Key Moments
Ep. 188: The 5 Books I Read in March, Embracing Boredom, and Deep Work vs. YouTube | Deep Questions
Deep Questions with Cal NewportKey Moments
Cal Newport discusses books read in March, time blocking, boredom, and deep work vs. online distractions.
Key Insights
Read five books in March: "Travels with George," "A Wizard of Earthsea," "Every Good Endeavor," "The Abolition of Man," and "The Fourth Draft."
Stephen Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" influenced his philosophy by connecting productivity to values, which forms the foundation of his "deep life" approach.
Effective time blocking can extend beyond work to structure 'pseudo-jobs' (administrative tasks) but should exclude leisure time to prevent burnout.
Embracing boredom means becoming comfortable with a lack of high-stimuli digital distractions, enabling focus during deep work and other activities.
Studying effectively requires focused, deep work sessions of 3-4 hours, prioritizing active recall and specific learning over prolonged, performative study marathons.
When using the internet for learning, like web development, avoid clicking on distracting recommendations by treating online platforms as a library, not a television channel.
REVIEW OF MARCH READING LIST
Cal Newport begins by detailing the five books he read in March 2022, maintaining his goal of reading diverse genres and difficulties. The list includes Nathaniel Philbrick's "Travels with George," a historical journey retracing George Washington's tour, praised for its historical content but less so for contemporary anecdotes. He also reviewed Ursula K. Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea," admiring its literary and psychological depth within the fantasy genre, and Tim Keller's "Every Good Endeavor," which offers a biblical perspective on work and vocation, emphasizing work as an intrinsic good and the importance of rest. C.S. Lewis's influential wartime lectures, "The Abolition of Man," were discussed for their argument against subjectivism and for rooted values. Finally, John McPhee's "The Fourth Draft" provided insights into nonfiction writing craft.
THE INFLUENCE OF STEPHEN COVEY ON DEEP WORK PHILOSOPHY
Addressing a listener's question about his frameworks, Cal acknowledges the significant influence of Stephen Covey, particularly "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." He highlights Covey's key insight, "start with the end in mind," which involves identifying personal values and using them to guide daily actions. This value-based approach, emphasizing how time allocation should reflect what truly matters, forms a core foundation for Newport's "deep life" philosophy. He contrasts this with purely materialistic analyses of work and notes that Covey's emphasis on aligning actions with deeper values resonated strongly during the consumerist era of the 1980s.
STRATEGIC TIME BLOCKING FOR ATHLETES AND FULL-TIME STUDENTS
Cal provides advice on time blocking for professional athletes and dedicated students. For athletes like golfer Naveed Khal, he suggests dividing life into three categories: training, 'pseudo-jobs' (essential administrative tasks), and leisure. Time blocking is recommended for the 'pseudo-job' to ensure efficiency, while leisure time should remain unblocked to prevent burnout. For full-time students studying eight hours daily, he emphasizes that true deep work in studying is likely limited to 3-4 focused hours. He advises against performative, prolonged study sessions, advocating instead for effective techniques like active recall and specific learning to maximize productivity.
EMBRACING BOREDOM AS A TOOL FOR FOCUS AND PRODUCTIVITY
Responding to a question about embracing boredom, Cal clarifies his stance: it's not about actively seeking out empty activities but about becoming comfortable with a lack of high-stimuli digital distractions. This familiarity with low-stimulation environments is crucial for tolerating the often demanding and less varied nature of deep work. He suggests activities like extended reading or walking without headphones as ways to practice this. The key is to deliberately remove hyper-palatable digital distractions from everyday moments, fostering the ability to focus without the constant urge to check phones or other devices.
DEEP WORK STRATEGIES AMIDST INTERNET DISTRACTIONS
Addressing the challenge of performing deep work while relying on inherently distracting sources like the internet for learning, Cal offers a direct approach. For learning skills like web development, he advises students to treat online platforms, such as YouTube, as a library rather than a television channel. This means focusing on specific searches for information and consciously resisting the urge to click on distracting recommendations or unrelated content. He advocates for individual discipline and self-control, asserting that developing the ability to ignore digital distractions is empowering and can lead to a healthier relationship with technology.
THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE IN MANAGING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Cal concludes by reinforcing the idea that individuals, even young ones, possess the agency to control their internet usage and resist distractions. He specifically tells a high school student learning to code not to click on distracting links, emphasizing that this deliberate act of discipline is more effective than relying solely on external blockers or plugins. This self-imposed control, especially in focused learning contexts, can build a sense of efficacy and discipline that extends to other areas of life, enabling a more intentional and productive engagement with digital tools rather than succumbing to the algorithm.
