Dr. Cal Newport: How to Enhance Focus and Improve Productivity

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Cal Newport, Ph.D., a professor of computer science at Georgetown University and bestselling author of numerous books on focus and productivity and how to access the deepest possible layers of your cognitive abilities in order to do quality work and lead a more balanced life. We discuss how to avoid digital distraction, specific systems to best arrange and update your schedule, and how to curate your work and home environment. We discuss how to engage with smartphones and technology, the significant productivity cost of task-switching, and how to avoid and overcome burnout. This episode provides specific protocols for enhancing focus and productivity, time management, task prioritization, and improving work-life balance that ought to be useful for anyone, young or old, regardless of profession.
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Dr. Cal Newport
Website: calnewport.com
Blog: calnewport.com/blog
Deep Questions with Cal Newport: www.thedeeplife.com/listen
KZbin: / calnewportmedia
Academic profile: bit.ly/43bISws
The New Yorker: www.newyorker.com/contributor...
Journal Articles
Capturing the Naturally Occurring Superior Performance of Experts in the Laboratory: Toward a Science of Expert and Exceptional Performance: bit.ly/3PbaUTa
Other Articles & Resources
reMarkable: remarkable.com
Scrivener: bit.ly/43bIVs8
Trello: trello.com
The Father of Deliberate Practice Disowns Flow (Cal Newport Blog): bit.ly/3v7jDyU
Work Life Balance (RescueTime): bit.ly/3wYfIok
Is Email Making Professors Stupid? (Chronicle of Higher Education): bit.ly/3TvBSr9
One Reason Hybrid Work Makes Employees Miserable (The Atlantic): bit.ly/48MfZs0
Books
"Slow Productivity": amzn.to/49QzG35
"Digital Minimalism": amzn.to/48IYJ6U
"Deep Work": amzn.to/3wNR6yV
Huberman Lab Episodes Mentioned
Dr. Matthew Walker: The Science & Practice of Perfecting Your Sleep: bit.ly/48Nm33p
People Mentioned
Andres Ericsson: psychologist, researched expertise and performance: nyti.ms/48R7M5A
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi: psychology professor, coined “flow states”: bit.ly/48OQFS9
Linda Stone: tech writer, coined “continuous partial attention”: lindastone.net/about
Stephen Covey: author, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: bit.ly/48TtN3Q
David Allen: author, Getting Things Done method: gettingthingsdone.com/about
Matt Walker: neuroscience professor, researches sleep: www.sleepdiplomat.com
David Goggins: public speaker, ultramarathoner: davidgoggins.com
David Whyte: poet: davidwhyte.com
Lex Fridman: research scientist, host of Lex Fridman Podcast: lexfridman.com
Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Cal Newport
00:02:52 Sponsors: Helix Sleep, Maui Nui & Joovv
00:07:00 Smartphones, Office & Walking
00:13:08 Productive Meditation, Whiteboards
00:20:04 Tool: Capturing Ideas, Notebooks
00:24:57 Tool: Active Recall & Remembering Information
00:30:02 Sponsor: AG1
00:31:29 Studying, Deliberate Practice
00:38:13 Flow States vs. Deep Work
00:41:39 Social Media, Emergencies
00:45:27 Phone & Addiction; Task Switching
00:53:20 Sponsor: LMNT
00:54:23 “Neuro-Semantic Coherence” vs. Flow; Concentration
01:02:40 Internet Use & Kids; Video Games; Audiobooks
01:08:15 Pseudo-Productivity, Burnout
01:12:34 Social Media Distraction; The Deep Life
01:18:03 Attention, ADHD, Smartphones & Addiction; Kids
01:26:12 TikTok, Algorithm
01:30:39 Tool: Boredom Tolerance, Gap Effects & “Thoreau Walks”
01:37:43 Solitude Deprivation, Anxiety
01:41:22 Tools: Fixed Work Schedule & Productivity, Exercise, Sleep
01:47:52 Deep Work, Insomnia; Productivity & Core Work; Music
01:55:08 Cognitive Focus & Environment; Isolation
02:02:30 Burnout Epidemic, Digital Collaboration
02:11:11 Cognitive Revolution, Balance
02:16:45 Remote, Hybrid vs. In-Person Work; Zoom
02:22:05 Tool: Pull-Based System, Designing Workload
02:28:49 Tools: Multi-Scale Planning, Time Blocking; Deep Work Groups
02:38:56 Tool: Shutdown Ritual
02:42:37 Accessibility, Reputation & Flexibility
02:47:29 Work-Life Balance, Vacation; Productivity
02:54:47 Zero-Cost Support, Spotify & Apple Reviews, KZbin Feedback, Sponsors, Momentous, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
#HubermanLab #Productivity
Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - www.blabacphoto.com
Disclaimer: www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

[@HighLifeWorkout]

Cal Is one of my favorite authors. The book "Deep Work" was life-changing for me

[@dawnfmEnthusiast]

shoutout to you bro! good to see you here king

[@Chico11661]

BBC!!!

[@Stirner219]

+1. Read it years ago and ever since have been deliberate at pushing for hard (valuable) work.

