener questions and asks for Jesse’s judgment on a battle of the writing sheds. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your q...

Transcribed - Published: 22 July 2024

On this show, we often talk about major overhauls to your work and life. In this episode, we go the other way and focus on the small habits that can make a big difference. In more detail, Cal describes eight surprisingly small strategies – four focused on work and four focused on life outside of work – for finding more depth in a distracted world. He then answers listener questions and reacts to a recent article about pushback to calls to limiting social media for kids.Below are the questions...

Transcribed - Published: 15 July 2024

One of the trickiest aspects of new technology is that it can sometimes destabilize parts of our lives that we didn’t even realize existed and are important. In this episode, Cal talks about one such idea: the quiet mind. Our constant phone usage is eliminating this critical cognitive state, and by doing so is diminishing our humanity. Cal makes the case for the importance of the quiet mind, and then gives concrete ideas for cultivating it in a distracted world. He also answers questions from...

Transcribed - Published: 8 July 2024

Why are we comfortable with the idea that ultra-processed foods are bad for us but feel somehow anti-technology to say something similar about the ultra-processed content generated by social media platforms. In this episode, Cal draws analogy to the food system to find a more sustainable and practical way to repair our relationship with various forms of media. He then answers questions and calls, shares an inspiring case study, and, due to popular request, gives his opinion on Jonathan Haidt’...

Transcribed - Published: 1 July 2024

One of the simmering concerns surrounding the current AI revolution is the fear that we might accidentally create an “alien mind” smarter than we expected. In this episode, Cal puts on his Computer Scientist hat and directly addresses this potential by sketching his emerging concept of intentional artificial intelligence (or, iAI for short). He then answers tech-themed questions from listeners and reacts to an article that many, many different people sent to him last week.Below are the questi...

Transcribed - Published: 24 June 2024

Oliver Burkeman recently noted that time blocking seems oppressive? In this episode, Cal responds to this reaction in a surprising way. He then answers questions from listeners and reacts to this podcast being featured at the recent Apple WWDC event.Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: Is Time Blocking Oppressiv...

Transcribed - Published: 17 June 2024

In a recent interview, held to promote his new Netflix movie, Jerry Seinfeld went on a remarkable 10-minute run in which he rattled off one insight after another about deep work, procrastination, and the quest to live an intentional life in a distracted world. In this episode, Cal extracts four key lessons from this segment of Jerry’s interview. He then takes listener questions and ends with a segment in which he apologizes to an internet personality whom he incorrectly associated with the dr...

Transcribed - Published: 10 June 2024

The desire to cultivate a more intentional and remarkable existence – what we call “the deep life” – is universal. In today’s episode, Cal talks about one of the most common traps in this pursuit: hoping that the achievement of a singular grand goal will make all parts of your life better. Cal discusses the problems with the grand goal approach and argues why the more systematic lifestyle-centric mindset will not only produce better results, but end up leading to remarkable opportunities anyw...

Transcribed - Published: 3 June 2024

We talk a lot on this show about how to organize and execute your work, but not enough about where to do it. In this episode, Cal explores the theory and practice of “adventure working,” in which you escape to novel and inspiring locations to tackle your most demanding and interesting cognitive efforts. He then answers reader questions about habits and rituals, before ending with a critical look at a famous football club’s distressing embrace of pseudo-productivity.Below are the questions cov...

Transcribed - Published: 27 May 2024

In this episode, the proverbial tables are turned, with Cal being interviewed by Jordan Harbinger about time, focus, and the quest for a slower notion of productivity. (This interview originally aired as episode 975 Jordan's can’t-miss podcast, The Jordan Harbinger Show).Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia- INTERVIEW: Cal bein...

