I'm joined in today's episode by Greg McKeown, author of the mega-bestseller Essentialism, and his new book, Effortless.

We talk about the massive success of Essentialism, decoding why it did so well and discussing how it changed his life. We then get into the origin of the ideas that became Effortless, and use some of my own attempts to make essential work easier as a case study.


Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music.

Ep. 91: GREG MCKEOWN on Making Essential Work Effortless

Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.

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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.

Ep. 296: Jane Austen’s To-Do List (LIVE)

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.

Ep. 295: Artists Revolt Against Social Media

One of the biggest problems afflicting knowledge workers in the digital age is frantic busyness; days filled with emails, chats, and meetings, without much to show for all the effort. In today’s episode, Cal dives into one of the most-discussed ideas from his new book, Slow Productivity, which offers a simple, tactical assault on this state of persistent busyness. He then answers listener questions about similar issues and lists the book he read in March.

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:  hyoutube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: A Tactical Assault on Busyness [3:47]

- How can I stop chasing the “perfect” productivity system? [34:51] 
- How do I avoid losing my day to distraction? [39:08]  
- How do I help my partner escape meeting quickstand? [42:31]
- How do we design the perfect client/task/scheduling system? [48:59]
- Can Apple Vision Pro help deep work? [54:46]

The 5 Books Cal Read in March 2024 [1:06:43] 

A Short History of England (Simon Jenkins)
Into the Impossible (Brian Keating)
The Amen Effect (Sharon Brous)
Sink the Bismark! (CS Forester)
Hidden Potential (Adam Grant)

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow 
newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/can-an-ai-make-plans
Thanks to our Sponsors: 

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
expressvpn.com/deep
zocdoc.com/deep
notion.com/cal

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Ep. 294: A Tactical Assault on Busyness

Imagine a world in which AI could handle your email inbox on your behalf. No more checking for new messages every five minutes. No more worries that people need you. No more exhausting cognitive context shifts. In this episode, Cal explores how close cutting-edge AI models are to achieving this goal, including using ChatGPT to help him answer some real email. He then dives into his latest article for The New Yorker, which explains the key technical obstacle to fully automated email and how it might be solved. This is followed by reader questions and a look at something interesting.

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: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox? [4:33]
- Should I continue to study programming if AI will eventually replace software jobs? [44:40]
- Is it bad to use ChatGPT to assist with your writing? [49:22]
- How do I reclaim my workspace for Deep Work? [55:24]
- How do I decide what to do on my scheduled mini-breaks at work? [1:00:11]
- CALL: Heidegger’s view on technology [1:02:48]
- CALL: Seasonality with a partner and kids [1:09:11]

CASE STUDY: A Silicon Valley Chief of Staff balancing work and ego [1:20:07]

Something Interesting: General Grant’s Slow Productivity [1:30:08]

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity”at calnewport.com/slow 

newyorker.com/science/annals-of-artificial-intelligence/can-an-ai-make-plans


Thanks to our Sponsors: 

listening.com/deeprhone.com/caldrinklmnt.com/deepshopify.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.

Ep. 293: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox?

On his recent book tour, Cal found great success using a small notebook dedicated to developing a single idea. In this episode, he explores this “single-purpose notebook” strategy, identifying when it makes sense and why it works. He also takes listener questions about his new book, “Slow Productivity,” and reacts to a recent article about TikTok’s stumbles.

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: Single-Purpose Notebooks [5:02]

- If “pseudo-productivity” isn’t effective, why is it so common? [27:07]
- Can you explain the difference between limiting missions, projects, and daily goals? [34:59]
- Should everyone buy a $50 notebook? [39:21]
- How does “Slow Productivity” relate to mental models and first principles? [48:12]
- Should I read your new book slowly? [52:44]
- CALL: Does Cal ever stress about work? [55:24]

CASE STUDY: Applying lifestyle-centric career planning [1:00:31]

SOMETHING INTERESTING: TikTok Falters [1:08:56]

Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow bramses.notion.site/bramses/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?v=448bf8afad0740d18f6b109b4bd40d51notebookstories.com/2013/05/06/picasso-sketchbook/anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10788/remembering-bruce-chatwin-the-greatest-travel-writer-that-ever-livednotebookstories.com/2023/12/22/a-notebook-in-the-movie-elf/com/tech/personal-tech/quitting-tiktok-less-swiping-more-sleeping-1e166a39?page=1 newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/tiktok-and-the-fall-of-the-social-media-giants

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

mintmobile.com/deeppolicygenius.com/deepquestionsnotion.com/calcozyearth.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.

Ep. 91: GREG MCKEOWN on Making Essential Work Effortless

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