[@austinm5297]

the GOAT

[@emf2482]

Yooo Keto Suave in the mf HOUSE

[@selfhelpguy5589]

Dear Dr. Huberman, Thank you so much for inviting Dr. Newport to the podcast. I love the content of the both of you, and am lucky to have the opportunity to see two great minds like you both exchange ideas. Sincerely, Jatin Unecha

[@ddavidpanah]

Got off social media just to find myself scrolling through KZbin shorts, it looks like there is no escape from it.

[@CaseyRyan]

Delete KZbin 🤌🏼

[@icslush]

KZbin IS social media

[@savualpo]

There is instructions to get shorts off from KZbin.

[@taufeeq8269]

I can show you a way to tackle that if you have deleted all of the other ones, since KZbin is a bit necessary for some of us, i learn from design tutorials and a lot of valuable insights for my field, so it's hard, to Totally avoid youtube. Try to delete it from your phone if you can and use it on a laptop or a desktop if you have one, theres a browser extension,i am forgetting the name atm, it hides all recommendations, the main page each and everything, and now when you open yt,theres a blank slide on your screen, so you can't possibly get distracted,and you search for what you only need at that moment.

[@IlyaSavchenko-nu4bk]

You can try disabling KZbin history. Then KZbin will not recommend you new videos, including shorts. At least that's how I dealt with doomscrolling.

[@smitty0375]

My worlds are colliding. I read all of Newport's books and listen to the pod. Deep Work is truly a game changer, I've bought several for people. Let's get nerdy!

[@leek1002]

Good on you giving the book to others.😊

[@erikmorales17]

May I ask what Newports books talk about?

[@anotherjewishsharpnicholas9425]

Did he have something in his life that caused him to hate social media so much?

[@toddherzman126]

He never got onto social media in the first place.

[@smitty0375]

@@erikmorales17 I have the new one on my nightstand, haven't read yet. But "Deep Work" is the opus, it's a game changer. For early career folks I also recommend "So Good They Can't Ignore You"

[@tarunjain361]

As a devoted follower of your work, I find myself deeply inspired by the way you shape both my lifestyle and mindset. Your dedication to addressing diverse aspects of life and well-being is truly commendable. As a parent of two children, I would greatly appreciate it if you could collaborate with a guest and create a series focusing on parenting and child psychology.

[@hubermanlab]

In the works! Also see: www.hubermanlab.com/episode/dr-becky-kennedy-protocols-for-excellent-parenting-improving-relationships-of-all-kinds

[@flowerpt]

Dropping this on the Monday after Daylight Saving Time kicks in is a Galaxy Brain move.

[@keremkaloglu3254]

Depends on where you live😅

[@nisarkhan8707]

Well it's 6pm here so😅😅

[@abbyabroad]

Oh yeah! I live in Beijing so now I know that my family and friends in the US are one hour "closer" to me 😂

[@RE71476AD]

Another 3 weeks to wait in the UK! I believe we also change back one week before the US. Strange.

[@Diego-Designs]

I hate this time change! I usually wake up around 5am, and today I woke up at almost 7am....😭

[@camilogomeznarvaez8755]

This episode is like a dream come true for those who follow Newport and Huberman separately. The unique instance to watch this two sharing knowledge, advice, and talking about high performance and quality for knowledge workers, just in one video! Thanks for this opportunity, I can't wait to see the next interviews of world changing content.

[@thanos879]

Out of everything, what really sparked me from this discussion was the straightforward idea that learning is supposed to be mentally taxing and painful. I had the wrong idea. I thought if it was painful, that meant It's something that I shouldn't pursue. I thought It'd burn me out quick. And thought all the people doing that thing professionally didn't feel the same pain as me. THANKS

[@wisabusiness]

Cal Newport is an incredible teacher. I love how he switches his vocabulary based on who he's talking with. Excellent guy! 👏

[@MKULTRA_Victim_]

I think that’s called code switching

[@stringlarson1247]

AH is great at it as is Dr. Robert Lustig.

[@weatherep0rt]

The collab of the century, the two goats!

[@damian6235]

I love Dr. Andrew's humility, never stops learning - regardless of the great things he does.

[@Lady-in-Red]

I was having problems with energy during the day and staying asleep at night. When I met with a doctor (MD), one thing they told me to do was to stop going online 2-3 hours before going to sleep. I failed so miserably the first, because I literally didn't have anything else to replace the internet, but after borrowing books from friends, reading (and sometimes cooking and cleaning) became my new evening ritual. It's so peaceful at night now, and I do sleep much better.

[@nutritionalketokitchen]

Great discussion. I'm 48. Realized social media was a trap as a very young mom. It was tough with my youngest. My children are now 19-30 and I made limits on all distraction. No fighting games. No hate words. No social media until 16. Today they're joyful creative driven and succeeding and rarely ever use social media. They get caught in the tick tok trap because their friends share. I'm worried for parents with 1 year Olds holding a tablet.

