deep_work

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.

Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo

DEEP DIVE: Did Caveman Use To-Do Lists? [1:28]
Article Link: bit.ly/3NYRbnF

- LIVE CALL: Debating a master’s program [27:59]
- How do I practice the “journalistic” mode of scheduling deep work? [37:32]
- How do I determine when something I’m working on is good enough? [44:20]
- Should I take two months off work to write in a cabin? [49:14]
- Is answering email quickly really a good marker of talent? [53:45]
- Is there a tutorial for Cal’s planning system? [1:00:04]
- When is the new version of the Time Block Planner coming? [1:01:34]

CASE STUDY: A Freelancer Crafts a Deep Life [1:04:18]

CAL REACTS: New Insights on Kids and Phones [1:16:33]

School Took Smartphones Away: on.wsj.com/3Trj4G3
Social Media and Teenage Mental Health: bit.ly/3A3KN99

Thanks to our Sponsors:
rhone.com/cal
blinkist.com/deep
hensonshaving.com/cal
expressvpn.com/deep


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

Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.

Videos of today’s questions: https://tinyurl.com/b2rkctfj

DEEP WORK QUESTIONS:

- How should we use a ticketing system?  [4:15]
- Should I resign after my boss does? [9:19]
- Are breaks to rest your eyes considered context switching? [13:10]
- How do you time block long but ambiguous intellectual activity?  [21:49] 
- How do you get back to scheduling after a vacation? [24:57] 


DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS:

- Is it okay for a one activity to fit into two different deep life buckets? [29:51] 
- How do I live deeply with a demanding job (i.e., should I quit my law partner job?) [33:51]

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

Below are the topics covered in today's mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.

- Reflections on productivity during distracting events. [3:35]
- Trouble getting started. [12:09]
- Dealing with cognitive exhaustion after hard periods. [18:01]
- Avoiding tool overload. [27:10]
- Focused work that's not demanding. [32:01]
- Metric tracking tune-ups. [39:58]

Thanks to listener Jay Kerstens for the intro music.