Deep Work, Digital Minimalism and Becoming So Good They Can’t Ignore You

#63: New York Times bestselling author and professor, Cal Newport, joins Chris to discuss building and living what he calls a “deep life.” We also delve into strategies that increase efficiency and quality of output, why constant email and messages are making you less productive (and what to do about it) and how to implement “high-quality leisure” into your life.

Cal Newport is a professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University and the award-winning author of seven books that have been published in over 40 languages, including “Deep Work”, “Digital Minimalism”, and most recently, “A World Without Email.”

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Selected Links From The Episode

Connect with Cal Newport: Newsletter | Podcast: Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal’s Books:

All the Hacks Podcast: The Power of Regret, Motivation and Good Timing with Daniel Pink

Study Hacks Blog: Work Less to Work Better: My Experiments with Shutdown Routines

Resources Mentioned:

Paul Jarvis: Company Of One: Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business
Sebastian Junger
Simon Winchester
Steve Martin: Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life
Steve Martin Quote: Charlie Rose Interview with Steve Martin (52:14)
TEDTalk: Why You Should Quit Social Media
Mouse Books

Personalizing Your Productivity:

Cal’s Takoma Park Recommendations: Republic | Takoma Bev Co

Full Show Notes:

The meaning of the term ‘deep life’ [1:22]

Categories to radically change when searching for a deep life [03:05]

The five Cs, Cal’s focus on community, and ways to foster deeper relationships [05:44]

Data that supports the benefits of making radical lifestyle changes [9:26]

Lifestyle-centric planning: working backward to make your dream a reality [12:03]

Pursuing the goal of being passionate about your life [15:50]

The Steve Martin quote that resonates with Cal Newport [18:53]

Chris and Cal explain how the term ‘hack’ incorporates both little tricks and tips, as well as massive fundamental mindset shifts [22:05]

Discussion of Cal’s book “Deep Work”, the importance of avoiding cognitive context shifts, and ways to develop that skill [26:02]

Learning to time-block and train to avoid distractions, and advice about overcoming the initial feelings of discomfort [30:06]

Slow productivity: categorizing your daily activities to increase efficiency and quality of output [35:26]

Implementing office hours as a way to focus back and forth interactions [38:53]

Escaping the existential void of ‘boredom scrolling’ by building up attractive alternatives to have more high-quality leisure time [44:01]

Three categories of high-quality, meaningful, and challenging leisure activities [46:20]

Cal’s digital minimalism philosophy [51:13]

Avoiding numbing behavior by choosing intellectual activities during moments of boredom [55:03]

Making a clear distinction between your workday and non-workday through the use of a shutdown routine and healthy ways to come back to second-shift work [57:29]

Maintaining the balance between family and work with structure and clarity of your time [1:02:35]

Cal’s Takoma Park recommendations [1:05:35]

Find out what Cal is reading, writing, producing, and talking about [1:07:18]

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