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?
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Episodes
Ep. 238: The Joys of the Reading Life 06.03.2023 1:09:57
The reading life is a deep life. The screen-filled life can be primitive and exhausting. Which one do you want? Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: Why is it important to read books? [7:23]- Should I buy physical c...
Ep. 237: Reimagining the Internet 27.02.2023 1:17:07
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: https://youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: Should we consider a radically reimagined internet? [7:03]- Can we build a better internet? [29:20]- Will the coming augmented reality make the deep life impossib...
Ep. 236: Hacking Remote Work 20.02.2023 1:20:20
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: https://www.youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: How can I significantly decrease the footprint of my remote job (without anyone noticing)? [10:46]- How do I leverage a shift to remote work to gain a deeper...
Ep. 235: Is Productivity Overrated? 13.02.2023 1:12:35
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: Does Cal Still Think That Productivity is Overrated? [6:46]- Should I abandon my careful plan when I get on a roll? [30:47]- How do I achieve slow-and-steady work mode? [35:38]-...
Ep. 234: Ambition without Burnout 06.02.2023 1:31:31
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: How can we be ambitious without burning out? [8:23]- How do I create a hit podcast? (Special guest JORDAN HARBINGER) [41:59]- How do I overcome boredom in my purposefully under-s...
Ep. 233: Escaping Your Tyrannical Inbox 30.01.2023 1:19:58
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: How can I free myself from spending all day in my inbox? [8:24]- Why does Cal suggest having multiple email addresses? [43:27]- How do I convince my colleagues to actually read p...
Ep. 232: The Lumberjack Paradox 23.01.2023 1:14:13
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: https://bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaToday’s Deep Question: Why are lumberjacks happier than lawyers? [3:06]- Should I leave a good job to gain more autonomy? [32:34]- Should I quit my trainer job? [38:31]- What does Cal’s workday...
Ep. 231: Fight Burnout with Work Cycles 16.01.2023 1:15:31
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDEEP DIVE: Work Cycles [6:57]- Should I leave my relaxing job to make more money? [33:54]- Is there a need for deep work retreats? [45:59]- How do I find time to work deeply when I’m busy? [53:07]Case...
Ep. 230: How Well Are You Living? 09.01.2023 1:25:39
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoVideo from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaDEEP DIVE: How well are you living? [11:14]- How do you track deep life habits? [28:07]- How do I become more social? (Bonus: How does Cal avoid being killed by Jocko?) [34:15]- How do I distill essent...
Ep. 229: Developing Discipline 02.01.2023 1:16:47
Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). For instructions on submitting your own questions, go to calnewport.com/podcast. Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmediaGet your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoQUESTIONS:- How do I find time to study for a better job? [5:14]- How do I find rare and valuable skills to develop? [8:...
Ep. 228: A World Without Busyness 26.12.2022 1:11:54
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: A World Without Busyness? [4:51]- In an era of Quiet Quitting is it easier to become a star? [22:09]- How do I resist my job’s demand for out-of-hours work? [29:52]- Should new writers use social media to get feedback? [35:31]- Should I use social media to promote my filmmaking website? [46:11]- Am I too busy find new id...
Ep. 227: Visions of the Deep Life? 19.12.2022 1:28:27
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo- DEEP DIVE: Should I Manage Time or Stress? [2:50] - How do I switch from a push to pull model of task management? [27:05]- Where should I live? [40:13]- Is “rare and valuable” the same as “impressive”? [49:01]- CALL: Integrating Deep Work to create a Deep Life [54:43]- How do I reconcile my lifestyle vision with my husbands very...
Ep. 226: The Productivity Dragon 12.12.2022 1:28:51
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo- CALL: How do I balance different productivity systems? [5:24]- How do I deal with a sudden increase in my work responsibilities? [12:29]- How use the “waiting for” column on my task board when crafting a weekly plan? [18:39]- If I adopt a natural pace to my work will I lose the race to success? [30:57]- Should I quit my job to pu...
Ep. 225: Should I Become A Thriller Writer? (w/ J.T. Ellison) 05.12.2022 1:43:47
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: Did Alan Turing Invent The Computer? [5:25]INTERVIEW: Thriller writer J.T. Ellison [25:23]Thanks to our Sponsors:policygenius.comeightsleep.com/deephensonshaving.com/calGet a 4-week trial, free postage, and a digital scale at stamps.com/deep. Thanks to Stamps.com for sponsoring the show! Thanks to Jesse Miller for prod...
Ep. 224: A World Without Twitter? 28.11.2022 1:57:26
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: A World Without Twitter? [7:28]bit.ly/3hQ9Wh4LIVE CALLER: Starting a new company alone [34:28]- How do I (carefully) convince my employer to embrace Deep Work? [51:48]- I just quit my job. How do I reset my life? [1:03:36]- How do I deal with having too much freedom in my job? [1:10:09]- CALL: Which tool should I bring w...