[@sambadi782]

Andrew, an episode on brain damage from you would mean a lot. How they affect certain people, athletes etc. A topic often not talked about. And one that needs more awareness. Thanks for everything you’re doing.

[@briannagravely9349]

I'd like that too, since he often has a very empathic approach to things. One of my biggest fears growing up was the Phineas Gage story. 😬

[@nizzo_0742]

Never thought about that before. But now that I know I want an episode about that too, Ty for the topic :)

[@HASSTYLEPROGRESS]

Brain damage and ways to help those with intellectual disability

[@axaram4541]

A lot of autoagressive behaviour addresses the Forehead and after the things you shared about the frontal lope and fractured identities/personality it seems there is a lot to unpack there…

[@patfov]

I read Cal's books and followed his advice to disconnect from social media. I never went back to it.

[@engineeringmadeasy]

Same

[@harvestrootsferments4503]

Two years sober

[@Brandon-hh6jy]

Yet here you are, on social media

[@tahabashir9405]

Lol youre here. Ok well stay off facebook and insta atleast. Use youtube wisely.

[@FreakyStyleytobby]

@@Brandon-hh6jy Nope, YT is a different story than fb and insta. You dont compare yourself to others, dont get likes. And once you install "unhook" extension you don't even see shorts. So you just browse only these channels that you're interested in

[@inlakech369]

I replaced binge watching series with long walks/hikes while listening to educational podcasts like yours (and Tim's F., Lex's F. etc.) . I still have all the apps on my phone...to make it extra challenging in using them less. Gratitude for this episode

[@Dondillilochevrolet]

Productivity can also be a drug. Be careful.

[@julius.2003]

Even if it’s a drug, it’s still 10x better than social media. Same way with work. I’d rather be addicted to work and productivity than to social media ;)

[@MISSMOB]

Good on you 👍

[@roryconrad9094]

who is Tm F?

[@camilgamez77]

@@roryconrad9094tim ferriss maybe

[@T-Woman]

I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and am implementing additional strategies to reduce distractions, improve focus, and optimize working memory. The timing of this episode is perfect.

[@10ocmer10]

Try Taurine supplement, pure powder. Fixed my ADHD

[@T-Woman]

​@10ocmer10 I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion!

[@likosta]

I have no ADHD, but I do struggle to keep focusing while I'm studying with my laptop. Internet is the sea of distractions. I have been keeping my cellphone very AWAY from me and using an extension called "web the fuck" to prevent me from looking at websites I shouldn't been looking at while I have to get work done. I use/love Firefox browser and I'm grateful to find such an extension there! I also use extensions to block ads.

[@DavidKFZ]

@@10ocmer10 How many mg do you take daily? And, before you're doing a study/work session I take?

[@at2239]

@@10ocmer10do you also take medication?

[@ghost..-659]

00:02 Dr. Cal Newport shares practical steps for enhancing focus and productivity. 02:11 Various tools to enhance focus and productivity 06:00 Red and near infrared lights have various health benefits 08:09 Managing phone distractions and text messaging habits 12:03 Stimulating creativity through physical activity and quiet environments 13:58 Utilizing productive meditation for enhancing focus 17:39 Whiteboards are essential for high-level theoretical work. 19:15 Using Whiteboard for Distillation and Focus 22:34 Utilize specialized capture methods for specific types of work 24:26 Streamline workflow by eliminating unnecessary steps 27:47 Developing strategies for studying and writing improved my academic performance. 29:29 Active recall is a powerful tool for learning 32:47 Developing a mental map helps in mastering neuroanatomy. 34:17 Deliberate practice requires stepping out of your comfort zone 37:46 Discomfort triggers plasticity and learning. 39:29 Focusing without distraction is important to isolate relevant neural circuitry for intense concentration. 42:51 Fear of missing something bad can lead to unnecessary anxiety. 44:23 Social media and phone usage can have a significant impact on people's emotions and well-being. 47:42 Unrestricted internet usage should be approached more carefully, possibly starting post-pubescence. 49:10 Reducing impact of distractions in life leads to enhanced focus and productivity. 52:25 Frequent task switching reduces cognitive output 54:00 Context and task switching impact brain's efficiency 57:20 Deep work requires internal concentration and coherence 58:53 The brain works in cognition frames with related ideas changing according to memory and plans. 1:02:03 Teach how to use the mind to produce innovative cognitive artifacts 1:03:42 Unrestricted internet use pre-puberty is risky. 1:07:03 Preference for fiction over non-fiction audiobooks 1:08:48 Transition from agriculture & industry to knowledge work productivity 1:12:11 Limiting social media can enhance focus and productivity 1:14:01 Living in misalignment with what you care about creates a void. 1:17:05 Building a meaningful life is essential in a distractive world 1:18:50 Neuroplasticity can lead to attention issues due to task switching 1:22:20 Prescription drugs and neuroplasticity to enhance focus 1:24:09 Varied content durations enhance learning experience 1:27:37 Tik Tok's optimization for dwell time through its unique algorithm 1:29:18 Tik Tok disrupted the social media landscape with algorithm-based curation. 1:32:45 Building tolerance for boredom enhances productivity 1:34:24 Pausing during tasks enhances neuroplasticity for accelerated learning 1:37:39 Naming concepts enhances understanding and importance 1:39:21 Limit screen time to avoid brain exhaustion 1:42:35 Implement a fixed schedule productivity to control work hours and drive innovation. 1:44:02 Physical exercise and cognitive function are linked for mental sharpness. 1:47:22 Prioritize deep work for 60-90 minutes daily 1:49:07 Focus on long-term goals and deep work for productivity 1:52:29 Focus on what really matters for enhanced productivity 1:53:58 Balance productivity habits for focus 1:57:16 Treat cognitive work like professional athletes treat their game 1:59:00 Importance of understanding and maximizing brain potential 2:02:06 Caring about your brain gives you options 2:03:56 Overload of administrative tasks leads to less time for actual work 2:07:12 Reliance on ad hoc messaging leads to inefficiencies in collaboration. 2:08:45 Transitioning from email to a more efficient system is challenging in organizational settings. 2:12:00 Enhancing productivity through cognitive and cultural shifts 2:13:37 Work smarter, not harder 2:16:53 Synchronize the schedule for hybrid work to maximize benefits 2:18:29 Focus on working on fewer things to enhance collaboration and productivity. 2:21:45 Implement a pull system for workload management 2:23:39 Limit active work to three tasks for higher productivity 2:26:45 Use Trello for organizing tasks efficiently 2:28:17 Implement Cal Newport's pull-based system 2:31:21 Multiscale planning and consistent routine for productivity. 2:32:57 Utilize time blocking for improved focus and productivity 2:36:10 Using a paper-based time block planner for focused work 2:37:42 Group work enhances focus and productivity. 2:40:48 Implement cognitive behavioral therapy to improve focus and productivity 2:42:29 Structured time management builds a reputation of reliability and trustworthiness. 2:45:35 Focus on research quality for tenure success 2:47:00 Focusing on high-quality work over small tasks 2:50:07 Maintain deep focus even during vacations. 2:51:43 Dr. Cal Newport emphasizes the importance of implementing productivity tools in various aspects of life. 2:55:17 Supplements can benefit sleep, focus, and hormone support

