September 09, 2025

Slow Productivity: How to Do Less, Focus More, and Not Burn Out with Cal Newport

1 hour 12 minutes

In this episode, Cal Newport explains slow productivity and how to do less, focus more, and not burn out. Cal argues, our obsession with busyness is pseudo-productivity and while it may look like progress, it isn’t. In his new book, Slow Productivity, he shows how we can accomplish more by doing less with focus and intent

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Key Takeaways:

The impact of technology on productivity and focus.

The struggle between distraction and meaningful work in the digital age.

The moral implications of smartphone use, particularly among children.

The distinction between deep work and shallow busyness.

The concept of “slow productivity” as an alternative to traditional productivity metrics.

The challenges of measuring productivity in knowledge work.

The importance of quality over quantity in work output.

Strategies for managing workload and reducing distractions.

The psychological and evolutionary roots of digital distraction.

Balancing ambition with practicality in creative work to avoid perfectionism.

If you enjoyed this conversation with Cal Newport, check out these other episodes:

How to Find Focus and Master Attention with Dr. Amishi Jha

Digital Minimalism with Cal Newport

For full show notes, click here!

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By Eric Zimmer

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