Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Ep. 368: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity?A 22-year-old made a splash recently when he published a Wall Street Journal op-ed claiming that work-life balance makes you mediocre. He went on to brag about how sleeping less than 4 hours a night and gaining 80 pounds helped him become a millionaire. In this episode, Cal wades into the furious debate this article sparked. He argues that once you look past the author’s dorm bro bravado, the kid does actually ask a good question. It’s just that his answers are lacking. Cal then tackles listener questions and reviews the books he read in August. Below are the questions covered in today's episode (with their timestamps). Get your questions answered by Cal! Here’s the link: bit.ly/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia Deep Dive: I Want Work-Life Balance. Am I Doomed to Mediocrity? [1:06] Is it possible to stay focused when having to check my phone for text messages? [42:20] When did you switch back to your teaching schedule to your summer schedule? [44:05] How has your deep life evolved since Episode 1? [49:22] How can I stop obsessively checking my work email? [53:47] Can you summarize how values and strategic planning documents, birthday projects and lifestyle centric planning combine? [58:14] CASE STUDY: Organizing household admin [1:01:44] CALL: How to tame Trello cards [1:06:39] AUGUST BOOKS: The 5 books Cal read in August 2025 [1:13:26] Boundless Realm (Foxx Note) Collisions (Alec Nevala-Lee) Before the Birds Sang Words (Ken Bruce) Desperation Reef (T Jefferson Parker) Shift (Hugh Howey) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VX1XHMlX1J0 Thanks to our Sponsors: ridge.com (use code “Cal”) drinklmnt.com/deep shopify.com/deep calderalab.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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Ep. 365: What Technology Wants (and How to Push Back)Why do we end up entangled with tools that don’t have our best interests in mind? How can we fix this situation? In this episode, Cal dives deep into the difference between additive and extractive technologies, telling a story that weaves old technology with old versions of modern tools, testimony from recent trials to ideas from leading technology critics – all in the service of improving your relationship with tools. He then answers listener questions and discusses the books he read in July, 2025. 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/3U3sTvo Video from today’s episode: youtube.com/calnewportmedia Deep Dive: What Technology Wants (and How to Push Back) [:54] - Do project trackers work? [34:54] - Is there a downside scenario to engineering wonder? [39:14] - What types of people should I surround myself with? [43:00] - Can you explain your different audiences? [45:02] CALL: Shifting from medical work to a PhD [50:41] JULY BOOKS: The 5 Books that Cal Read in July, 2025 [57:33] L.A. Story (Bill Plunkett) Disney’s Land (Richard Snow) Ingenious (Richard Munson) Original Sin (Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson) Wool (Hugh Howey) Links: Buy Cal’s latest book, “Slow Productivity” at www.calnewport.com/slow Get a signed copy of Cal’s “Slow Productivity” at https://peoplesbooktakoma.com/event/cal-newport/ Cal’s monthly book directory: bramses.notion.site/059db2641def4a88988b4d2cee4657ba? https://substack.com/@priscillaharvey1/note/c-133662492 https://www.yahoo.com/news/zuckerberg-tells-court-facebook-no-171222971.html https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/mark-zuckerberg-is-so-over-facebook-friends?srsltid=AfmBOoo4dysXG_2rXWDJaKnSdG6CfbCqf0O_8op_R1phpz5GQPx2F4XA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7jar4KgKxs https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ai-fC-2Bpo https://www.emarketer.com/content/openai-hires-its-first-cmo-kate-rouch-foreshadowing-ads https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfUpEWAKPf8&t=2350s Thanks to our Sponsors: https://www.expressvpn.com/deep https://www.oracle.com/deepquestions https://www.indeed.com/deep https://www.calderalab.com/deep Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.

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