How to Build a Cognitive Training Plan | Monday Advice

In the world of physical health, we use so-called “key performance indicators” (KPIs) to help measure and improve our fitness. In today’s episode, Cal proposes a collection of three KPIs for measuring and improving your *cognitive* capabilities – a small step toward his larger vision of a cognitive fitness revolution.

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

(0:00) How to build a cognitive training plan

(29:48) What is Cal’s opinion on information fatigue syndrome?

(37:04) Comments on the new book, “Pardon Our French: The Parisian Way to a Happier Life”

(40:17) An interesting way to think about AI and thinking

(47:37) An article about Disneyland, high quality leisure, and deep living

(57:53) What Cal is up to

August 2026 Books

The Laws of Thought (Tom Griffiths)

This is For Everyone (Tim Berners-Lee)

Into the Deep (Bob Ballard and Christopher Drew)202

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://workplacepsychology.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/information-overload-when-information-becomes-noise/

https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2026/08/12/reading-between-the-lines-part-1-a-cognitive-framework-for-ai-in-scholarly-publishing/

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/18/boredom-and-its-discontents-part-ii/

https://pluralistic.net/2026/08/12/insurance-value-of-biodiversity/

https://archive.ph/WvW1F

Thanks to our Sponsors:

https://www.calderalab.com/deep (Use code “DEEP)

https://www.vanta.com/deepquestions

https://www.gusto.com/deep

https://www.babbel.com/deep

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production and mastering, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Nate Mechler for research and newsletter.

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