The Cal Newport Show

One of the most common strategies for achieving a powerful ideal lifestyle vision is to leverage entrepreneurial activities to find a stable source of income that allows autonomy and flexibility. To help understand how to succeed in such ventures, Cal interviews the entrepreneur and author Noah Kagan about his new book, "The Million Dollar Weekend." Recording on the road as part of his book tour for "Slow Productivity," Cal also shares some lessons about what he's been observing.

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

INTERVIEW: Marketing guru Noah Kagan [11:06]

Links:
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at
betterhelp.com/deepquestions
mauinuivenison.com/deepquestions
zocdoc.com/deep
expressvpn.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How did we end up tyrannized by our inboxes? How is this related to Tyrannosaurus? What was it like working at a high-tech company at the exact moment email was introduced? In this episode, Cal weaves together all these questions into a story about the unexpected ways technology impacts our lives and what we can do after the fact to make things better.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  https://youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: The Email Catastrophe [3:47]

- How do I deal with email overload in a government job? [45:34]
- How do I deal with an employer who demands constant responsiveness?[55:36]
- How can I concentrate when coding when I need to use my web browser? [58:27]
- How do I overcome my fear of missing important emails? [1:02:35]
- CALL: Can slow productivity work for an academic? [1:06:38]

CAL REACTS: Reader Comments on his NYT Op-Ed [1:17:47]

Links:

 
Thanks to our Sponsors: 

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’ve become so used to our phones in our lives that we’ve stopped realizing how arbitrary and unusual the content we’re watching really has become. In this episode, Cal looks closer at what we’re really spending time doing on our phones, then provides step-by-step instructions for healing this relationship. 

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: Confronting Your Phone [4:30]

- What does Cal think about Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”? [28:35]
- Can you pursue high quality leisure after a day filled with deep work? [33:14]
- Can commercial breaks be used for high quality leisure? [37:24]
- Will digital minimalism work in an age of augmented reality? [40:34]
- How can a full time YouTuber practice digital minimalism? [46:53]
-CALL: How to share content online? [52:38]

CASE STUDY: Cost-benefit analysis of technology usage [1:00:39]

CAL REACTS: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Search for Depth [1:06:43]

Links:
twitter.com/explore/tabs/trending
instagram.com/explore/tags/popular/?hl=en
tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en
newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/the-consolations-of-fantasy
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

ladderlife.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
rhone.com/cal
mintmobile.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A deep life requires that you encounter and make sense of a large amount of incoming information, from narrow data relevant to a professional project, to broad insights into your purpose. How do you keep track of all of this? In this episode, Cal proposes a minimalist approach aimed at minimizing the friction required to keep tabs on what matters.

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: How to track information that matters [2:55]

- How should I make use of non-cognitive time? [27:37]
- Can people with ADHD become better at learning? [32:49]
- What does Cal think of Gloria Mark’s “4 myths of attention span”? [36:31]
- How can I concentrate on my dissertation when I have a full-time job? [47:04]
- How can I stop wasting my afternoon time blocks? [53:20]
- CALL: How can I better organize my idea notebooks? [1:01:38]

CASE STUDY: Avoiding the hyperactive hive mind to work more efficiently [1:05:46]   

CAL REACTS: Is it bad to be slow? [1:13:46]

Links:
dailystoic.com/try-not-to-be-so-slow/
gloriamark.com/attention-span

Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/

FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

grammarly.com/podcast
drinklmnt.com/deep
cozyearth.com (promo code “cal”)
expressvpn.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A key step in cultivating a deep life is reflecting on what matters to you and the best strategies for pursuing it. This, in turn, requires that you engage in the consumption of some manner of self help. It’s here that many people sell themselves short, limiting this intake to short videos and the occasional advice guide. In today’s episode, Cal talks about cultivating a much richer approach to self-help in which you’re able to take in wisdom from a variety of sources of various levels of sophistication.

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo

Video from today’s episode:  youtube.com/calnewportmedia

Deep Dive: Rethinking Self Help [3:21]

- How can I prevent hard tasks from derailing my productivity systems? [38:47]
- Should I get ahead in my career with a project that I hate? [47:54]
- How can I make progress on my novel when my day job drains me? [52:39]
- Is there such a thing as too much deep work? [59:32]
- CALL: Will short deep work sessions work to write effectively? [1:12:17]

CASE STUDY: Reducing stress with slow productivity [1:18:40] 

The 5 Books Cal Read in January 2024 [1:30:22] 

Links:
https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE Download  for “Slow Productivity”: www.calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

https://www.grammarly.com/podcast
https://www.drinklmnt.com/deep
https://www.shopify.com/deep
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the more interesting realities of people who live remarkable lives is that they are often much less busy than the rest of us. In this episode, Cal explores three ideas that help explain why this is true, then explains how we can use these ideas to reduce our own workloads.

