Deep Questions with Cal Newport Ep. 117: Should I Quit My Job to Become a Writer?
Explore the balancing act for working mothers seeking personal time and productivity hacks. Dive into crafting a professional mindset for aspiring writers and the importance of evaluating creative projects through monetary feedback. Discover strategies to navigate uncertainty in goal setting and the role of digital minimalism in enhancing well-being. Finally, gain insights on aligning work with personal values to overcome chaos and achieve meaningful progress in challenging circumstances.
01:20:26
Balancing Childcare and Work
- Rebalance childcare responsibilities with your husband, establishing clear morning and afternoon shifts.
- Consider investing in additional childcare to create more personal time.
Strategies for Work Reduction
- Explore automation, outsourcing, and structured processes to reduce workload.
- Fire troublesome clients, specialize in profitable services, and charge more for less work.
Time Blocking for Unpredictable Tasks
- Time block for support tasks in general, not specific tickets.
- Save your state when interrupted and resume during your next support block.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app 1 chevron_right 2 chevron_right 3 chevron_right 4 chevron_right 5 chevron_right
Intro
00:00 • 2min
Balancing Act: Strategies for Working Mothers
02:02 • 26min
Crafting a Professional Mindset for Writing
28:12 • 10min
Monetary Value and Creative Growth
38:25 • 14min
Taming Chaos: Finding Clarity in Uncertainty
52:22 • 28min
Company of One
Why Staying Small Is the Next Big Thing for Business
Paul Jarvis
In 'Company of One,' Paul Jarvis challenges the conventional notion that business growth must always mean scaling up.
He argues that staying small can provide more freedom, independence, and a better quality of life.
The book offers practical advice on setting up a solo business, determining desired revenues, keeping clients happy, and dealing with crises.
Jarvis emphasizes the importance of resilience, autonomy, speed, and simplicity in running a successful 'company of one.
' This approach is particularly appealing to solo entrepreneurs and small business owners who prioritize a balanced and fulfilling life over traditional growth models.
Getting Things Done
David Allen
Getting Things Done (GTD) is a personal productivity system developed by David Allen.
The book provides a detailed methodology for managing tasks, projects, and information, emphasizing the importance of capturing all tasks and ideas, clarifying their meaning, organizing them into actionable lists, reviewing the system regularly, and engaging in the tasks.
The GTD method is designed to reduce stress and increase productivity by externalizing tasks and using a trusted system to manage them.
The book is divided into three parts, covering the overview of the system, its implementation, and the deeper benefits of integrating GTD into one's work and life.
21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari
In '21 Lessons for the 21st Century', Yuval Noah Harari tackles the most pressing questions of our time.
The book explores issues such as the crisis of liberal democracy, the rise of nationalism, the impact of technological advancements, the threat of terrorism, and the challenges posed by climate change and nuclear war.
Harari presents these complex contemporary challenges clearly and accessibly, inviting readers to consider values, meaning, and personal engagement in a world filled with noise and uncertainty.
He emphasizes the need for critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity in navigating the future and suggests that individuals must identify strongly with a global community to confront global problems effectively.
A World Without Email
Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload
Cal Newport
In 'A World Without Email', Cal Newport argues that the constant digital communication, which he terms the 'hyperactive hive mind', has become a productivity disaster.
He contends that this workflow, driven by email and other messaging tools, reduces profitability, slows economic growth, and makes workers miserable.
Newport proposes a workplace where clear processes, not haphazard messaging, define task management.
He advocates for each person working on fewer tasks but doing them better, with significant investment in support to reduce administrative burdens.
The book lays out principles and concrete instructions for streamlining important communication and reducing the central role of inboxes and chat channels in the workplace.
The end of nature
Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben's "The End of Nature" is a seminal work in environmental literature, published in 1989.
The book explores the profound impact of human activity on the Earth's climate and ecosystems.
McKibben argues that human-induced climate change has fundamentally altered the natural world, marking the end of an era where nature existed independently of human influence.
The book's impact lies in its powerful articulation of the urgency of the climate crisis and its call for collective action.
It remains a significant text in the environmental movement, influencing subsequent discussions and activism on climate change.
Digital Minimalism
Cal Newport
In 'Digital Minimalism', Cal Newport argues that we need to be more intentional about the technologies we allow into our lives.
He proposes a philosophy of digital minimalism, where individuals focus their online time on activities that strongly support their values and ignore the rest.
The book highlights the negative effects of behavioral addictions created by technology, such as solitude deprivation and the fleeting nature of social media satisfaction.
Newport suggests a 30-day 'digital declutter' process and other practices to help readers integrate digital minimalism into their lives, emphasizing the importance of optimizing technology use to support personal goals and values.
Homo Deus
A Brief History of Tomorrow
Yuval Noah Harari
In 'Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow', Yuval Noah Harari examines the future of humanity, predicting that in the 21st century, humans will strive for happiness, immortality, and god-like powers.
The book discusses how technological developments, such as artificial intelligence and genetic engineering, will shape human society.
Harari speculates on the possibilities of overcoming death, creating artificial life, and the potential risks and philosophical implications of these advancements.
He also explores the impact of humanism, individualism, and transhumanism on our future and questions the continued dominance of humans in a world increasingly driven by data and algorithms.
So Good They Can't Ignore You
Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love
Cal Newport
In this book, Cal Newport challenges the conventional wisdom that following one's passion is the key to career happiness.
Instead, he argues that passion often follows mastery and that developing valuable skills and expertise is essential for creating work you love.
Newport presents four rules: Don't follow your passion, Be so good they can't ignore you, Turn down a promotion, and Think small, act big.
He supports his arguments with case studies from various professionals who have found satisfaction in their careers through hard work and skill development.
Blockchain Revolution
How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World
Alex Tapscott
Don Tapscott
In 'Blockchain Revolution,' Don and Alex Tapscott explain the profound impact of blockchain technology on global commerce and society.
The book discusses how blockchain facilitates peer-to-peer transactions without intermediaries, ensuring privacy, security, and transparency.
It highlights the potential of blockchain to transform various industries, from finance and government to the Internet of Things, and its role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The authors provide a high-level primer on blockchain, making it accessible to readers new to the technology while also exploring its deeper implications and future possibilities.
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
- How do I find free time as a working mother? [2:10]
- How do I time block unpredictable support tasks? [13:56]
- How many items are on my (Cal's) task lists and how often do I review? [18:51]
- How do I stay productive without clear deadlines? [27:09]
- How do get started writing? [32:33]
- How do I know if an idea is good? [37:56]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS
- How do I integrate uncertainty into my goal setting? [43:01]
- How should I configure my smartphone notifications? (Rant Alert) [52:18]
- Should I quit my design job to become a writer? (Rant Alert #2) [57:50]
- How do I make progress on meaningful goals in difficult circumstances? [1:09:37]
Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music and Mark Miles for mastering.