Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Ep. 101: Does Productivity Impede the Deep Life?

May 31, 2021

58:15

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

I'm a Computer Scientist at Georgetown University

03:00

Productivity Is a Tool You Can Deploy at the Service of Your Life

02:04

Is Philosophy the Answer to Your Problems?

01:33

Introduction

2min

Public Goods - The One Stop Shop for Sustainable, High Quality, Everyday Essentials Made From Clean Ingredients

1min

The Deep Work Challenge - Is It Worth It?

2min

How Do You Automate Your Prep?

1min

I'm a Big Believer in Having a Day No Work

2min

Is the Kindall on Your Phone a Vibel?

2min

Time Blocking on a Kindle Tablet

2min

Time Blocking Collaboratively

2min

Time Blocking - Is Your Time a Private Thing?

2min

10.

Is It Possible to Find an Approach to Management Ta Keeps Some of the Advantages That Reality Check

2min

11.

What's on Lilian's Plate Right Now?

2min

12.

How Do I Avoid Over Structuring My Day as an Undergraduate Student?

3min

13.

I'm a Computer Scientist at Georgetown University

3min

14.

The Hyperactive Bee Mind

2min

15.

The Status Meeting - Is It Too Much?

2min

16.

My Body Tutor Is the Right Way to Get Healthy Again

2min

17.

Optimize Is a Paid Subscription Service Built Around Getting You the Actionable Information You Need

2min

18.

Optimize Dot Me Slash Deep - How to Decide When to Commit to a New Role

2min

19.

Podcasting - What's the in Game Here?

2min

20.

I'm All About Escape Hatches

2min

21.

Is Passion for Your Work Worth It?

3min

22.

The More Realistic Advice Is Getting People to Love Their Work

3min

23.

How Can I Focus on What Is Essential?

3min

24.

How to Maximize Your Wealth Using Your Super Secret Strategy

2min

25.

Make More Money to Invest

2min

26.

Productivity and the Deep Life

2min

27.

Productivity Is a Tool You Can Deploy at the Service of Your Life

2min

28.

Is Philosophy the Answer to Your Problems?

2min

29.

Productivity - Is It a Productivity Tool?

1min

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

DEEP WORK QUESTIONS

- Should I maintain a day free from all work? [3:55]
- How do I take notes on a Kindle? [9:06]
- How an I integrate accountability with my time-block planning? (Bonus rant on making workloads transparent.) [11:31]
- How do I avoid over-structuring my life as a student? [19:49]
- What is my (Cal) computer science research about? [21:35]
- What is the best productivity system for someone who manages hundreds of tasks across numerous projects? [25:26]

DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS

- How do you decide when to commit to a new role or project? [34:07
- Are my (Cal) ideas on passion in stark contrast to most philosophers? [39:44]
- Have I (Cal) started a new book yet? [44:25]
- Should I spend time on investing or my side project? [45:07]
- What is the role of productivity in the deep life? [51:19]

Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music.