Ep. 223: Could This Meeting Have Been An Email? 21.11.2022 1:38:23
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: Could This Meeting Have Been An Email? [5:48]bit.ly/3EDcuZ0Questions for special guest host David Sax:- Is the Light Phone worth the money? [28:38]- How do I get started seeking higher quality leisure? [38:43]- How do I become a successful freelance writer? [49:01]- How do I make technical writing compelling? [1:08:03]-...
Ep. 222: Did Cavemen Use To-Do Lists? 14.11.2022 1:30:28
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: Did Caveman Use To-Do Lists? [1:28]Article Link: bit.ly/3NYRbnF- LIVE CALL: Debating a master’s program [27:59]- How do I practice the “journalistic” mode of scheduling deep work? [37:32]- How do I determine when something I’m working on is good enough? [44:20]- Should I take two months off work to write in a cabin? [49:...
Ep. 221: Can Parents Do Deep Work? 07.11.2022 1:29:15
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: The 20% Paradox [4:54]- INTERVIEW with Yael Schonbrun [18:59]- Cal and Jesse talk about Schonbrun interview [1:13:18]MAILBAG: [1:24:00]- Twitter is losing its most active usershttps://www.reuters.com/technology/exclusive-where-did-tweeters-go-twitter-is-losing-its-most-active-users-internal-2022-10-25/ Thanks to our Spon...
Ep. 220: The Two Types of Ambition 01.11.2022 1:33:53
Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: The Two Types of Ambition [4:36]- LIVE CALL: Escaping the “Second Control Tap” [28:10]- Can journaling make me a better writer? [53:26]- What’s an example of a keystone habit for building community? [56:03]- Can Cal give an example of a quarterly plan? [1:00:00]- How does Cal choose what books to read? [1:06:16]- What’s...
Listen to This: The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos 26.10.2022 4:37
Here’s a special preview of the new season of The Happiness Lab, a podcast from Pushkin Industries. You might think you know what it takes to lead a happier life… more money, a better job, or Instagram-worthy vacations. You’re dead wrong. Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos has studied the science of happiness and found that many of us do the exact opposite of what will truly make our lives better. S...
Ep. 219: The Deep Reset 24.10.2022 1:30:16
Link to submit questions: bit.ly/3U3sTvo DEEP DIVE: The Deep Reset [8:58] - Should I use Seinfeld’s “Don’t Break the Chain” method? [37:48] - Does Cal have a separate task board and weekly plan for his personal life? [42:07] - How do I track my metrics over the long term? [47:18] - Are Facebook and Instagram doomed? [52:25] - CALL: Children and video games [58:47] - When do I add a task to my list...
Ep. 218: Work vs. Meaning 17.10.2022 1:41:58
Link to submit questions: bit.ly/3U3sTvoDEEP DIVE: Work vs. Meaning [4:48]- How do I design a life I love? [33:37]- Is it okay that I use adult coloring books? [47:19]- Is listening to music a good source of solitude? [49:33]- How do I enjoy the present while planning for a deeper future? [54:42]- CALL: Should I take over my dad’s business? [1:03:24]- How do I stop binge-watching YouTube after wor...
Ep. 217: Slow Productivity Advice 10.10.2022 1:30:03
Link to submit questions: bit.ly/3U3sTvoCAL REACTS: Brandon Sanderson’s Underground Lair [2:49]- Was it a mistake to drop out of college? [21:49]- What tools should I use to manage my processes? [28:47]- CALL: Help with slow productivity [32:12]- What hobbies will improve my concentration? [37:34]CASE STUDY: Building a Deep Life on House Hacking (plus: thoughts on FIRE) [43:22]- Is Cal using Zette...
Ep. 216: Deep Walking To Work Less 03.10.2022 1:26:16
Link to submit questions: bit.ly/3U3sTvo- Interesting Mail Bag [7:10]- Does walking help or hurt my work? [25:01]- How do I tame the flow of work from outside teams? [29:10]- Do performers need an active social media presence? [33:12]- CALL: Should Robert keep on a writing role? [35:18]- CALL: Should Robert be worried about his full-time job discovering his side job? [39:18]- Are newsletters the n...
Ep. 215: RYAN HOLIDAY: Discipline Is Destiny 26.09.2022 1:28:25
Link to submit questions: bit.ly/3U3sTvo- INTERVIEW with Ryan Holiday [10:00] - Cal and Jesse talk about Holiday interview [1:13:57]Thanks to our Sponsors:mybodytutor.comwren.co/deepnotion.comhensonshaving.com/cal (enter Cal at checkout for 100 free blades)Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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