The Delicate Art Of Mastering Work-Life Balance - Cal Newport - #764

**Chris Williamson** (0:00)
What's happening, people? Welcome back to the show. My guest today is Cal Newport. He's a computer science professor at Georgetown University. Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the show. My guest today is Cal Newport. He's a computer science professor at Georgetown University, a productivity expert and an author. If you've ever felt that you're not as productive as you could be, you are not alone. But what if the goal isn't to be more productive, but to let go of the goals that aren't serving you? What if the power of saying no to more things is the most important skill you can develop? Expect to learn what our current problem with productivity is, why pseudo-productivity is a catastrophe, the advantages to what Cal calls slow productivity, how to better organise your communication, the best strategies for implementing a productivity schedule, how to stop saying yes all the time and much more. You might have heard me say on a podcast recently that hold luggage is a PsiOp meant to keep you poor and late. I jest a little, but not actually that much. You do not need hold luggage if you have a brilliantly designed backpack and carry on. And the 20 litre travel pack backpack from Nomatic is the best that I've ever found. It is an absolute game changer. The legitimate difference in the quality of your life when you have a world-class backpack is pretty hard to describe. They are beautifully designed, not over-engineered and will literally last you a lifetime because they have a lifetime guarantee. Best of all, you can return or exchange any product within 30 days for any reason. So right now you can get a 20% discount and see everything that I use and recommend by going to nomatic.com/modernwisdomusing the code modern wisdom at checkout. That's nomatic.com/modernwisdom and modern wisdom at checkout. This episode is brought to you by Element. Stop having coffee first thing in the morning. Your adenosine system that caffeine acts on isn't even active for the first 90 minutes of the day, but your adrenal system is and salt acts on your adrenal system. Element contains a science backed electrolyte ratio of sodium, potassium and magnesium with no junk, no sugar, no coloring, artificial ingredients, gluten fillers or any other BS. It plays a critical role in reducing muscle cramps and fatigue whilst optimizing brain health, regulating appetite and curbing cravings. It's how I've started my morning every single day for over three years now. And I absolutely love it. The orange flavor in a cold glass of water, first thing in the morning is fantastic. It is the best way to start the day. Also, they have a no BS, no questions, ask refund policy. So if you do not like it for any reason, they will give you your money back and you don't even need to return the box. That's how confident they are that you love it. Head to www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom to get a free sample pack of all eight flavors with your first box. That's www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom.
If you keep getting tons of spam phone calls and have an inbox that's filled with junk, your information might be spread all over the internet, which is pretty terrifying to think about. This is why I've partnered with Incogni. Incogni help prevent scam attacks by automatically opting you out of shady databases. They scrape the entire internet to make sure that your name is taken off dozens of data broker lists so that your phone will become strangely quiet and your inbox will no longer feel like a hornet's nest. You can cancel at any time. Plus they offer a free 30 day money back guarantee. So you can buy it completely risk free, use it for 29 days. And if you do not like it for any reason, they will give you your money back. Right now you can get a 60% discount off their annual plan by going to incogni.com/modernwisdom and using the code modern wisdom at checkout. That's incogni.com/modernwisdom and modern wisdom. A checkout. But now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Cal Newport.
I was saying, I'm really impressed with what you've done with your podcast.

**Cal Newport** (4:11)
Oh yeah, thank you.

**Chris Williamson** (4:12)
Really cool, for a one-stop shop for understanding productivity and where it's at, and your history, I was hearing you try and use some example of the Cretaceous period for how email got introduced or something.

**Cal Newport** (4:25)
I was geeking out on that one. Yeah, the KT boundary and email.

**Chris Williamson** (4:30)
Yes.

**Cal Newport** (4:30)
Dinosaurs and email.

**Chris Williamson** (4:31)
Dinosaurs and email.

**Cal Newport** (4:32)
I was having some fun with that one.

**Chris Williamson** (4:33)
As it always does. Talk to me about what the problem is with our current definition of productivity.