The data shows knowledge workers really are more exhausted and more prone to burnout than ever before. But why? In this episode, Cal draws inspiration from an unlikely source to help unpack this troubling trend and then suggest a perhaps radical solution. He then answers listeners’ questions and discusses his latest New Yorker article on the challenges of taming AI. As a bonus, he briefly discusses Cal Network’s new bestselling book.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/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: How Much Should We Work? [3:33]- What’s your advice on having a career backup plan? [28:27]- Do you know of any executive coaches who teach your principles? [30:33]- Is my retirement plan too ambitious? [35:13]- Are accountability support tools acceptable to use in order to build discipline? [38:43]- How can I identify if I have an inventory of "rare and valuable skills"? [41:21]CASE STUDY: Crafting a storytelling profession [43:14]CALL: Creating a life dashboard [46:14]TECH CORNER: Why Can’t We Tame AI? (Cal’s latest New Yorker article) [52:08]Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet 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/open-questions/what-isaac-asimov-reveals-about-living-with-aiThanks to our Sponsors:drinklmnt.com/deeporacle.com/deepquestionsindeed.com/deepvanta.com/deepquestionsThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
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1:03:30
Ep. 355: Quit Social Media (For Real This Time)
A common complaint about social media skepticism is that we’re falling into a classic moral panic. We’ve been concerned about many past mass media technologies, and ultimately came to realize that they’re not so bad. So why would we expect anything different about social media? In this episode, Cal tackles this complaint, drawing on an unexpected analogy to find clarity. He then answers listener questions and discusses the books he read in May, but not before first confronting a truly bizarre (or, perhaps, brilliant) piece of art work created by a fan of the show.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/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: Quit Social Media [6:18]- How can I become a better, more analytical thinker? [23:04] - How can I stay motivated, productive, and balanced while working mostly alone during my first remote internship? [28:56]- How much time should I dedicate to developing secondary skills? [30:10]- How does TikTok seem to know so much about me? [32:09]- What are the best workflow strategies when using AI agents? [43:45]CASE STUDY: A simple, analog approach to productivity [49:31]CALL: Too focused on metrics [53:15]MAY BOOKS: The 5 Books Cal Read in May 2025 [1:03:19]May Books:Building: A Carpenter’s Notes on Life & the Art of Good Work (Mark Ellison)Thoreau’s Axe (Caleb Smith)9 Innings (Daniel Okrent)Let Them (Mel Robbins)Against the Machine (Paul Kingsnorth)Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?amazon.com/Four-Days-Week-Life-Changing-Well-Being/dp/0063382431/rcalnewport.com/on-ultra-processed-content/podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cal-newport-5-28-19/id814550071?i=1000647135862rehearsal.so/blog/how_to_stay_in_flow_while_using_cursor_or_windsurfThanks to our Sponsors:cozyearth.com/deepshopify.com/deepharrys.com/deepcalderalab.com/deepThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
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1:11:35
Ep. 354: The Workload Fairytale
A few years ago, in a spirit of post-pandemic experimentation, multiple countries ran formal trials to test a radical idea: shortening the workweek. In this episode, Cal returns to the results of these trials to identify an astounding finding that has critical implications about how we work in the 21st century and how this could be made much better. He then answers listener questions and concludes with a tech corner that addresses a simple question: when will AI begin to automate most of my work?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/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: The Workload Fairytale [3:39]- How would you rewrite A World Without Email to account for Slack? [18:16]- How should I manage multiple deadlines? [22:14]- How does Values-Based Lifestyle Centric Career Planning relate to Rutger Bregman's concept of Moral Ambition? [27:28]- How can I avoid burnout and use my career capital to find a less demanding job? [34:24]- Should I do my weekly plan on Sunday night to avoid the scaries? [40:32]CASE STUDY: A lawyer argues in front of the New York Court of Appeals [42:57]CALL: What exactly is considered task switching? [47:15]TECH CORNER: When will AI automate my job? [56:04]Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?bbc.com/news/business-57724779theguardian.com/money/2023/feb/21/four-day-week-uk-trial-success-patterndw.com/en/german-firms-tested-4-day-workweek-heres-the-outcome/a-70685885calnewport.com/ai-and-work-some-predictions/Thanks to our Sponsors:udacity.com/deeplandroverusa.comcalderalab.com/deepThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
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1:14:24
Ep. 353: Summer Schedules
Summer is here. It’s time to slow down. In this episode, Cal discusses his radically simplified summer schedule and then suggests you similarly inject some “seasonality” into your life, offering tips for finding a slower gear without tanking your job. He then answers listener questions and reacts to the most important AI article that you likely missed last week. 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/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDeep Dive: Summer Schedules [5:25]- How should I structure my summer vacation with a significant injury? [27:40]- How do I learn the secrets to publication if the faculty doesn’t know I exist? [32:10]- Should I even attempt long-term content or is it too hard? [33:31]- How can I develop a deliberate practice for crafting narratives for technical documents? [44:33]- Is there an alternative to formal education to improve quantitative skills? [45:13]CASE STUDY: A father balances his different roles [47:40]CALL #1: Finding a side hustle [51:16]CALL #2: College student wondering the tips to focus better [56:02]CAL REACTS: Is the AI boom slowing? [1:07:01]Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?wsj.com/tech/ai/meta-is-delaying-the-rollout-of-its-flagship-ai-model-f4b105f7Thanks to our Sponsors:grammarly.com/podcastvanta.com/deepquestionsshopify.com/deepcozyearth.com/deepThanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
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1:20:56
Ep. 352: It’s Okay to Slow Down
When we think about important accomplishments, we think about grinding through long hours of work. But is this really necessary? In this episode, Cal turns to the lives of two famous authors to argue that sometimes a slow and steady approach can work just as well in the end, while making the journey more sustainable along the way. He then answers listener questions and concludes with a Tech Corner segment about a ridiculous new claim from the world of AI. 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: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia Deep Dive: It’s Okay to Slow Down [2:28]- How should I tell people my email responses will be delayed without using an autoresponder? [18:07]- Should I read for quantity or quality? [20:31]- How does “one email address” per project work and how do I implement it? [24:51]- Can you comment on Conan O’Brien’s burner phone? [30:42]- Am I working hard enough to get tenure? [38:00] CASE STUDY: Email processing protocol [44:25]CALL #1: Organizing creative work [49:19]CALL #2: Fan update about Inbox Zero [53:37]TECH CORNER: A.I. Welfare is a PR Stunt [58:36] Links:Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slowGet a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba?https://thestory.au/articles/daily-routines-famous-writers/https://youtu.be/cM8HlKoJCHA?si=N-UjnFu-4q-mTJEBhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/technology/ai-welfare-anthropic-claude.html Thanks to our Sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/deepquestions and get on your way to being your best self!https://www.mybodytutor.comhttps://www.oracle.com/deepquestionshttps://www.expressvpn.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, Kieron Rees for the slow productivity music, and Mark Miles for mastering.
Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
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