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 Productivity Paradox [7:31]

- How does a weekly plan work? [32:26]
- Do errands or reading count toward fixed schedule productivity? [36:55]
- How should a graduate embrace slow productivity? [40:11]
- If I embrace slow productivity, how can I be sure I’m doing enough? [41:54]
- Did Cal follow Slow Productivity in his 20’s? [47:45]
- CALL: Uprooting a good planning system? [53:23]

CASE STUDY: Playing video games with intention [58:05]

CAL REACTS:  How to Have a Productive Year [1:06:34]

Links:
calnewport.com/if-youre-busy-youre-doing-something-wrong-the-surprisingly-relaxed-lives-of-elite-achievers/
newyorker.com/culture/office-space/how-to-have-a-more-productive-year
FREE Download  for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

mauinuivenison.com/deepquestions
blinkist.com/deep
moshlife.com/deep
policygenius.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Call talks with Ali Abdaal about his journey from doctor to YouTube sensation, and then dives deep into Ali’s new book, “Feel-Good Productivity,” and the possibilities of making accomplishment something enjoyable.

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

INTERVIEW: YouTube Star Ali Abdaal [3:41]

Cal Reacts: Dissecting Ali’s YouTube career path [1:32:27]

Links:

FREE download for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

expressvpn.com/deep
rhone.com/cal
shopify.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the correct first step in transforming your life into something deeper? Traditional advice says to start with a clear vision of what you value. Cal has been arguing that it’s instead more important to develop a foundation of discipline. In this episode, he explores a more specific variation of this idea: perhaps the best way to prepare to pursue the big is to first learn how to control the small.

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: How to organize your life [2:31]

- How do I “stay deep” when facing major changes? [36:37]

- How do I relax when I’m always so busy? [39:13]

- What is the difference between rituals and routines? [43:09]

- Can playing video games be part of a deep life? [51:27]

- Can deep life buckets connect to strategic plans? [57:39]

- CALL: Juggling multiple priorities to live a deep life [1:01:39]

CASE STUDY: Becoming organized to prevent overwhelm [1:07:32]

CAL REACTS:  How many books did you read in 2023? [1:13:47]


Links:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/01/05/how-many-books-did-you-read-2023-see-how-you-stack-up/

FREE download for “Slow Productivity”: calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors: 

drinklmnt.com/deep

mintmobile.com/deep

cozyearth.com (promo code CAL)

mybodytutor.com

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During the New Year season it is common to talk about how to be more productive. But what about the downtime between your major pursuits? In this episode, Cal argues for rewiring your brain to crave slow distractions over their faster (often digital) alternatives. The goal here is not to get more done but to transform your life into something slower and more meaningful.

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: Slow Distractions [2:25]

- How do I work deeply as a stay-at-home parent? [29:12]
- Isn’t it myopic not to let young children use smartphones? [36:44]
- How do I succeed as a musician without social media? [38:09]
- How do I make plans without social media? [48:37]
- CALL: How to share ideas without allowing social media to take control [55:02]

CAL REACTS: I’m a 33-year old woman without a job [1:05:55]

Links:

youtu.be/YQLVWficcwc?si=lOIBa23I_0-4sJl6

Download a FREE chapter from my upcoming book, "Slow Productivity" HERE: https://www.calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

expressvpn.com/deep
notion.com/cal
shopify.com/deep
grammarly.com/podcast

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

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the more important abilities to cultivate for the year ahead is comfort learning complicated (and therefore valuable) new things. In this episode, Cal tackles the myths surrounding mastery and presents a new mental model for internalizing non-trivial information. As he elaborates, there is both good news and bad news when it comes to this topic: you can learn almost anything, but you can’t learn everything.

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: Learning Hard Things [2:50]

- When it comes to taking notes, what really matters? [29:49]
- Can I fit all of my hobbies into my week? [36:02]
- Can YouTube teach me to be a better student? [39:40]
- How do I figure out what to learn next? [46:09]
- How do I learn something fast when I already have a busy schedule? [48:23]
- CALL: How does “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” relate to “Slow Productivity”? [55:11]

CASE STUDY: Slow Productivity affinity group [1:03:46]

The 5 books Cal read in December 2023 [1:13:28]

Thanks to our Sponsors:

drinklmnt.com/deep
zocdoc.com/deep
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.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.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices