The Mel Robbins Podcast How to Get Things Done, Stay Focused, and Be More Productive
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Sep 4, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, productivity expert and Georgetown professor Cal Newport shares his insights on reclaiming focus and enhancing productivity. He reveals surprising reasons for procrastination and offers simple daily rituals to spark instant concentration. Listeners learn to embrace 'slow productivity,' prioritize meaningful tasks, and effectively manage their calendars. Newport tackles the guilt of saying no and the balance between productivity and presence, emphasizing personal growth over busyness for a more fulfilling life.
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Digital Inputs Create Cognitive Debt
- Digital tools both increase requests and fragment attention, creating a busyness epidemic.
- This constant input puts us out of cognitive shape and reduces our ability to think deeply.
Busyness Is Mistaken For Productivity
- Our modern notion of productivity slipped from measurable output to visible activity as a proxy.
- That pseudo-productivity valorizes busyness and created the current busyness culture.
Limit Concurrent Commitments
- Do fewer things at once to reduce administrative overhead and increase completion speed.
- Concentrating on fewer projects speeds overall throughput and reduces stress.
