Shows / The Cal Newport Show
The Cal Newport Show
A podcast about human flourishing in a technological world. Hosted by Cal Newport, an MIT-trained computer professor and bestselling author of numerous books on technology and its impacts, including DEEP WORK, DIGITAL MINIMALISM, A WORLD WITHOUT EMAIL, and SLOW PRODUCTIVITY. New episodes weekly.
Episodes
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 342: The Good Life Algorithm
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 341: Drowning, Treading, or Swimming
Tim Ferris is working on a new book about saying “no” and has posted the introduction online. In this episode, Cal reads an excerpt from this introduction and…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 340: Productivity Rain Dances
Sometimes the quest for productivity can seem like the embrace of activity for the sake of activity, a prospect that inevitably leads to exhaustion. In today’s…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 339: Let Brandon Cook
Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com! In a recent appearance on the Tim Ferriss podcast, the prolific fantasy author Brandon Sanderson revealed how…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 338: Why You’re Always Distracted
Find out more about Done Daily at DoneDaily.com! One of the most common complaints from listeners to the podcast is the feeling that they’re too distracted…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 337: Hacking Remote Work
Remote work is a hot discussion topic right now as president Trump moves to eliminate it from government work. For those who are still allowed to work from…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 336: On Screens and Solitude
In a recent article for The Atlantic, Derek Thompson writes about the troubling trends toward increased solitude. In this episode, Cal looks at the role…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 335: On Morning Routines
One of the most popular and most derided topics in online productivity spaces are so-called morning routines. In this episode, Cal wades into this content…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 334: Hallmark Movies and the Deep Life
In this episode, Cal talks about his journey into the tinsel-tinged world of Hallmark Christmas movies, where he discovered an unexpected connection between…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 333: New Year Course Correction
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 332: Jesse Takeover!
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
IN-DEPTH: The Comfort Crisis (w/ Michael Easter)
In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Michael Easter to talk about the importance of embracing discomfort in the quest to cultivate…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 331: Money and the Deep Life
One of the most important but often overlooked elements of cultivating a deep life is the role of money. In this episode, Cal takes a contrarian look at this…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 330: Tackling Social Media’s Hidden Dangers
Australia recently passed a world-first law banning social media use for kids under the age of 16. In this episode, Cal looks carefully at the arguments in…
- The Cal Newport Show
IN-DEPTH: Greatness vs. Contentment (w/ Kendra Adachi)
This IN-DEPTH is brought to you by Defender. In this episode of IN-DEPTH, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Kendra Adachi to talk about her new book, THE…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 329: The Tao of Cal
We cover a lot of advice on this podcast, covering a lot of different topics. In today’s episode, Cal takes on the challenge of summarizing every big idea he…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 328: Analog Mode
There’s a video trending on the internet at the moment arguing that its audience (presumably, young men) should disappear from the world to focus on going…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 327: Would Kant Use TikTok?
Almost everyone feels uneasy about their relationships with their smartphones. But the question is why? In today’s episode, Cal looks past the most common…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 326: Time to Unplug
During the election season our devices take a particularly hard tole on our health and happiness. Now that the votes have been cast and counted, Cal proposes…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 325: Simple Focus Protocols
A common theme on this show is the importance of focus and the need to train the ability. This can be a long term project, but are there things you can do…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 324: Taming Non-Work Tasks
We talk a lot on this show about how to organize your professional efforts. But what about all your obligations outside of work? The personal goals, the…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 323: Strategic Procrastination
One of the most common complaints from people attempting to cultivate a deep life in our distracted world is procrastination. You want to make regular progress…
- The Cal Newport Show
IN-DEPTH:The Productivity Trap (w/ Oliver Burkeman)
In this episode of IN-DEPTH, a semi-regular interview series with people at the frontiers of deep living, Cal welcomes the bestselling author Oliver Burkeman…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 322: The Discipline Ladder
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 321: Escaping Your Phone
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 320: Jobs and the Deep Life
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
IN-DEPTH: Systematic Depth (w/ Ryan Holiday)
In this episode of IN-DEPTH, a new semi-regular interview series with people at the frontiers of deep living, Cal interviews bestselling author Ryan Holiday…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 319: Reclaim Your Time
Why can you never seem to find enough time to make progress on the non-urgent but important priorities that can move you closer to the ideal of the deep life?…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 318: Take a Break
One of the more viral suggestions from Cal’s recent book, SLOW PRODUCTIVITY, was to occasionally skip out of work to see a movie. In this episode, Cal dives…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 317: The 10-Year Rule
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 316: Weekly Templates