Mentioned in This Episode
●Products
●Software & Apps
●Companies
●Organizations
●Books
●People Referenced
Deep Work and Digital Distraction Strategies
Practical takeaways from this episode
Do This
Avoid This
Common Questions
In March 2022, Cal Newport read five books: "Travels with George" by Nathaniel Philbrook, "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin, "Every Good Endeavor" by Timothy Keller, "The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis, and "The Fourth Draft" by John McPhee.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
A company mentioned for its coffee, humorously suggested as a potential sponsor for Deep Work HQ's 'happy hour'.
A nutritional supplement powder providing vitamins and minerals, presented as a convenient way to support health and immune function, recommended by the speaker.
A hiring software platform that helps businesses streamline their recruitment process, mentioned as a sponsor. Cal humorously used it as an example of how he should have hired 'older' employees like Jesse.
A subscription service providing summaries of non-fiction books, recommended as a tool to quickly assess books and stay informed about cultural conversations.
An online insurance marketplace that offers life insurance quotes from multiple companies, presented as a solution for listeners who need life insurance.
A video streaming platform used by Daniel to learn web development, but also identified as a significant source of distraction, posing a challenge for deep work.
Author whose book "The Magicians" shares a similar literary and metaphorical darkness with Ursula K. Le Guin's "A Wizard of Earthsea."
Author of "The Abolition of Man", a collection of three lectures delivered during WWII that argues for rooted values and critiques subjectivism. He is known as a Christian apologist.
Author referenced for his book "Travels with Charlie", which Miles's "Travels with George" is alluded to.
The first U.S. President, whose post-inauguration tours of America are the subject of Nathaniel Philbrook's book "Travels with George."
Author of "A Wizard of Earthsea", the first book in her Earthsea cycle. The speaker found her work to be psychologically astute and sophisticated, with echoes in later fantasy literature.
Author of "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." His framework, particularly 'start with the end in mind,' influenced Cal Newport's 'Deep Life' philosophy.
A legendary professional golfer, mentioned as an example of someone who can handle extreme mental pressure in the sport.
Author whose book "The Fourth Draft" is discussed. He is known for his deep dive into writing craft, memoir, and spending extended time on articles.
Cal Newport's uncle, a former very good golfer who attempted to go professional and authored the book 'The Fine Green Line' about the mental aspects of the sport.
Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and author. His book "Every Good Endeavor" provides a biblical perspective on work, passion, and vocation.
Host of a podcast, mentioned by Jesse as someone who frequently touts "4000 Weeks". He also correctly recalled that Cal Newport was interviewed on his show.
Author of "4000 Weeks"; Jesse incorrectly recalled his name at first, but later corrected it.
A professional golfer who mentioned Cal Newport's work in digital minimalism during the Masters, which may have contributed to Newport's popularity within the sport.
The host of the podcast, discussing his books, frameworks for deep work, productivity, and digital minimalism.
Philosopher whose theories might be contrasted with Tim Keller's biblical perspective on work as an intrinsic good.
Mentioned as a theorist whose systems-based thinking has been merged with Covey's value-based thinking and neuroscience/psychology to form Cal Newport's personal framework.
A professional golfer who is a fan of Cal Newport and uses time blocking. He asked about extending time blocking to non-work activities like showering.
A classic novel, mentioned as its inspiration came from the true story of the ship Essex, which Nathaniel Philbrook wrote about in "Heart of the Sea."
A book on time and finitude, mentioned by Jesse as a recent read he enjoyed and found thought-provoking. It's frequently discussed on various podcasts.
A book by John McPhee focusing on writing craft and memoir. The speaker found it interesting, highlighting McPhee's dedication to his work.
A follow-up book by Stephen Covey that elaborates on his ideas, providing specifics on roles in life and aligning them with values and time allocation.
A book written by Cal Newport's uncle about his experiences attempting to become a professional golfer, focusing on the immense mental pressure and challenges involved.
Cal Newport's book offering detailed study tactics for various courses, recommended for those seeking more information on effective learning strategies.
The first Earthsea book by Ursula K. Le Guin. It's a fantasy novel from the 60s with a young boy at a wizard school, explored for its psychological depth and metaphorical darkness, predating some elements found in later fantasy works.
A highly influential book by Stephen Covey that connects productivity and time management to personal values, impacting Cal Newport's "Deep Life" philosophy by emphasizing "start with the end in mind."
Cal Newport's book on the benefits of focused, distraction-free work. Mentioned in relation to Navid's use of time blocking and the student Daniel's challenges with internet distractions while learning.
A book by Nathaniel Philbrook that retraces George Washington's post-inauguration tours. The speaker found the historical content good but the anecdotes about the dog less interesting.
Nathaniel Philbrook's first book, which was about the ship Essex, the inspiration for Moby Dick. It's recommended as a starting point to read his work.
A book by Tim Keller offering a Christian perspective on work, emphasizing work as an intrinsic good and the importance of balancing work with rest, drawing from biblical narratives.
A short work by C.S. Lewis, presented as a collection of lectures, arguing for the necessity of rooted values and critiquing extreme subjectivism. It's noted for being jargon-free and approachable.
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