Moonshots Podcast: Superstar mindsets and success habits

Cal Newport "Slow Productivity" The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

Aug 18, 2025
Cal Newport, author of 'Slow Productivity,' advocates for depth over breadth in our fast-paced world. He discusses the necessity of combatting the epidemic of busyness by embracing quality over quantity. Newport emphasizes a more deliberate approach to work, sharing how rushing can lead to superficial outcomes. The conversation highlights sustainable practices in productivity, including the importance of thoughtful engagement and balancing workloads to prevent burnout. Ultimately, he presents slow productivity as a path to meaningful success.
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INSIGHT

Quality Over Quantity

  • Slow productivity values producing fewer, higher-quality outputs rather than maximising quantity.
  • Cal Newport argues this approach is more sustainable and aligns with how humans actually work.
ANECDOTE

Reread Tomorrow, Improve Today

  • Mike recounts reviewing his own writing the next day and finding clear improvements after a pause.
  • He links delay and revisiting drafts to better clarity and fewer errors than rushing delivery.
INSIGHT

Brain Overload Short-Circuits Productivity

  • The human brain feels good when it completes a plan but breaks under chronic overload of commitments.
  • Newport says overflowing our plate short-circuits planning and creates anxiety rather than efficiency.
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