Ep. 318: Take a Break

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Sep 16, 2024

Curious about the intersection of productivity and creativity? The host suggests taking breaks, even hitting the movies, to recharge your mind and enhance output. Listeners grapple with chaotic jobs, task management via inboxes, and balancing work with personal relationships. A CEO's time-blocking strategy is evaluated, offering insights into effective productivity methods. The exploration of career capital and transitioning from law to finance sheds light on making fulfilling career choices. Dive into the dynamics of work, creativity, and personal values!

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ANECDOTE

Movie Break Example

Cal Newport recently watched the movie Split during a workday.
He did this after completing intensive writing work to recharge before starting a new project.

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INSIGHT

Cranking vs. Creating

Two models of work exist: cranking, where constant presence is crucial, and creating, where flexible, valuable output matters more.
Modern knowledge work often wrongly treats creators like crankers, leading to burnout.

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ADVICE

Managing Deep Work with Many Projects

Treat managing multiple projects and deep work as separate roles.
Secure protected time and permission for deep work, like a second job.

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Balancing Productivity and Creativity

04:00 • 18min

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From Setbacks to Success: The Power of Film and Quality Comfort

21:51 • 6min

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Collaborative Productivity and Lifestyle Flexibility

28:08 • 15min

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Building Career Capital for Fulfillment

42:46 • 10min

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Turning Passion into Purpose

52:53 • 5min

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Crafting a Lifestyle Vision and Enhancing Productivity

58:19 • 15min

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One of the more viral suggestions from Cal’s recent book, SLOW PRODUCTIVITY, was to occasionally skip out of work to see a movie. In this episode, Cal dives deep into criticisms of this advice and decodes what this tells us about where knowledge work is faltering and how we can make things better. He then answers questions from listeners and reacts to some productivity advice given from a well-known CEO.

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: [7:47]

- Can I work deeply in my chaotic job? [27:17]

- Can I use my inbox as a task list? [31:36]

- How do you look at travel within your plans for a deep life? [35:12]

- How can I get my partner to stop talking about work? [41:14]

- How do I practice slow productivity with health issues? [44:54]

- CALL: How can I decide on what career path to pursue? [49:14]

CASE STUDY: Switching careers after a 20 year law stint [56:11]

CAL REACTS: The CEO Who Swears by Time Blocking [1:05:04]

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