Transcribed - Published: 20 May 2024

There has been a lot of attention paid recently to the impact of technology like social media on the mental health of young people. But this is not the only technology trap lurking for this generation. In this episode, Cal talks about three subtle but significant ways in which our current technology culture is setting up young people for professional failure in the years ahead. He then provides some advice for resisting this fate. In addition to this discussion, he answers questions from the audience and reacts to one of the coolest examples of slow craft that he’s encountered in a long while. 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: The Burnout Society [7:53] - How can I stop distraction relapses? [35:18] - How can I reduce my social media addiction without abandoning these technologies? [39:37] - How can I schedule deep work with a scattered class schedule? [44:29] - How should I reintroduce video games after a successful digital declutter? [47:14] - How do I apply Slow Productivity later in life? [51:04] - CALL: How to formulate a deep life when you’re young [54:41] CASE STUDY: Tweaking the time block planner [1:06:44] CAL REACTS: A Slow Reconstruction of an Ancient City [1:11:00] Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEJ4hkpQW8Ewww.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/research/report/2023-cs-smartphone-research-report_final-for-web.pdftenochtitlan.thomaskole.nl/ Thanks to our Sponsors: drinklmnt.com/deepcozyearth.com/calexpressvpn.com/deepmybodytutor.com Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Transcribed - Published: 13 May 2024

Cal has been writing professionally about issues related to personal productivity for two decades. In today’s episode, he provides a short history of what he’s observed during this period about out constantly shifting relationship with this topic, from the quiet optimism of the 1990s, to the techno-mania of the early 2000s, to the whiplash shift from anti-distraction to anti-work sentiments in the 2010s. He ends with a summary of where we are today and what he currently thinks matters in thinking about getting things done. During the Q&A session, Cal is joined by special guest host Scott Young (whose new book is GET BETTER AT ANYTHING) to help answer your questions. We conclude with a list of the books Cal read in April. 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: The 20-year history with personal productivity [4:20] - How does Cal organize his files as a technical researcher? [1:04:55] - How slow is too slow? [1:18:48] - Does “Monk Mode” actually work? [1:27:25] - How do I adapt my organizational systems to do more complicated work? [1:36:07] - What are the most underrated habits for living a great life? [1:49:46] CASE STUDY: Unconventional slow productivity [1:55:56] FINAL SEGMENT: The 5 Books Cal Read in April 2024 [2:04:51] Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51 moehrbetter.com/gtd-advanced-workflow-diagram.html Books Discussed in Deep Dive: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People How To Become CEO Getting Things Done The Four Hour Work Week Essentialism How To Do Nothing April Books: An Empire of Their Own by Neal Gabler Co-intelligence by Ethan Mollick Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan The Perfect Mile by Neal Bascomb To Heal a Fractured World by Jonathan Sacks Thanks to our Sponsors: This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions notion.com/cal zocdoc.com/deep shopify.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.

Transcribed - Published: 6 May 2024

We think of information as something neutral; a spotlight that helps illuminate the reality of the outside world. Accordingly, more information is better than less. In this episode, Cal pushes back on this model, arguing that the form in which information arrives can strongly impact the understanding we extract. We must therefore be more intentional about what and how we pay attention. He then answers reader questions and surveys some unusual but entertaining stories about slowness. 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: Rethinking attention [4:08] - What books should I read to help me develop a deep life? [34:35] - Does writing by hand have benefits for your brain? [38:40] - Should I get a brain scan to prove I have a low IQ? [43:46] - Should I use ChatGPT for book recommendations? [47:39] - How can I avoid wasting your gap year? [49:40] - CALL: Is “Slow Productivity” related to “The Burnout Society” by Buying-Chui Han? [55:32] CASE STUDY: Utilizing the phone foyer method [1:01:58] FINAL SEGMENT: Slow news [1:10:58] Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51 slow-watches.com/penguinrandomhouse.com/books/318747/help-wanted-one-rooster-by-julie-falatko-illustrated-by-andrea-stegmaier/rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/1108/1415296-why-handwriting-is-good-for-your-brain/ Thanks to our Sponsors: mintmobile.com/deepmauinuivenison.com/deepquestionsnotion.com/callistening.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.

