The theoretical four-hour daily limit on deep work is based on intense and deliberate practice, observed in professional violin players and extreme programming in software development. Deep work requires complete unbroken concentration, leading to exhaustion after a certain number of hours. In contrast, high quality leisure activities, unless intensely demanding like practicing an instrument, do not exhaust individuals in the same way. Transitioning to unrelated high quality leisure after deep work can reenergize the brain, as argued by Arnold Bennett in 'How to Live on 24 Hours a Day'. Engaging in intellectually stimulating leisure activities can be more rejuvenating than consuming low-quality media.
We’ve become so used to our phones in our lives that we’ve stopped realizing how arbitrary and unusual the content we’re watching really has become. In this episode, Cal looks closer at what we’re really spending time doing on our phones, then provides step-by-step instructions for healing this relationship.
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: Confronting Your Phone [4:30]
- What does Cal think about Neil Postman’s “Amusing Ourselves To Death”? [28:35]
- Can you pursue high quality leisure after a day filled with deep work? [33:14]
- Can commercial breaks be used for high quality leisure? [37:24]
- Will digital minimalism work in an age of augmented reality? [40:34]
- How can a full time YouTuber practice digital minimalism? [46:53]
-CALL: How to share content online? [52:38]
CASE STUDY: Cost-benefit analysis of technology usage [1:00:39]
CAL REACTS: J. R. R. Tolkien’s Search for Depth [1:06:43]
Links:
twitter.com/explore/tabs/trending
instagram.com/explore/tags/popular/?hl=en
tiktok.com/foryou?lang=en
newcriterion.com/blogs/dispatch/the-consolations-of-fantasy
Use this link to preorder a signed copy of “Slow Productivity”:
peoplesbooktakoma.com/preorder-slow-productivity/
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow
Thanks to our Sponsors:
ladderlife.com/deep
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Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.