[@anandsaurabh8503]

Service to others is noble pursuit. Thank you, for taking time and summarising here. @huberman - please see , ai should be able to create timed summary like this for takeaways ( rather than just index) and should be shared by default for more wider impact.

[@carnarte]

Thanks friend

[@melissas3892]

You are appreciated!!!

[@monicaguimaraes7779]

Thank you very much.👍🏻🇧🇷😊

[@JerryTheAsian]

legend

[@amycardenas1819]

Neverrrrrrrr would of thought he’s have Cal Newport on here! I discovered him through a Tedtalk 2 years ago on quitting social media! Inspired me sooo much! Thank you Huberman for having him on! Never been excited about an episode as much as this one! ❤🎉

[@ZekeFilms]

Damn you were ahead of the curve.

[@markoercegovac9301]

Andrew Huberman x Wim Hof would be a great episode

[@leonormiguel1]

Dear Andy/Andrew, I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering dedication to the realm of science and its profound impact on our lives. Your dissemination of knowledge has profoundly influenced my routines, habits, and, ultimately, my persona, altering the way I engage with the world. Over the past two to three years, immersing myself in your podcast has cultivated a sense of camaraderie, akin to conversing with a trusted friend. Notably, the series featuring Paul Conti resonated deeply with me, particularly his incorporation of concepts like gratitude within the scientific discourse-truly refreshing. If I may, I would like to propose two suggestions. Firstly, inviting Gabor Maté, the author of "The Myth of Normal," would be invaluable. Moreover, facilitating a discussion between you, Paul Conti, and Gabor Maté promises a wealth of knowledge and insights. With profound appreciation, Leo

[@dianestrong4086]

I appreciate these podcasts of Dr. Andrew Huberman. I respect him and appreciate what he is providing. Dr. Paul Conti verbalizes what my life knows, Trauma changes the brain. I agree that Dr. Gabor Mate would be a great guest. Dr. Gabor Mate has validated my intellectual and clinical life responses. The negligence of the American Medical Association has been verified as I have noticed for the last 8 years. To hear the honest integrity of these professionals is validating for my life.

[@BeefyPreacher]

Relax

[@TheMrNono]

What Dr. Cal says about limiting the use of devices until after puberty really hits hard for me. I just turned 20 this month and feel as if my phone is an extension of myself. Something needs to change.

[@MVRUNOV]

Dr Huberman thank you for the knowledge,time,energy you give out, free ! May God bless your family and yourself ! From Tahiti, with love.

[@wearvalues]

Amen.

[@dianestrong4086]

Give freely is the God sent for me.

[@user-gy1pl3mj5r]

Hi Dr. Cal, Last year I read your book (deep work) its actually change my life either in work and in my study. It was the most beautiful days gone during i read deep work, but suddenly my life changed to worst. I failured in my life and today I suffer from severe depression. I can't control my life and I fighting my emotions everyday to prevent myself to suicide.I hope my life return as it was when I read your book. Hussein Iraq❤

[@cracklingsoda]

God bless u. Love and positivity from India.

