Cal Newport
Deep Questions with Cal Newport
Cal Newport is a computer science professor and a New York Times bestselling author who writes about the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions. On this podcast, he answers questions from his readers and offers advice about cultivating focus, productivity, and meaning amidst the noise that pervades our lives.
Author
Cal Newport
Category
Podcast website
Latest episode
Jul 9, 2026
Where to listen?
Podcasts in the app Replaio Radio Coming soonPodcasts are coming to the app soon. Install now and be the first to see a whole new take on podcasts
Episodes
Ep. 114: LISTENER CALLS: Growing a Podcast Without Social Media 15.07.2021 38:27
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast.- Balancing necessary shallow and important deep work. [3:23]- Increasing reading retention. [9:556]- Keeping track of goals or ideas for future pursuit. [13:59]- Growing a podcast without social media. [19:32]- Seasonal breaks from...
Ep. 113: How Do I Become a Deep Life Radical? 12.07.2021 1:19:39
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. BOOK REPORT: The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin [1:30]DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - How do I eliminate the hive mind from interaction with other departments? [13:36] - How do I capture small tasks so I don't forget them? [23:23] - How do I (Cal)...
Ep. 112: LISTENER CALLS: The Productivity Baby Steps 08.07.2021 43:39
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Breaking up big projects into small tasks. [4:19]- The productivity baby steps (epic answer alert). [8:58]- Taming late night meetings. [26:02]- Best book of mine for college students. [34:45]- Shutdown routines with unpredictable...
Ep. 111: How Do I Tame Distracting Thoughts? 05.07.2021 1:09:25
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. FROM THE NEWSLETTER: Notes on Quentin Tarantino's Writing Routine [3:39]DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - How fluid are my quarterly plans? [17:00] - What is a good approach to take notes in meetings? [19:59] - What do you include ads o your podcast? [23:...
Ep. 110: LISTENER CALLS: Making the Deep Life Happen 01.07.2021 35:43
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Why people get mad at me. [1:21]- Scheduling reading. [7:06]- Semester goals and time block planners. [11:41]- McKeown's effortlessness vs. Newport's automation. [25:05]- Translating the deep life into concrete action. [30:23]Than...
Ep. 109: How Much Should I Read? 28.06.2021 1:08:39
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. BOOK REPORT: The Square and the Tower [3:6]DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - What should I do if I like my job but dislike the industry? [11:41] - How hard should I push back against a shallow company culture? [16:15] - Is productivity only for people wit...
Ep. 108: LISTENER CALLS: Becoming Productive 24.06.2021 44:46
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - The hyperactive hive mind and the return to the office. [2:57]- Becoming productive. [12:23]- Time tracking apps. [24:51]- Scheduling continuous projects. [27:19]- Struggling with time blocking. [36:51]- Working on problems past w...
Ep. 107: How Do I Stay Motivated on Long-Term Projects? 21.06.2021 1:00:36
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP WORK QUESTIONS:- How do I cultivate urgency for long-term projects? [2:49]- How do I learn more about deliberate practice? [11:54]- How do deal with an "open door" policy at work? [17:06]- How can I return to academia after taking an indu...
Ep. 106: LISTENER CALLS: Art Without Social Media 17.06.2021 39:11
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Balancing work and school. [3:34] - Deep work and ADHD. [8:28] - Building career capital as an account executive. [15:15] - Do I know Naval Ravikant? P22:35] - Art without social media. [27:31] - Pursuing a PhD purely for passion...
Ep. 105: Should I Read the News? 14.06.2021 1:04:51
DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - How do you apply deep work when your job is entirely shallow? [4:37] - Is batching emails a few times a day a good practice? [12:20] - Why are some tips for managing the flow of emails and texts from clients? [19:54] - What am I (Cal) working during my teaching sabbatical this spring? [26:45] - What are the ideal ratios for writing, thinking, and reading in a day? [29:47] - C...
Ep. 104: LISTENER CALLS: Saying "No" Without Saying "No" 10.06.2021 42:17
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Balancing the unpredictable demands of a small business. [3:16] - Taming emails when it's hard to say "no". [10:02] - Notebook overkill. [20:47] - On adverting and social media.[29:52] - My thoughts on video games. [35:45]Thanks...
Ep. 103: What is the Relationship Between Order and Well-Being? 07.06.2021 1:05:59
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - How do you do deep work when you're not in the mood? [3:48] - How do you mange time for side hustle projects? [13:38] - What future technologies will have the biggest positive impact on focus and attention? [16:51] - How...
