703: Get a leash on your technology and take back your world, with Cal Newport

Why would renowned associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University Cal Newport shun social media and keep ultra tight tight restrictions on his own technology usage? Because he desires to master his life, peace and productivity and he knows the limiting power of unleashed electronics in his life. Imagine waking up and immediately eating a donut. Getting ready for work and having a breakfast of...donuts. On the way to work, have a donut. As a matter of fact, you just keep a dozen with you at all times and rarely let 15-20 minutes go by without at least having a bite. I mean, what harm is there in just a bite here and there? But by day’s end you never had enough room in your belly to get any good nutrition in and you feel a bit woozy from all the sugar and carbs, even as you sneak a couple bites as your head hits the pillow and you try to get some sleep, which is disturbed by the days intake of junk. Or constant spending of your money? We all know we must budget our nutritional intake and financial expenses. We know we can’t binge on anything continuously. But in a short amount of time, our electronics and devices have crept in and many of us find ourselves on a near non-stop diet. What is it doing to us? This is our topic today. As I mentioned, Cal Newport is an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and the author of six books, including his most recent, Digital Minimalism - Choosing a focused life in a noisy world. Two of his books, Deep Work “Rules for focused success in a distracted world” and So Good They Can't Ignore You are books I’ve heard so many world influencers reference. It was the testimony of Michael Hyatt that prompted me to do this interview with Cal. You won't find Cal on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, but you can often find him at home with his family in Washington, DC, or writing essays for his popular website calnewport.com. Gratefully, he took time to have an in depth conversation with us. We all need to hear this message. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices