Ep. 379: The Flexibility Myth

Ep. 379: The Flexibility Myth

When companies began instituting return-to-office plans after the pandemic, a disproportionate number of women chose instead to leave the workforce. Why? The obvious answer is that they wanted the flexibility of remote work. But in this episode, Cal draws on a recent New York Times op-ed that offers a deeper explanation – one that affects all knowledge workers. He then explores solutions to the problem, answers listener questions, and (God help him) respond to comments on his recent Superintelligence episode.

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: The Flexibility Myth [0:02]

  • How should a venture backed startup team design their work schedule? [51:42]
  • How do I stop my boss from e-mailing me at all hours? [57:02]
  • How should a professor on break schedule his deep work? [1:02:35]
  • How can I better schedule my blocks to prepare for technical interviews? [1:09:59]
  • When considering lifestyle-centric planning, what practices may help determine the type of work to pursue? [1:12:16]

CASE STUDY: Completing a Thesis [1:19:08]

CALL: Details about time blocking [1:25:08]

CAL READS THE COMMENTS: The Case Against Superintelligence [1:33:58]

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?
nytimes.com/2025/11/02/opinion/women-work-force-flexibility-shifts.html
youtube.com/watch?v=y0RI5CnoDvs

Thanks to our Sponsors:

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.
betterhelp.com/deepquestions
expressvpn.com/deep
shopify.com/deep
mybodytutor.com

Thanks to Jesse Miller for production, Jay Kerstens for the intro music, and Mark Miles for mastering.


Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jaksot(399)

Ep. 7: Habit Tune-Up: Time Blocking, Document Collaboration, Protecting Time and Doing Too Much

Ep. 7: Habit Tune-Up: Time Blocking, Document Collaboration, Protecting Time and Doing Too Much

In this mini-episode, I take "calls" from listeners asking for advice about how best to tune-up their productivity and work habits in a moment of increased distraction and disruption.(Going forward, I...

3 Heinä 202025min

Ep. 6: Balancing the Personal and Professional, Unreasonable Email Expectations, and Avoiding Hard Creative Work | DEEP QUESTIONS

Ep. 6: Balancing the Personal and Professional, Unreasonable Email Expectations, and Avoiding Hard Creative Work | DEEP QUESTIONS

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions on balancing the professional and the personal, unreasonable email expectations and using the internet to escape hard creative work. I also ...

28 Kesä 20201h 7min

Ep. 5: Tackling Procrastination, Building a Productivity System from Scratch, and the Intellectual Shallowness of Social Media | DEEP QUESTIONS

Ep. 5: Tackling Procrastination, Building a Productivity System from Scratch, and the Intellectual Shallowness of Social Media | DEEP QUESTIONS

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions on tackling procrastination, building a productivity system from scratch, and the intellectual shallowness of social media. I also play some...

21 Kesä 20201h 10min

Ep. 4: Promoting Books without Social Media, Facebook's Fatal Flaw, and Escaping Soul-Crushing Jobs | DEEP QUESTIONS

Ep. 4: Promoting Books without Social Media, Facebook's Fatal Flaw, and Escaping Soul-Crushing Jobs | DEEP QUESTIONS

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader questions on book publicity without social media, Facebook's fatal flaw, and escaping soul-crushing jobs. I also try out a new segment where I answer ...

14 Kesä 20201h 11min

Ep. 3: Origin of my Productivity Obsession, Analog Relationships, and Detaching from Digital Judgment | DEEP QUESTIONS

Ep. 3: Origin of my Productivity Obsession, Analog Relationships, and Detaching from Digital Judgment | DEEP QUESTIONS

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader queries on the origin of my productivity obsession, how digital minimalists can form relationships in a distracted world, and how to care less about w...

9 Kesä 202050min

Ep. 2: Improving Concentration, Influential Books, and Figuring Out What to Focus On | DEEP QUESTIONS

Ep. 2: Improving Concentration, Influential Books, and Figuring Out What to Focus On | DEEP QUESTIONS

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader queries on how to improve your ability to concentrate, books that proved influential on my thinking (including the origin of the term “deep work”), th...

1 Kesä 202050min

Ep. 1: My New Task System, Deep Work with Kids, and Finding Purpose in Distracted Times | DEEP QUESTIONS

Ep. 1: My New Task System, Deep Work with Kids, and Finding Purpose in Distracted Times | DEEP QUESTIONS

In this episode of Deep Questions I answer reader queries on how I manage my tasks, the conflict between deep work and kids, moving beyond fairy tale messages when seeking purpose in difficult times, ...

28 Touko 202049min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
rss-valo-minussa-2
adhd-podi
psykologia
rss-narsisti
salainen-paivakirja
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rss-duodecim-lehti
rahapuhetta
aloita-meditaatio
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-niinku-asia-on
kesken
rss-luonnollinen-synnytys-podcast
aamukahvilla
rss-uskonto-on-tylsaa
rss-selvat-savelet
rss-koira-haudattuna