Ep. 291: Do Better, Do Less

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Cal Newport

Technology, Self-improvement, Education

4.8 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 March 2024

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does the story of the rise of the singing superstar Jewel teach us about escaping busyness in our knowledge work jobs? In this episode, Cal makes the connection, extracting a key lesson about quality as an engine for slowness, and then providing concrete advice and examples for applying this lesson to your own professional life. Also: listener questions and the books Cal read in February.

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: Doing Better, Do Less [5:00]

- Is my job too hard? [38:25]
- How do I sell myself better? [42:52]
- How do I convince myself to do actual hard work? [45:42]
- How do I find time to get better if I'm busy? [48:46]
- What is the values plan? [53:23]

The 5 books Cal read in February 2024 [1:01:45]

The Sabbath (AJ Heschel)
Making Movies (Sidney Lumet)
Killer of the Flower Moon (David Grann)
Orthodoxy (G.K. Chesterton)
The Good Shepherd (CA Forestor)

Links:
FREE download excerpt and 2 Bonuses for “Slow Productivity”:
calnewport.com/slow

Thanks to our Sponsors:

shopify.com/deep
drinklmnt.com/deep
mybodytutor.com
blinkist.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I'm Cal Newport and this is deep questions. The show about cultivation.
0:09.3	I'm Cal Newport and this is deep questions.
0:14.0	The show about cultivating a deep life in a high-tech world.
0:22.0	So I am here once again after two weeks of touring for my new book
0:27.0	Slow Productivity in the Deep Work HQ
0:32.1	They say distance makes the heart grow fonder. That was definitely the case
0:37.2	when it comes to the deep work HQ. I had been all over Los Angeles and Austin recording podcast about slow productivity so I've been in
0:47.3	every different type of studio you can imagine podcasting I got to tell you my
0:51.6	favorite of them all right here my HQ here in Tacoma Park
0:56.1	Maryland there's no Jesse today I just got back from my trip I have I'm recording
1:00.8	this at the last minute to get this episode out on time.
1:05.0	So there wasn't time to actually set up a normal recording session so I just ran over to the
1:09.5	HQ to solo cast this episode and I really got to say I am happy to be here. We got a
1:15.6	good show of a deep dive that's going to really focus in on one of the more
1:19.6	interesting ideas and stories from my book.'ve got a good collection of relevant questions from you
1:26.0	my listeners to go through and during the final segment
1:30.0	will switch gears and I'll do the books I read in February 2024.
1:35.4	A couple quick updates on the books, slow productivity.
1:38.2	First of all, if you want to see me in person, March 16th.
1:43.6	I think that's Saturday, March 16th at 3 p.m.
1:47.6	I will be at Politics and Proes on Connecticut Avenue
1:51.7	in Washington, D.C. My friend, David. at
	...

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