Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Cal Newport
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Top 10 Deep Questions with Cal Newport Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Deep Questions with Cal Newport episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Deep Questions with Cal Newport for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Deep Questions with Cal Newport episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Ep. 262: Creativity Hacking
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
08/21/23 • 75 min
When it comes to generating fantastic ideas – the type that can make your career – you don’t have to passively wait for inspiration to strike. You can, instead, *hack* the creative process to increase the odds of coming up with something great. In this episode, Cal explores one of the more powerful forms of “creativity hacking”: making use of strange locations.
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
Today’s Deep Question: Why do you work better in strange locations? [3:31]
Does Cal read online articles? [34:35]
Is fitness tracking on my Apple Watch an excuse to stay distracted? [40:09]
Which is better for original thinking: the city or the country? [43:05]
How do I organize the pursuit of deep ideas? [47:19]
Does reading books from unrelated genres help idea generation? [51:57]
CAL REACTS: Over stimulation is ruining your life! [59:11]
Links:
blog.computationalcomplexity.org/2020/02/pre-publish-and-perish.html
calnewport.com/on-using-inspiring-locations-to-inspire-deeper-work/
youtube.com/watch?v=yYWvUoN4yt8
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions and get on your way to being your best self
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
2 Listeners
Ep. 245: “Crazy” Productivity
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
04/24/23 • 68 min
In this episode Cal – against his better judgment – answers questions on the fly, with no advance plan or preparation. He also does a Deep Dive about the Twitter fog dissipating and discusses something interesting.
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: What was Twitter anyway? [4:46]
- Is there a difference between passion and calling? [27:09]
- What are the four principles to reimagine knowledge work? [31:50]
- Is movie watching part of the Deep Life? [36:05]
- Does fixed schedule productivity work on a weekly scale? [38:54]
- How does effective altruism fit in value-based lifestyle career planning? [41:01]
- What are Cal’s thoughts on David Graber’s book, “Bull Shit Jobs”? [44:00]
- Do distracted adolescents risk losing the ability to focus as they grow older? [46:57]
- Does slow productivity assist with parenting and professional development? [48:29]
Something Interesting: Rob Drydek’s productivity system [1:00:37]
Links:
nytimes.com/2023/04/18/magazine/twitter-dying.html
Thanks to our Sponsors:
fieldofgreens.com Promo Code: Deep
hensonshaving.com/cal
rhone.com/cal
huel.com/questions
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
2 Listeners
Ep. 317: The 10-Year Rule
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
09/09/24 • 87 min
Becoming notably good at something valuable is one of the most powerful tools for crafting a deep life. But how do people do this? In this episode, Cal explores three useful rules for getting good in search of depth. He then answers listener questions and reacts to a remarkable collection of advice from almost seven decades ago.
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: The 10-Year Rule [2:29]
Why can’t I succeed with Cal’s time management system? [32:03]
- Can RSS feeds make “fast content” slow? [39:06]
- Can persuading people be considered deep work? [45:05]
- How can I guide my teenage son towards a deep life? [47:05]
- How do I find time to launch my new business? [49:53]
- CALL: Testing a book idea without social media [55:04]
CASE STUDY: A professional athlete utilizing career capital [1:06:10]
CAL REACTS: C.S. Lewis’s Advice for Writers [1:15:32]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/ryan-holiday-stoic-king-bastrop-painted-porch/
youtube.com/watch?v=hB3tBI-KNLk
twitter.com/InfiniteB88ks/status/1824108211081019821
Thanks to our Sponsors:
shopify.com/deep
drinklmnt.com/deep
expressvpn.com/deep
factor.com/deep50
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 320: Jobs and the Deep Life
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
09/30/24 • 66 min
One of the single most important factors in your attempts to cultivate a deep life is your job. Yet, many people don’t give much thought to the role their work will play in their conception of a life well-lived. In this episode, Cal looks deeper at this topic. He starts by outlining four common traps people fall into when thinking about their work and happiness, then offers an alternative model that works better. He continues by answering listener questions about jobs and happiness, and ends with a look at Robert Caro’s writing shack.