Ep. 102: BRAD STULBERG: How Do We Work Less? 03.06.2021 1:22:16
In this episode, author Brad Stulberg joins me in person at my Deep Work HQ (!) for a deep dive into the topic of busyness, burn out, and the quest to craft more sustainable professional lives. For more on Brad: https://thegrowtheq.com/ or my interview from Episode 47.Thanks to Jay Kerstens for the intro music. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ep. 101: Does Productivity Impede the Deep Life? 31.05.2021 58:15
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - Should I maintain a day free from all work? [3:55] - How do I take notes on a Kindle? [9:06] - How an I integrate accountability with my time-block planning? (Bonus rant on making workloads transparent.) [11:31] - How do...
Ep. 100: LISTENER CALLS: Scheduling Household Admin 27.05.2021 45:09
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Dealing with time blocking overload. [4:13] - Planning household admin. [9:04] - How theoreticians schedule proof work. [16:24] - Retyping notes (or not). [27:57] - Becoming a better conductor. [34:15]Thanks to Jay Kerstens for t...
Ep. 99: Should I Move to Sweden or Make Money? 24.05.2021 1:07:59
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP DIVE: How Can I Significantly Reduce Email? [6:30]DEEP WORK QUESTIONS: - How do I account for transition time between time blocks? [20:20] - Rant Alert: How do I creeping combat corporate complexity?[21:58] - How do I identify processes t...
Ep. 98: LISTENER CALLS: Choosing the Right Job 20.05.2021 39:54
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - How long to keep items on a "done" list. [2:09] - When is it worth spending money on productivity software? [4:57] - Troubleshooting time blocks. [14:33] - Scheduling short breaks (or not). [19:30] - Avoiding distractions during...
Ep. 97: Should I Outsource My Inbox? 17.05.2021 1:03:03
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - How can I get others to accept a deeper work environment? [6:16] - How can I escape meeting overload? [10:12] - How can I ready myself for a deep work sessions? [18:00] - Should I hire an assistant to help me with my emai...
Ep. 96: LISTENER CALLS: Emotional Distractions 13.05.2021 38:47
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Managing a "waiting on" list. [2:57] - Emotion-driven attention residue. [9:40] - Drifting from time block schedules. [15:29] - Relationship Counseling: Batching dirty dishes? [20:48] - Organizing research. [25:39] - Emotions, e...
Ep. 95: How Do I Maintain the Will to Do Deep Work? 10.05.2021 1:13:11
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP WORK QUESTIONS - What challenges will I face switching to time-block planning for the first time? [3:43] - How do I time block very long days? [8:20] - How do I move external colleagues and clients away from email collaboration? [11:10] -...
Ep. 94: LISTENER CALLS: Battling Bothersome Bosses 06.05.2021 35:08
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Productivity with a chronic illness. [4:28] - Coordinating strategic plans with a partner. [12:44] - Getting your boss to bother you less. [17:56] - High quality leisure for students [25:59] - Feeling overwhelmed by Facebook Grou...
Ep. 93: Am I Overcommitted or Bad at Time Management? 03.05.2021 1:05:31
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. DEEP DIVE: What happens if you stop using your phone for a year? [3:55]WORKING DEEPLY: - How do I avoid the hyperactive hive mind in a new job? [11:36] - How can the author of A WORLD WITHOUT EMAIL have an email list? [14:02] - When did person...
Ep. 92: LISTENER CALLS: The Perils of Coercive Productivity 29.04.2021 37:09
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. - Time block specificity (coercive versus collaborative productivity). [6:24] - Balancing time spent on different types of work. [11:34] - Project priorities. [18:34] - Building a social life during a pandemic. [26:57] - Making use...
Ep. 91: GREG MCKEOWN on Making Essential Work Effortless 26.04.2021 1:23:02
I'm joined in today's episode by Greg McKeown, author of the mega-bestseller Essentialism, and his new book, Effortless. We talk about the massive success of Essentialism, decoding why it did so well and discussing how it changed his life. We then get into the origin of the ideas that became Effortless, and use some of my own attempts to make essential work easier as a case study. Thanks to Jay Ke...
Ep. 90: LISTENER CALLS: My Current Scheduling Setup 22.04.2021 51:53
Below are the topics covered in today's listener calls mini-episode (with timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. Behind the Curtain: My Current Scheduling Setup [0:22]Book Recommendation: The Unspoken Rules [9:34]Listener Calls: - Perfectionism and time-block schedules. [12:58] - Constructing effective student schedules. [18:56] - Organizing t...
Similar podcasts
Replaio is not a podcast publisher; show names, artwork and audio belong to their authors and are distributed through public RSS feeds.