Cal Newport is a guide, a visionary, a role model to me and millions of others on living an intentional and productive life amidst our noisy, scatterbrained, tech-drenched world.
He’s an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University and author of 10 books which have collectively sold over 2 million copies including ‘Deep Work,’ ‘Digital Minimalism,’ and his latest bestseller, ‘Slow Productivity.’
“I sometimes joke that my entire career is built on giving two-word terms to things everyone thinks and knows,” Cal says, but the truth is he’s doing a lot more than that.
Take ‘Slow Productivity.’
He’s boiled this new phrase down into three principles: 1) Do fewer things, 2) Work at a natural pace, and 3) Obsess over quality.
Sounds simple, right? Trite, even! But that’s when you raise your head and realize the world is conspiring against you doing any of these. Doesn’t our world today reward… doing *more* things, working at an *unnatural* pace, and obsessing over *quantity*?
There’s a reason Cal has no social media apps on his phone. Why he has no social media accounts at all…and never has! With his books, and his wonderful podcast ‘Deep Questions,’ he is focused on helping us find our way as we navigate ever-changing technology and work patterns that increasingly feel at odds with our shared quest of living intentional lives.
Cal has a giant mind and it was on full display in this chat as we discuss: how Cal measures success, the neuroscience of reading, Denis Villeneuve, the relationship between rest and work, the ideal age for unrestricted Internet access, The Washington Nationals, leetspeak and productivity pr0n, the role of books today and their future, Andrew Huberman, positive reinforcement theory, Jonathan Haidt and ‘The Anxious Generation,’ technology boundaries for children, and much, much more…
Let’s turn the page to Chapter 135 now…
Chapter 53: Vivek Shraya is trashing traditional trans tropes
Chapter 52: Wagner Moura on lessons in living and loving from Latino leaders
Surprise Waning Crescent: Confronting courageous coronavirus questions
Chapter 51: Dr. Qing Li on finding faith and freedom in forests
Chapter 50: Marcus Buckingham on soul ciphers and strength of self
Surprise Waning Crescent: Leslie and Neil on cultivating calm during coronavirus chaos
Chapter 49: Dr. Andrea Sereda’s oddly original offerings on opioid overdosing
Chapter 48: Michael Bungay Stanier on massive moons and the magic of metaphor
Chapter 47: Derek The Hype Man on gingers jumping for joy and justice
Chapter 46: Dr. Laura Markham on prioritizing presence to parent peacefully
Chapter 45: Rich Roll on wrestling with recovery and running to redemption
The Best of 2019: Neil Pasricha reminisces on relationships, romance, and radical reading
Chapter 44: Kevin the Bookseller on subtracting stuff and sorting Star Wars
Chapter 43: Lisa Labute on life lessons from loving legumes
Chapter 42: Molly Bloom on poker princess privileges and pushing past pomposity
Chapter 41: Jen Gunter on beating bullying, bigotry, and body bashfulness
Surprise Waxing Gibbous: My new book YOU ARE AWESOME launches today!
Chapter 40: Pete Holmes on infinite infinities and the insanity of is-ness
Chapter 39: Soyoung the Variety Store Owner on Korean culture, connecting community, and cultivating calm
Chapter 38: Ryan Holiday on bashing beachy books and building balance
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