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: Jobs and the Deep Life [3:43]
How can I tame my 12-hour work days? [26:25]
- Should I worry about having too many daily metrics? [29:49]
- How can I create an inspiring deep work environment if I work out of my car? [33:24]
- How can I remain accessible to my kid's daycare without being constantly distracted? [35:36]
- How can I use the principles of slow productivity for my MBA studies? [39:58]
- CALL: Applying Cal’s principles as a new parent [45:49]
CASE STUDY: Focused work for a PhD program [51:37]
CAL REACTS: Robert Caro’s Budget Writing Shack [1:01:18]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?tumblr.austinkleon.com/post/761805215728009216/in-the-shack-with-robert-caro-he-bought-the-prefab
Thanks to our Sponsors:
notion.com/cal
mintmobile.com/deep
oracle.com/deepquestions
landroverusa.com
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 322: The Discipline Ladder
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
10/14/24 • 80 min
Do you struggle to consistently make progress on hard things that are important to you? In today’s episode, Cal describes a way to improve this state of affairs: a systematic training regime called the discipline ladder. He then answers listener questions about their own struggles with discipline and reacts to an article claiming that professors are lazy (gasp!).
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: The Discipline Ladder [4:29]
How can I overcome procrastination? [24:42]
How can I make my daily metrics more personal? [27:16]
How can I get my discipline back on track after a negative event? [32:47]
How can I be more disciplined to find time for my part-time project? [39:50]
How can my organization adopt slow productivity principles? [43:49]
CALL: Process centered emails [50:41]
CASE STUDY: Leveraging Career Capital [58:02]
CAL REACTS: Are Professor’s Lazy? [1:07:19]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
city-journal.org/article/professor-mia
newyorker.com/culture/annals-of-inquiry/what-kind-of-writer-is-chatgpt
Thanks to our Sponsors:
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 316: Weekly Templates
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
09/02/24 • 79 min
The fall is the perfect time to tune up your productivity and organizational systems. With this in mind, in this episode, Cal discusses a tool he has long used in his own life but never discussed before in public: the weekly template. He then answers questions on the theme of personal productivity from listeners and reviews the books he read in August.
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: Weekly Templates [3:29]
How does Cal schedule his evening writing sessions? [26:08]
How can I leverage my current career capital to become an entrepreneur? [30:30]
How do I find time for non-urgent but interesting deep work? [35:59]
Is afternoon deep work possible? [39:16]
Can I use slow productivity to help prepare for a job interview? [45:49]
CALL: How do I not be reactionary during my busy season? [51:42]
CASE STUDY: Using Cal’s toolkit while working in the Peace Corps [56:52]
FINAL SEGMENT: The 5 Books Cal Read in August 2024 [1:06:05]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 321: Escaping Your Phone
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
10/07/24 • 75 min
It has become second nature to maintain a continuous partial participation in the world of digital networks. In today’s episode, Cal reflects on a week in which he spent too much time online, and argues why this continuous partial participation is dehumanizing, and what you can do to escape. He then takes questions and calls from listeners and reviews the five books he read in September.
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: How Your Phone Is Changing You [1:43]
How do I teach my bosses to be deeper? [28:34]
How can I focus as a doctor when I have to keep switching from one patient to the next?” [35:46]
How do I overcome notebook overwhelm? [39:13]
Can “creativity” be added to the deep life buckets? [40:47]
How do I overcome the guilt of no longer being pseudo-productive? [44:51]
CALL: The Pomodoro Technique and overcoming distraction [49:33]
CASE STUDY: A 39-year-old changes careers [54:21]
FINAL SEGMENT: The 5 Books Cal Read in September 2024 [1:02:50]
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
Thanks to our Sponsors:
This show is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/deepquestions
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 342: The Good Life Algorithm
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
03/03/25 • 78 min
How do escape a life of shallowness and distraction to cultivate something deeper and more meaningful? In this episode, Cal draws from both algorithm theory and the habits of a reclusive author to highlight an effective strategy for achieving this goal – one that underscores the advantages of the small targeted changes versus major grand leaps. He then answers listener questions and reviews the five books he read in February.
Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com!