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 315: The Surprising Myth of Doing Less
In this classic episode, Cal talks about the surprising myth of doing less. Cal then answers questions about discipline and solving complicated problems. Cal…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 314: Elements of the Deep Life
In this classic episode Cal talks about the elements of the Deep Life. He then answers a variety of questions about work, family, and phone distractions. Below…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 313: Structured Journaling
Summer is the perfect time to ready yourself for significant changes in your life. A chance to seek more depth in a distracted world. But for many, the goal…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 312: Productivity Basics
It’s mid-summer, people have some extra breathing room in their schedule, they’re relaxed. This moment of quiet seems like a perfect time to revisit some of…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 311: Finding Focus in Distracting Times
In our current digital world, distracting world events have a way of completely destabilizing our ability to focus on work that matters. In today’s episode…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 310: Rethinking Discipline
Discipline is critical to cultivating a deep life, but what exactly does this concept mean? In this episode, Cal uses a concrete case study from Reddit to dive…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 309: Deep Habits
On this show, we often talk about major overhauls to your work and life. In this episode, we go the other way and focus on the small habits that can make a big…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 308: The Power of the Quiet Mind
One of the trickiest aspects of new technology is that it can sometimes destabilize parts of our lives that we didn’t even realize existed and are important…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 307: Ultra-Processed Content
Why are we comfortable with the idea that ultra-processed foods are bad for us but feel somehow anti-technology to say something similar about the…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 306: Defusing AI Panic
One of the simmering concerns surrounding the current AI revolution is the fear that we might accidentally create an “alien mind” smarter than we expected. In…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 305: Is Time Blocking Oppressive?
Oliver Burkeman recently noted that time blocking seems oppressive? In this episode, Cal responds to this reaction in a surprising way. He then answers…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 304: Seinfeld on The Deep Life
In a recent interview, held to promote his new Netflix movie, Jerry Seinfeld went on a remarkable 10-minute run in which he rattled off one insight after…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 303: The Problem with Grand Goals
The desire to cultivate a more intentional and remarkable existence – what we call “the deep life” – is universal. In today’s episode, Cal talks about one of…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 302: Re-Enchanting Work
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 301: Reclaiming Time and Focus (w/ Jordan Harbinger)
In this episode, the proverbial tables are turned, with Cal being interviewed by Jordan Harbinger about time, focus, and the quest for a slower notion of…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 300: Hidden Technology Traps
There has been a lot of attention paid recently to the impact of technology like social media on the mental health of young people. But this is not the only…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 299: Our Love/Hate Relationship with Personal Productivity
Cal has been writing professionally about issues related to personal productivity for two decades. In today’s episode, he provides a short history of what he’s…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 298: Rethinking Attention
We think of information as something neutral; a spotlight that helps illuminate the reality of the outside world. Accordingly, more information is better than…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 297: The Deep Life Hardware
Why do you struggle with your grand attempts to escape distraction and aimlessness to make your life deeper? In this episode, Cal draws on an unexpected…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 296: Jane Austen’s To-Do List (LIVE)
In the first ever live episode of Deep Questions, recorded at People’s Book in Takoma Park, MD, Cal extracts a modern productivity lesson from the tale of Jane…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 295: Artists Revolt Against Social Media
In this episode Cal takes a closer look at a growing trend of artists quitting social media and instead reverting to old-fashioned websites. Are these acts of…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 294: A Tactical Assault on Busyness
One of the biggest problems afflicting knowledge workers in the digital age is frantic busyness; days filled with emails, chats, and meetings, without much to…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 293: Can A.I. Empty My Inbox?
Imagine a world in which AI could handle your email inbox on your behalf. No more checking for new messages every five minutes. No more worries that people…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 292: Single-Purpose Notebooks
On his recent book tour, Cal found great success using a small notebook dedicated to developing a single idea. In this episode, he explores this…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 291: Do Better, Do Less
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 290: Financing the Deep Life (w/ Noah Kagan)
One of the most common strategies for achieving a powerful ideal lifestyle vision is to leverage entrepreneurial activities to find a stable source of income…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 289: The Email Catastrophe
How did we end up tyrannized by our inboxes? How is this related to Tyrannosaurus? What was it like working at a high-tech company at the exact moment email…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 288: Confronting Your Phone
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…
- The Cal Newport Show
Ep. 287: Minimalist Notes
A deep life requires that you encounter and make sense of a large amount of incoming information, from narrow data relevant to a professional project, to broad…