Ep. 254: The Laws of Less

Deep Questions with Cal Newport

Some of the most interesting and impactful people in the world build their work around a commitment to doing only a few things very well. No one remembers that it took Newton decades to finish The Principia, they just know that he wrote a book that changed science forever. In this episode, Cal defines some concrete laws for successfully implementing a shift toward doing less – but doing what you do better – in your own professional life.

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

Today’s Deep Question: Why should I do less? [7:29]

- How can a teacher embrace slow productivity? [31:26]

- How do you know if an idea is good enough to spend years working on? [39:07]

- How can I slowly build the success needed to pivot into a new career? [46:16]

- How does Cal read 5 books a month? [49:58]

CASE STUDY: I can do my job in 4 hours a day [55:53]

The 5 Book Cal Read in May 2023 [1:07:04]

Thanks to our Sponsors:

betterhelp.com/deepquestions

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hensonshaving.com/cal

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