[@user-gy1pl3mj5r]

​@@cracklingsoda Thanks, I love India culture very much. I visited New Delhi in 2020 and it was very beautiful city in addition the people was so kind❤

[@cracklingsoda]

Wow! So cool u've been here. Someday I wanna visit yours as well.

[@SpidermanInLondon]

Hi Hussein, thanks for sharing! Lots of men have publicly failed & been humiliated recently (including myself & Dr Huberman). It’s part of life’s challenge! You can rebuild a new life for yourself. One that is even wiser than before. Just keep doing your best no matter what happens. Love from 🇬🇧 , Mark

[@marycoppin9040]

I wish you well, I greatly suggest through EMDRia you find a certified EMDR therapist-you could be absolutely stunned by how quickly it can ease incredible suffering. I know an EMDR therapist who interned at the VA & treated extremely suicidal people. I've used it for grief & just getting over events, but I have a friend who finds it very helpful and he's been depressed his entire life. Best of Blessings to you.🙏🙌

[@abbyabroad]

Never clicked (well tapped) so fast. Adore Newport's work and Digital Minimalism changed my relationship to social media forever in a great way. Used a variety of excerpts from his work in my AP English class.

[@Igor-Manyakhin]

Social media is just a tool. One needs to learn how to use it. That's all to it.

[@engineeringmadeasy]

Wooooooooooooooooo I cannot FREEKKKKIN Believe it. One of my THEEE MOST favourite people together. Let's gooo. I'm watch it all today. Thanks Andrew for bringing Cal on this Show. This world needs people like Cal.

[@susworld129]

Cal, I used to and still do sometimes the slow deep breathing to go to sleep easily. Also, when I first moved out here, I would thank God for everything I have, each and every thing and that would help, too, we all have a lot to be thankful for, like you and Dr. Huberman. Thank you, guys for all the intelligent normal conversations we all can easily learn from. Please stay safe and well.

[@taufeeq8269]

These gentlemen are the gems of our generation, they deserve the utmost respect and honour.

[@Faye-el1bz]

Intention is everything isn't it ? I concur Grateful for the positive work

[@mauimarianne]

Making my way back from COMPLEX PTSD, this info is so invaluable! It’s like physical therapy for the brain! So grateful to Andrew and Cal!!!

[@christoskettenis880]

Active recall and teaching the material without looking at your notes is something that assisted me to re-learn some of the topics I teach at the university. Math-heavy modules are quite easy, since part of being an Engineer is to be very "fluent" in Maths and being able to solve trivial problems live without preparation for the day's lecture is an important part of the job. But becoming so versatile, one must have under his belt many, MANY hours of purely solving problems and mastering the techniques.

[@newday2637]

One of my favorite interviews. I listen to your videos regularly. The ability to be able to focus ,without all the distractions of life is essential. Thank you for all hard work

[@jonnysusi9783]

Been waiting for this so long I actually made grunts of satisfaction when I saw the title. You just know this is going to be an absolute gold mine.

[@BiologicalDataScientist]

Great episode! I really enjoyed Cal's comments about how we commonly see our brain/mind as just "being us" and don't necessary recognise it as just another organ that can actually be trained and strengthened to support us in our goals - just as we can train our bodies through exercise!

[@max8141]

Wow, Cal Newport? I’m definitely watching this one. I haven’t even watched the video yet, and I’m absolutely positive this will be a top five all time. Cal is the man

[@michaelrbirch]

This is one of the best talks I've ever heard on this subject. With someone with ADD who has been on and off again medication with a demanding job and a newborn baby, these insights are invaluable.

[@anthonyleeisamazing]

Wow, thank you for doing this! The 2 human beings that have impacted my life so much in one podcast episode. I'm so blessed. Thank you Dr Andrew Huberman!

[@aprilblossoms4]

Thank you bringing Dr. Newport on this episode, Dr.Huberman! I love his work and am a big fan of everything you do here on the podcast.

[@melodym5993]

These two men are absolutely brilliant. I could listen to them every day. They discuss things I've wondered about my whole life. Thank you, gentlemen, you are so appreciated. ❤

[@MFBergmann]

I never comment on KZbin, but this deemed an exception. After only discovering the Huberman Lab podcast a few months ago, I've been going through and listening to so much, and I've been loving it. I read Deep Work when it came out, and tried my best to implement some of the protocols. Like others have said, when I saw this episode appear in my feed this morning, I was immediately excited. And I was not disappointed. This is an incredible conversation, full of eureka moments for me. I deeply resonated with the idea that my Adult ADHD diagnosis may have developed more from adapting to extreme task switching than anything else. I'm looking forward to relistening to this episode multiple times with a notebook on hand: there are so many gems. Another huge aspect is that you are both professors and can speak to the academic experience. I'm now a tenured professor (as of this year) and finally I feel like I can set work boundaries and focus on actually doing research. Unfortunately my university doesn't have the same approach to keeping pre-tenure colleagues off of service and admin. Thank you for your amazing work Dr. Huberman!