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: The Good Life Algorithm [1:42]
How should a federal worker navigate all the negative news? [23:56]
How do I get my non-geeky partner on board with the deep life! [26:40]
How can I develop a schedule with flexibility following a health setback? [29:08]
How should I reshape a once successful aerospace company? [35:06]
Are there perceived benefits to pseudo productivity? [43:32]
CALL: What does it mean to work enough each week? [50:19]
CASE STUDY: Can knowledge workers be happy doing less? [58:55]
FEBRUARY BOOKS: The 5 Books Cal Read in February, 2025 [1:07:50]
Moral Ambition (Rutger Bregman)
Brotherhood of the Rose (David Morell)
- How Dante Can Save Your Life (Rod Dreher)
- Buzz Saw (Jesse Dougherty)
- The Siren’s Call (Chris Hayes)
Links:
Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?
newyorker.com/culture/office-space/the-hollow-core-of-elon-musks-productivity-dogma
tim.blog/2019/02/18/jim-collins/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 302: Re-Enchanting Work
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
05/27/24 • 82 min
We talk a lot on this show about how to organize and execute your work, but not enough about where to do it. In this episode, Cal explores the theory and practice of “adventure working,” in which you escape to novel and inspiring locations to tackle your most demanding and interesting cognitive efforts. He then answers reader questions about habits and rituals, before ending with a critical look at a famous football club’s distressing embrace of pseudo-productivity.
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: Re-Enchanting Work [5:39]
- What are Cal’s health habits? [31:12]
- What’s the difference between discipline and rituals? [34:08]
- How does Cal read so much? [37:37]
- What are Cal’s writing-related rituals? [40:44]
- Should I go slow in my job hunting? [45:05]
- CALL: Working at a natural pace as a teacher [49:47]
- CALL: How to navigate the “pull system” [54:31]
CASE STUDY: Organizing files in a household [1:00:57]
CAL REACTS: Manchester’s United’s Pseudo-Productivity [1:11:13]
Links:
- Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow
- Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/
- calnewport.com/adventure-studying-an-unconventional-new-approach-to-exam-preperation/
- calnewport.com/bonus-post-an-adventure-studying-case-study/
- instagram.com/p/B1y5dV3HSC9/?igshid=1r2acwbmfztew
- apcc.org/pond-stories-mary-olivers-blackwater-pond-provincetown/
- scottishfield.co.uk/scotland-travel/the-black-heart-of-scots-crime-writer-ian-rankin/
- calnewport.com/the-power-of-the-outdoor-office/
- calnewport.com/deep-habits-my-office-in-the-woods/
- theguardian.com/football/article/2024/may/08/sir-jim-ratcliffe-manchester-united-remote-work-ban-email-traffic
- theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/02/hybrid-work-attention-productivity/677598/
Thanks to our Sponsors:
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
Ep. 169: How Do I Manage My Time?
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
01/31/22 • 77 min
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.
Video from today’s episode: https://tinyurl.com/b2rkctfj
CORE IDEA: Time Management [4:37]
DEEP WORK QUESTIONS:
- What does deliberate practice look like for computer programming? [30:15]
- Is it rational to quit your job if it implies a potential harm to society? [36:04]
- When is deep work not the most important metric? [39:04]
- Should I stay a job where the management actively tries to stifle productivity? [42:46]
- What are your (Cal’s) tips for a mother of two small kids getting her masters? [51:15]
DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS:
- Is raising kids part of the deep life or an obstacle to achieving it? [1:00:22]
- Is listening to audiobooks just as beneficial as reading hard-copy books? [1:04:55]
- How do I accomplish a digital detox when all of my leisure involves my phone? [1:06:07]
- How can high school students excel without SATs? [1:11:06]
- Should I worry about social media getting me fired from my job? [1:12:21]
Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
1 Listener
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FAQ
How many episodes does Deep Questions with Cal Newport have?
Deep Questions with Cal Newport currently has 371 episodes available.
What topics does Deep Questions with Cal Newport cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Technology and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Deep Questions with Cal Newport?
The episode title 'Ep. 245: “Crazy” Productivity' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Deep Questions with Cal Newport?
The average episode length on Deep Questions with Cal Newport is 71 minutes.
How often are episodes of Deep Questions with Cal Newport released?
Episodes of Deep Questions with Cal Newport are typically released every 4 days.
When was the first episode of Deep Questions with Cal Newport?
The first episode of Deep Questions with Cal Newport was released on May 28, 2020.
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