Ep. 51: Saying "No", Building an Email List Without Social Media, and Falling Short of High Expectations | DEEP QUESTIONS

Dec 7, 2020

Dive into the art of saying "no" when everyone else is jumping at opportunities. Learn how to build an email list without relying on social media. Explore the challenges of academic life and the pressure of lofty expectations. Discover strategies for maintaining personal growth amid life’s demands. Reflect on the importance of online privacy, and the motivations behind venturing into independent media. Ultimately, find out how cultivating a meaningful life can reshape your values around money and community.

01:19:39

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ADVICE

Academic Overwhelm During Pandemic

Academics with heavy teaching loads during the pandemic should prioritize surviving, not maximizing research.
Focus on a relaxing reading/reflection routine to maintain an intellectual foundation for future work.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Screenwriting Outline Stage

For screenwriters, the outlining stage is notoriously difficult.
Adopt an aggressive, all-in approach, potentially using the bimodal deep work method, focusing on milestones and artifacts.

volunteer_activism

ADVICE

Decoupling Hard Work and Self-Criticism

Shift self-criticism from lack of deep work to improving time blocking habits.
Focus on refining your time blocking process, rather than blaming yourself for interruptions, to gain control over time.

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Deep Reset: Strategies for Personal Growth

02:14 • 46min

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Reflections on Independence, Academia, and Online Privacy

48:12 • 12min

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Cultivating a Meaningful Life

59:53 • 13min

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Building a Deeper Life: Balancing Craft and Personal Growth

01:13:12 • 6min

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In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions about saying "no" when others will say "yes" to the same offer, building an email list without social media, and falling short of high expectations for your life, among many other topics.

To submit your own questions, sign up for my mailing list at calnewport.com. You can also submit audio questions at https://www.speakpipe.com/CalNewport

Please consider subscribing (which helps iTunes rankings) and leaving a review or rating (which helps new listeners decide to try the show).

Here’s the full list of topics tackled in today’s episode along with the timestamps:

DEEP DIVE: The Deep Reset, Part 2

WORK QUESTIONS
- Saying “no” when others will say “yes” [12:51]
- Implicit time blocking [16:31]
- Academic overwhelm [19:31]
- Slogging through the early stages of writing [27:55]
- Working hard without being hard on yourself [31:15]

TECHNOLOGY QUESTIONS
- Building an email list without social media [35:26]
- Reviewing metrics [41:45]
- Why I started this podcast [51:42]

DEEP LIFE QUESTIONS
- My thoughts on academia [56:24]
- Money/possessions in the deep life [1:00:03]
- Falling short of idealistic ideas [1:03:42]
- Is it worth trying to be exceptional? [1:09:46]

Thanks to listener Jay Kerstens for the intro music.

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