[@julesxish]

Long time Cal follower, excited to see him for 3 hours! Deep Work started my Cal deep dive.

[@francisnoel2124]

Seriously just what the doctor ordered! I needed some more insight on how I can prepare myself to study better and whoop there it is! Thanks again Andrew you’re the man!

[@harvestrootsferments4503]

Cal Newport is amazing!!!! His work changed my life.

[@vanessaburdine4865]

Per the discussion about learning by recalling what you read. I homeschool my kids from Charlotte Mason’s philosophy, and we read a ton of “living books” together and the kids narrate, or “tell back” what they heard. We don’t use worksheets except for math (even that I have been more discerning about). It’s so intuitive to me now because I’ve watched my kids absolutely flourish in terms of ideas and connections. Highly recommend 👍🏻

[@trep1dation]

Been following Dr. Cal's work for years, i'm so glad you got him in.

[@jakeweber4763]

Love Cal Newport! His work helped me excel in College and really set me up moving into my career.

[@GoalGuys]

Love Cal and his work! Stoked to be able hear you guys chat.

[@fodilamra]

For everything you do, thank you.🙏 I am very excited to listen to this episode.

[@haadyabdul1683]

OMG I finished reading Cal’s books about College the past month and currently in the middle of reading Deep Work and have found myself to become a huge admirer of his work. This podcast is the perfect collab for me!

[@haadyabdul1683]

And now he also has one Mark Manson, thats just great

[@aset8750]

Holy moly this is actually huge. I've read his book called "Deep Work" and found it really valuable. Thanks for your work Dr. Huberman!

[@MelFlagg]

I love Cal Newport. His books are awesome. But I have to admit, I have tried to watch several podcasts with him and haven't been able to get through them. But this one, I was glued to. Huberman is an amazing interviewer, this was fascinating.

[@geneg3776]

Love how Andrew asks Cal to clarify what the top 3 on the top of cue list means as I also started thinking about exercise, food etc. Great clarification 2:24:51. That's one thing out of many things that Andrew does; he asks for specifics as sometimes guests may be vague. Thankyou.

[@Aphletic]

I’ve spent a good deal of time listening to you both the last few years. Looking forward to this one.

[@tessallations378]

Cal is spot on with the burnout regarding overhead vs actual work. I am currently leaving a job that is very comfortable but could become very frustrating with the amount of meetings (around 5 per day) along with needing to be constantly alert to Slack and email. It made it feel like real work couldn't be done unless early in the morning or late at night - I am leaving feeling like I didn't provide much value (which I believe is on me, but some of the work culture definitely didn't help). It's very nice to see you both nerd about this topic of deep work and studying! Having watched both of you for awhile it's nice to see the collaboration! 💕

[@DeidaraC5]

As a software dev, this was probably by far the best episode of the podcast. A lot to learn and also so much to change in how we do things at work. And outside of work too...

[@user-en8jp7ob2t]

I got so much practical advice from this episode that I can immediately start putting into my daily work life. This was so applicable to people like myself in a corporate workspace that leave at the end of each workday feeling like they got nothing of substance accomplished. Can't wait to dive into Cal Newport's books!

[@nicolasantoniosotoaraya6787]

Cal Newport Really showed me how productivity works in life. How to go through long periods of hours trying to not get distracted and managing all of those little surrounding details that might draw our attention into something undesired. Thanks Doctor! Today I teach English online and thanks to that methodology I feel more confident as never before because I feel that I create and produce things of value which people is, indeed, willing to pay for. Nothing but my total gratitude to Dr. Cal Newport ❤✍🏼

[@user-ul4bv2jg9z]

Really great podcast. Listened to it with my 12 & 14 year old sons who are keen to read his books. Was so happy to hear what he’d learned around smart phones, social media and gaming as I’m one of those unpopular parents who hasn’t given their kids a phone but having the boys hear someone else talk to the research helped them understand I’m not just being a turd mum. Great listen. Thx so much 🙏🏼

[@MKULTRA_Victim_]

Wow your kids are so lucky, they just don’t know it yet! They’ll be thanking you when they get older!

[@codey786]

Been following this podcast for a few years now and it has drastically brought changes in me. Fun fact, I also was forced into hearing these initially by my friends. Could thank them more now.

[@purplekittyfreak]

Thank you so very much for sharing your vast knowledge on so many different topics. I truly enjoy learning about things you share with the world. You and Lex are both gentlemen and scholars. Keep up the great work! It is truly appreciated.

[@mamaahu]

I have been using a pomodoro app with binaural beats for focusing for the last few days. Today I was aware of an image of creating a new clear neural pathway that was above a sort of tangled mess of what looked like mycelia. I could sense the struggle to find a clear path that was in my old distracted process. This was an energetic awareness with a metaphorical image. (Not saying this is what actually happens, although I'll bet it is something similar.) My brain felt relaxed and calm while deeply focused. There's such promise in our potential and I am so grateful for the wisdom here!

