BEST OF: Cal Newport on why you need to change your workflow, not your habits, when it comes to boosting productivity

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Jan 13, 2021

Cal Newport, a computer science professor and author of "Digital Minimalism," shares insights on productivity. He emphasizes the need to change workflows rather than habits for better efficiency. Newport discusses tailored rituals for deep work, debunks the myth of constant phone accessibility, and highlights the importance of solitude. He also outlines strategies to combat shallow work, manage emails effectively, and engage in 'deep breaks' for enhanced focus. His thoughts challenge conventional productivity metrics, advocating for meaningful engagement over mere busyness.

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ADVICE

Breaking Shallow Work Habits

Track your deep work hours to identify shallow work creep.
Recognizing this imbalance can motivate significant change.

ADVICE

Prioritizing Deep Work

Schedule deep work blocks like meetings, protecting them fiercely.
Discuss and agree upon a deep-to-shallow work ratio with your boss.

ADVICE

Shutdown Ritual

Use a shutdown ritual to review open loops and clear your mind.
Establish a phrase to reinforce trust in your plan and reduce rumination.

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***BEST OF HOW I WORK***

I'm currently taking a few weeks off, so today's episode is a Best Of episode. I've gone back through the archives of the last 2.5 years of hosting How I Work and picked out my absolute favourite episodes!

My guest today is Cal Newport. Cal is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. Cal is the author of six books, including, most recently, the New York Times bestseller, Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World. Cal’s work has been published in over 20 languages and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New Yorker, Washington Post, and the Economist.

It’s probably an understatement to say I was excited for this chat because I am a complete and utter fan girl of Cal’s and it’s fair to say that his work has had an enormous impact on how I work. We cover a bunch of different aspects of the way Cal approaches his work including:

Cal’s different Deep Work rituals and why he recommends having different rituals for different types of Deep Work
How to know if you are actually doing Deep Work
Strategies to break your Shallow Work habit
The critical conversation to have with your manager to get them supporting you doing more Deep Work
Cal’s ritual for "shutting down” his work day
Why Cal rejects the idea that we need to have a phone on us at all times
How Cal deliberately builds solitude into his day
Why changing workflows is more effective than changing habits when trying to increase productivity
The workflow Cal designed while on his book tour to minimise back and forth communication
Why giving your time a job is better than using a to-do list
How Cal uses weekly and daily time blocking to use his time effectively
How to take a “Deep Break"
The two key elements of Cal’s email system to minimise communication
The topic Cal is exploring for his next book

You can find Cal at http://calnewport.com/ and grab his books Deep Work and Digital Minimalism.

Visit amanthaimber.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work, I write a short monthly newsletter that contains three cool things that I have discovered that help me work better, which range from interesting research findings through to gadgets I am loving. You can sign up for that at http://howiwork.co

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