CM 028: Cal Newport on Deep Work

Should we expect distractions at work? Or are we unwittingly cooperating in our own ineffectiveness? In this conversation, Cal Newport, bestselling author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, shares how deep work has become the superpower of the 21st century. Cal argues that today’s workplace is a minefield of distractions. With email, open floor plans, and instant messaging systems, we’re continually pulled away from meaningful, productive work. And the very tools our workplaces rely on to promote productivity are actually contributing to increased distraction and inefficiency. Learning to take control of our own attention is not only the key to a meaningful life, but it is the key to economic viability in a distracted age. Cal is Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University, as well as the bestselling author of five books. His ideas and writing are frequently featured in major publications, and he is author of the popular blog, Study Hacks. In this episode, we talk about: What makes deep work so valuable How deep work makes life more meaningful What deep work looks like and how little distraction it takes to ruin it Why boredom is actually the key to doing deep work Why relationships hold the key to deep work Why we should be teaching young people to engage in deep work The value of being lazy when it comes to deep work Why you need a philosophy for doing deep work Cal also shares his deep curiosity to rethink cognitive workflows in a post-industrial age. Episode Links @CalNewport Calnewport.com Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World Georgetown University MIT Slack Eric Barker The Second Machine Age by Andrew McAfee and Erik Brynjolfsson Madmen Adam Grant Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Sophie LeRoy and attention residue Jack Dorsey Square Twitter Industrial Revolution Henry Ford Scientific management Assembly lines Knowledge worker Wilhelm Hofmann Roy Baumeister How to Live on 24 Hours a Day by Arnold Bennett Downton Abbey The Collaboration Curse in The Economist If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and review it on iTunes. For automatic delivery of new episodes, be sure to subscribe. As always, thanks for listening!