Ep. 218: Work vs. Meaning In A Distracted World

An author friend of Cal Newport, inspired Cal's weekly update videos by doing his own for his book reading audience. Known for writing in an 'underground super villain lair'.

Associated with the lifestyle design movement, which involved systematic approaches to work and life, sometimes becoming too technical.

Cal Newport mentions reading a lot of Thoreau during his post-doc years, influencing his appreciation for nature and seasons.

The author of the 'Outside' magazine article about Kurt Steiner, praised for its beautiful writing and photography.

Author of 'How to Live on 24 Hours a Day', who responded to the rise of middle-class office work by advocating intentional use of free time.

Fantasy novelist known for 'Spiderwick Chronicles' and 'The Novels of Elfhame', who transformed her house into a fantastical steampunk aesthetic with a secret writing room to enhance her creative work.

An entrepreneur and author of 'Company of One', used as a case study for values-based lifestyle-centric career planning, who moved to Tofino to prioritize autonomy and nature.

A thriller writer known for medical thrillers, who famously lived on Beacon Hill and quit medicine after finding success as an author, also served as a Navy doctor on submarines.

Founder of My Body Tutor, who Cal Newport has known for years and praises for building a successful online coaching company focused on health consistency.

Author of 'Dracula', who supposedly practiced 'method writing' by retreating to an isolated hotel and acting like Dracula to get into the mood for his book.

A man who has dedicated his life to stone skipping, setting world records, whose story highlights the calming and focusing power of pursuing a simple skill to mastery, aiding his mental health.

An example of a large corporation during the 'organization man' period of the 1950s-style work culture.

Platform used by Brandon Sanderson for weekly updates and also by Cal Newport for his channel 'calnewport media'. Mentioned as a platform for algorithmic content curation and also as a common distraction.

An online page hoster mentioned in an example of lifestyle design automation.

A subscription-based service that offers 15-minute summaries of non-fiction books and shortcasts of podcasts.

A startup offering monthly subscriptions to calculate and offset one's carbon footprint through climate projects, known for its hypertransparency.

A brand that Cal Newport is a fan of, known for high-quality workout shirts and now their commuter dress shirts which are flexible, breathable, and wrinkle-resistant.

An online coaching service founded by Adam Gilbert, providing personal accountability and coaching for fitness and health consistency.

The institution Cal Newport attended, where he observed many smart students choosing Wall Street, consulting, or law firms due to a lack of career planning framework.

Where Cal Newport spent his post-doc years, living on Beacon Hill and focusing on present enjoyment and writing academic papers.

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, proponents of the minimalist movement, friends of Cal Newport, who had a backstory of simplifying their overloaded work and material lives.

An institution where Cal Newport does research, noted for its Jesuit background and emphasis on improving the world.

Where Ronald completed a post-bac Pre-Med program and was admitted to dental school.

Government body that regulates development on California's coast, mentioned in relation to preserving the unique nature of the Morro Bay beach track.

A prestigious law school mentioned as a common path for many of Cal Newport's friends from Dartmouth.

A publication cited in the discussion of Bram Stoker's method writing.

Cal Newport's 2012 book that critiques the 'follow your passion' career advice.

Cal Newport's book focusing on reforming one's relationship with technology by taking a 30-day break from optional digital technologies.

The famous novel by Bram Stoker, mentioned in the context of his 'method writing' approach.

A book from 1956, which Cal Newport uses to describe the 1950s period where work was a substitute for civic life.

A 1908 classic by Arnold Bennett, suggested for its timeless advice on intentional use of leisure time for personal edification.

Paul Jarvis's 2019 book that Cal Newport blurbed, advocating against scaling a business and instead leveraging skill to gain flexibility and freedom.

A popular middle-grade/young adult fantasy novel series by Holly Black, which was made into a movie.

A revised framework for organizing life's elements, adding 'Contribution' as a distinct bucket alongside craft, community, constitution, contemplation, and celebration.

A new and growing field focused on the structure of the mouth and its impact on breathing discussed by Ronald, who desires to become an expert in it.

A small town on the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where Paul Jarvis moved for a quieter, nature-focused lifestyle.

A region in Scotland where Bram Stoker reportedly retreated to write 'Dracula'.

A city mentioned as a place Paul Jarvis used to live and work in the downtown core before moving to Tofino.

A historic neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, where Cal Newport lived during his post-doc years at MIT.

A Californian beach town mentioned as a mecca for outdoor sports, where a tax preparer successfully built a lifestyle around seasonal work and outdoor activities.

A coastal location in Scotland near where Bram Stoker was living while writing Dracula.

A writing software used by Cal Newport, which expands working memory with its double pane approach for writing and research.

A plain text file on Cal Newport's desktop used as an extension of his working memory to dump and retrieve temporary thoughts during the day.

Ronald's YouTube channel focusing on Airway Dentistry, which has amassed almost 10,000 subscribers.

A website where Arnold Bennett's out-of-copyright book 'How to Live on 24 Hours a Day' can be found for free.

A note-taking system used by Cal Newport for capturing thoughts related to ongoing self-improvement or professional improvement projects.

Magazine mentioned by Cal Newport where he wrote an article about a tax preparer leveraging seasonal work for an outdoor lifestyle, and later cited for the Kurt Steiner stone skipping article.