[@shelleydiamond6468]

Going to use the Pull up Plan in a 1/2 hour, working w a student on executive function skills - how serendipitous !! Thank you !

[@ivanaamidzic]

Thank you so much for having Cal Newport. I really enjoyed his book Deep Work, read it numerous times and own a copy I often go back to. So helpful. Very looking forward to reading Slow Productivity, too.❤ 📃📚 I also walk a lot (as much as I can given that I live in a pedestrian non-friendly city) to problem solve, think things through and sort out my own emotions and regulate my nervous system. Sometimes I feel like daily walks are the one thing that maintains my sanity, especially after hours and hours of sitting in the office staring at bunch of screens. Also have zero social media, I never had most of them, but did have LinkedIn and Facebook and got rid of both. Only have GoodReads now, not to interact with others but to organize and keep track of my own reading.

[@rachelleensor3147]

I love the questions you ask, Dr Huberman!

[@dnwanja]

What an excellent podcast. Cal is the Best Best.I know I appreciate his work deeply!

[@yvessigner]

One of the most important in the series. Really grateful for your work, life changing !

[@user-zy8it9bf7f]

It was a great content and thank you for it. It would be lovely to see an episode on the following topics: 1- “How to think properly” since there are people who do not know the process of thinking and get agitated or even just memorizing and recalling things , 2- “Psychology of friendship and how to build close friendships in adulthood and the challenges of it” 3- Your workout routine (let’s say effective workout routine). I hope you read this comment and thanks for the great content you provided

[@user-wz1ir9xu9i]

At the end when you guys talked about the shut down at the end of work it made me think you should study what other good dog trainers are already doing in setting up clarity in communication and mindset for dogs. I am a dog trainer in Australia and have learned from the greats like Michael Ellis, Pat Stuart, Jay Jack etc and Jay Jack in particular created the idea of a “window theory”. This is when cues or more importantly verbal signals “open” the window for what will happen, how the dog should expect to behave, what arousal level we want the dog at, etc. The windows are play, chill, find your own fun, and work (obedience). So in this case for Dr Newport‘s shut down routine, it is essentially training your brain to move from the work window to another one. So many themes resonate from what I have learned from other dog trainers and brought into my own life! This was particularly relevant as the window theory has been amazing for my three dogs and others I train.

[@taylorjanegreen1]

Dr. Huberman… Your work is so wonderful… that they come after you with lame character assassination bull fuzz because you are empowering human beings … POWERFULLY. Keep up the great work! The goodness in both you and Cal shines through. Thanks for this interview.

[@user-px4sx6ws1d]

Im stoked you had Cal Newport on the podcast. I loved his book Deep Work. What Cal called the “Pull-Based Method” is more widely recognized as the Personal Kanban. Personal Kanban has two essential rules: make your task list visual and limit your work in progress (also known as WIP). I’ve used this method for many years and encourage my team to do the same. I want to add that many knowledge workers cannot ask their teams or managers or VPs to “not email them” and I also want to challenge the request that someone else who wants to add to your list should be keeping track of other people’s backlog of items. Instead, teams can use a Team Kanban. It was great to hear this recommendation and I encourage you and others to do a bit more research to learn more before implementing.

[@LuisEscobarlivebetter]

This was a great conversation! The biggest impact for me, it was Dr. Newport daily schedule and how he organizes his work schedule, it’s going to be a game changer for me, I sometimes feel guilt because I’m not being productive and always thinking I need to get things done

[@DocJon1]

I can't wait to listen to this ! Thank you Andrew for your shows !!

[@DmitriySosedov]

Dr. Cal Newport is a just a machine of productivity! Great guest!

[@Lightlena]

One of my heros 😊😊😊 Cal Newport. I can’t believe he’s finally here.

[@yangchen7982]

I really needed this. I’ve been spending every day trying to convince myself I can be productive while scrolling KZbin. It’s crazy the stupid shit you can talk yourself into. Thanks for this one 👍💙

[@user-ii6ge4nr6e]

Dr. H - I'm 63 and I'm just amazed at the work you're doing to fuse the Woo hippy ideas of the 60s/70s to the science of the brain/body. This episode on deep learning is case in point. One of the ideas of the 60s was not doing, IOW actively not engaging in distracting activities, thoughts and actions. It was everywhere in different writings of the time but probably captured best by Carlos Casteneda as a means to find alternate realities in his fictional writings about Yacqui sorcery. This concept came to mind when you were discussing the two word label that for embracing boredom. Btw - ordered Deep Work for my team and will be on the waitlist for your forthcoming book.

[@DanielThomasArgueta]

Perfect timing. Thank you! 🙏

[@Sport_Sante]

I wanted this episode so bad Thank you so much 🙏

[@mariamkone9252]

So many great actionable advice here. As a career consultant a lot of them resonate very well, one of the most important being to assign blocks of time to tasks, that is one of the best ways to get things done. Very happy to discover Cal, and apply more productivity hacks. I perceived (maybe wrongly) an usually low level of energy from Huberman at some points on this one though. I hope everything is ok and you look after yourself because the world needs you to continuing doing what you do ☺

[@gladlaxe]

The Best podcast I have ever seen. Congratulations! Wish all students would see this. Cal, you rock!

