Down With Pseudo-Productivity: Why We Need to Transform the Way We Work

Down With Pseudo-Productivity: Why We Need to Transform the Way We Work

The last several years have seen the rise of a sort of anti-productivity movement. Knowledge workers who feel burned out and that work is pointless, meaningless, and grinding, have been talking more about opting out, “quiet quitting,” and doing nothing.

My guest would argue that, in fact, productivity itself isn’t the problem and that most people actually want to do good work. Instead, he says, it’s our whole approach to productivity that’s broken and needs to be transformed.

Cal Newport is a professor of computer science and the author of books like Deep Work and Digital Minimalism. His latest book is Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout. Today on the show, Cal explains what’s led to the rise of what he calls “pseudo-productivity” and the fallout when we apply the structures of the industrial revolution to modern work. He then unpacks the tenets and tactics of the “slow productivity” approach to work, and how to implement them whether you work for yourself or for a boss. We discuss why you need to do fewer things in the short-term to do more things in the long term, the artificiality of working at the same intensity every day and how to inject more seasonality in your work, the role quiet quitting can play in achieving greater balance, and many other ideas on how to make modern work more sustainable, humane, and fruitful.

Resources Related to the PodcastConnect With CalNewport

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episoder(1157)

#134: A Field Manual For Life After Combat With David Danelo

#134: A Field Manual For Life After Combat With David Danelo

Since 9/11 and before, American warriors have faced combat in difficult and adverse theaters with dedication, courage, and remarkable inner fortitude. Our nation supports them during their time in the...

1 Sep 201537min

#133: Financial Independence Through the Strenuous Life With Mr. Money Mustache

#133: Financial Independence Through the Strenuous Life With Mr. Money Mustache

What would you say to a person who told you that you could retire at age 30, never have to work again, and still live a comfortable life, all on a normal salary and without winning the lottery?You’d p...

28 Aug 201529min

#132: The History of the American Bachelor with Howard Chudacoff

#132: The History of the American Bachelor with Howard Chudacoff

Something all men have in common is that one point in their lives they're all bachelors, that is, they've never been married. What's interesting is that there's been very little written about the hist...

24 Aug 201528min

#131: What Ancient Philosophers Can Teach You About Using Your Smartphone With William Powers

#131: What Ancient Philosophers Can Teach You About Using Your Smartphone With William Powers

Our personal tech devices can be both a blessing and a curse. All the information we'd ever want is right at our fingertips, yet at the same time these devices can make us feel rushed and pressed for ...

20 Aug 201534min

#130: Be Unstoppable With Alden Mills

#130: Be Unstoppable With Alden Mills

My guest today wrote a parable about a young boat captain that provides timeless advice on developing the traits needed for lasting and significant success in your life. His name is Alden Mills, he's ...

17 Aug 201531min

#129: Competition Gun Shooting and Self-Defense With Mike Seeklander

#129: Competition Gun Shooting and Self-Defense With Mike Seeklander

Today I talk to champion gun shooter, Mike Seeklander about the world of competition gun shooting. Besides competing around the country, Mike is also a firearms instructor for citizens as well as law ...

13 Aug 201534min

#128: How Your Obsession With Success Is Making You Miserable With Jim Rubens

#128: How Your Obsession With Success Is Making You Miserable With Jim Rubens

Despite living in one of the most affluent and safe times in human history, a lot of Ameicans are miserable. Jim Rubens wanted to find out why. In his book Oversuccess, Jim Rubens makes the case that ...

11 Aug 201542min

#127: The Sports Gene With David Epstein

#127: The Sports Gene With David Epstein

It's a debate that goes back for centuries.Are great athletes made or are they born?In his book, The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance, journalist David Epstein inv...

6 Aug 201534min

Populært innen Fakta

mikkels-paskenotter
fastlegen
dine-penger-pengeradet
relasjonspodden-med-dora-thorhallsdottir-kjersti-idem
foreldreradet
rss-strid-de-norske-borgerkrigene
treningspodden
jakt-og-fiskepodden
sinnsyn
rss-kunsten-a-leve
rss-bisarr-historie
rss-kull
gravid-uke-for-uke
hverdagspsyken
fryktlos
rss-var-forste-kaffe
level-up-med-anniken-binz
rss-impressions-2
hva-er-greia-med
hagespiren-podcast