Transcribed - Published: 29 April 2024

Why do you struggle with your grand attempts to escape distraction and aimlessness to make your life deeper? In this episode, Cal draws on an unexpected metaphor – Charles Babbage, Ada Lovelace, and the Analytical Engine – to help identify the subtle obstacle on your path to increase depth. With this new understanding in hand, he then details a specific gameplan to get around it. Later, he takes questions from the audience and reacts to the new AI Pin, a tool intended to render smartphones obsolete. 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: The Deep Life Hardware [4:09] - Does personal productivity make us anxious? [34:04] - How can I build skills without getting in the way of my existing work? [42:11] - How can I build a deeper life after years of neglect? [46:00] - How is Sam Sulek’s stripped down YouTube channel doing so well? [52:12] - How can I convince my husband that I’m not a time management snob? [1:02:38] - CALL: Obsessing over quality [1:06:04] CASE STUDY: Shifting a mindset to do more deep work [1:11:04] CAL REACTS: Is the Al Pin the End of Smartphones? [1:17:46] Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow computerhistory.org/babbage/engines/theverge.com/24126502/humane-ai-pin-reviewpodcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/conversation-with-cal-newport-the-key-to/id1498802610?i=1000652834277 samharris.org/podcasts/making-sense-episodes/363-knowledge-work Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/ Thanks to our Sponsors: rhone.com/calshopify.com/deeppolicygenius.com/deepquestionsgrammarly.com/podcasttim.blog Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 2024

In the first ever live episode of Deep Questions, recorded at People’s Book in Takoma Park, MD, Cal extracts a modern productivity lesson from the tale of Jane Austen’s frustrated ambitions, before taking questions from the audience. 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: Jane Austen’s To-Do List [3:22] — Is Cal building his YouTube channel with social media tactics? [27:36] — How can I do less in such a busy world? [31:53] — How do I escape the flow state? [37:01] — How can someone become a star while obsessing over craft? [40:52] — How can I apply Slow Productivity to unrelated projects? [46:40] — How does Cal develop his writing frameworks? [50:20] — How can I apply Slow Productivity principles to a team? [52:48] — How can I avoid the Zoom apocalypse? [57:48] — Is there a conflict between working at a natural pace and obsessing over quality? [1:07:16] — How can a personal trainer build a wellness solution company? [1:09:46] — How can our team not get delayed with technical problems? [1:13:00] — How can a young lawyer manage peer relationships with teams? [1:16:38] Links: — Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow — Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”: peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/ — Cal’s Monthly Books directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51 Thanks to our Sponsors: blinkist.com/deep drinklmnt.com/deep expressvpn.com/deep cozyearth.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.

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2024

In this episode Cal takes a closer look at a growing trend of artists quitting social media and instead reverting to old-fashioned websites. Are these acts of principled sacrifice or a sustainable way to be creative online? Cal argues for the latter, showing how the internet without social media curation algorithms can be a place of rich discovery and audience building. He then takes questions on similar topics and ends by playing a few rounds of “deep or crazy” during the final segment. 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: A Quiet Revolt Against Social Media [7:37] - Is my deep living too extreme? [45:06] - LinkedIn is getting toxic. Should I quit that too? [47:39] - Where do online articles fit into the life of a digital minimalist? [51:09] - Did Cal design the specifications for the hardcover copy of “Slow Productivity”? [54:04] - How do I not feel overwhelmed by online content after a Digital Declutter? [58:07] - CALL: Obsessing over quality [1:01:08] CASE STUDY: Applying lessons from “Digital Minimalism” [1:06:37] CAL REACTS: Deep or Crazy? [1:13:54] Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowpeoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ twitter.com/HumanitiesGU/status/1772436799727472942youtube.com/watch?v=W3h9gV_z8OMyoutube.com/watch?v=tV6BbPTN5PQyoutube.com/watch?v=r0RqucKwIcw Thanks to our Sponsors: mybodytutor.comshopify.com/deepdrinklmnt.com/deepmauinuivenison.com/deepquestions Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 2024