[@PhoebeTarzan80]

This was incredibly helpful. I have been struggling with focus, memory and learning for quite some time, and I go back and forth between berating myself for being stupid and blaming my shortcomings on depression and ADHD. This conversation held my attention (not an easy feat), and along with watching videos of Goggins, I’m finding it increasingly (and somewhat pleasantly) difficult to make excuses for not taking the health and abilities of my brain and body more seriously. Thank you so much for continuing to put out such stellar content, and thank you both for the gifts of your knowledge, insights and time.

[@aliciasnyder539]

This is an amazing interview! I posted a question on Ask Me Anything March 3 about time management. Then this interview happened which addressed my question and more. Then a clip of Adam Grant was posted from his interview 3 months ago addressing time management. Thank you for this interview. It is very validating to hear Dr. Newport talk about the way the system is built in such a way to perpetuate burnout and make people less efficient. Excellent information here--great recommendations about how to manage time and tasks. Thank you!

[@elsbells.]

Thank you for this episode. I really needed this & hope to improve.

[@ernestkhalimov9872]

Amazing point there in the social media distraction chapter. Most people try to quit bad habits but they never really do because they have nothing to fill that void with that have become more apparent now that they've quit, so they come back to doing that bad habit once again.

[@4kryptik4]

This conversation is incredibly helpful🙏 thank you for all of the concise timestamps as well, they help a lot with so much information

[@amyv.991]

Old school here. Paper notebooks! TY Andrew for having such amazing content. In the process of reading Deep Work now.

[@erkind9687]

I think of deep work as a precursor to achieving a flow state. If you jump into something challenging and haven't prepared, you end up anxious. Also, if you haven't prepared, and the challenge is well below your skill-set, you end up bored. Somewhere in between those two is "Flow". When we think of how this relates to focus and deep work, I think deep work is the precursor required to achieve the higher level skills. If you aren't able to improve your skills, you're limiting your ability to be in flow because everything you do will either be too hard, or too boring.

[@SpizzzYT]

just finished his book deep work about a month ago. by far one of the most helpful books i’ve read, on a valuable topic as well.

[@user-rb9dt5en6b]

wow what a great podcast on deep work & productivity.. thanks for bringing cal newport on board...

[@francesfleming7847]

In my opinion, this is the best one yet! absolutely fascinating discussions and topics. Thank you Dr Huberman and Dr Newport!

[@christinemueller_vienna]

Thank you both so much for this episode! I love the notion of putting tasks on the TIMELINE, instead of just listing them out as it makes the work / effort more concrete, visible and relateable. We have tried to completely dispense with EMAILS and used a collaboration tool (monday) that makes it possible to forward emails directly as tasks and thus embed them in the tool. In this way, emails could be filtered according to relevance in the course of considering where they fit. All asynchronous communication should ultimately take place directly via text updates in the context of the respective task - as in Trello. In this way, all employees were trained to communicate in context. In combination with the tip to limit yourself to three current tasks, this enables a new way of working efficiently.

[@jennielillard6322]

I know it was only touched on regarding children’s education briefly, but the “Active Recall/remembering information” tool mentioned is what we use in our homeschool pedagogy from Charlotte Mason: “As knowledge is not assimilated until it is reproduced, children should ‘tell back’ after a single reading or hearing: or should write on some part of what they have read.” A Philosophy of Education, p. xxx It is one of her 20 principles. Good stuff, thank you 🙏

[@Rakshika1]

I truly am so grateful for Cal Newport, he helped me turn my life around and get my career started!

[@didiwrites]

Gotten a lot of tips that I am thinking of implementing for myself and my team at work. Thank you for this podcast. ❤

[@Bcosmo555]

Amazing interview. I’m an engineer who works from home 99% if the time and I’ve been struggling to keep my days organized between answering emails and juggling my workload of high and low priority tasks. I’ll be trying out some of these daily scheduling tips for sure!

[@QodirNamozov-sm6vg]

Thanks a lot for Dr huberman who gives us real knowledge 🙏

[@julianosanm]

I think the line here is, when you're learning you can't flow. The brain is going through a lot of "pain" during the learning phase, your brain can't activate auto mode. But once you learn, it's time to perform, and then it's when you can really flow. But then in a state of flow, you basically stop learning. You're just performing what you already know.

[@user-ph6qj5em8p]

I’m really impressed to read Dr Newport’s books.His books very popular in Japan.

[@SalvationLife]

Thank you for having Cal Newport!!! Love him. Please do a skin health episode!!!

[@Othimbo]

I'm pleased to hear about Dr. Cal Newport's downranking flow. The way flow is explained is always a bit too intangible to me.

[@therapywithisabel]

Thank you both and your teams! This is an amazing discussion. I feel so blessed to be able to listen to this conversation. Great work and thank you again!

[@auroranight9934]

I just loved hid proposal about the hybrid work. It seems so reasonable and practical