What To Do When You Feel Like Doing Nothing (Unmotivated, Burnt Out & Unproductive) | Cal Newport
Added: Jul 30, 2024
Cal Newport begins by discussing his recent trip to an undisclosed location up north, where he hoped to cultivate a quieter mind and think deeply about his new book. However, major political events unfolded during his 25-day trip, including a notable Joe Biden debate performance and the current president bowing out of the ongoing race. This led Newport to address a topic many listeners have written to him about: how to focus during distracting times.
Advice for Focusing During Distracting Times
Newport offers six pieces of advice for maintaining focus during periods of distraction, along with two initial caveats. He emphasizes that the goal is not to be an automaton grimly working while significant events unfold. During acute breaking news events, it's acceptable to take a break from work and process the information. This aligns with the concept of "slow productivity" from Newport's book, which prioritizes quality results over time rather than constant visible activity.
The advice that follows is intended for the days after an acute event, when the chatter and speculation continue. Newport draws inspiration from Winifred Gallagher's book "Rapt," emphasizing that life is the sum of what you focus on, and treating your mind like a private garden is crucial.
Newport's six tips for focusing during distracted times are:
1. Go into "newspaper mode," limiting news intake to specific times, similar to how people in earlier eras relied on daily newspapers for information.
2. Move up the information food chain, focusing on higher-quality, more concentrated sources of information rather than social media chatter.
3. Seek out flow states by engaging in activities that allow you to get lost in what you're doing, helping to cleanse the mind of anxious rumination.
4. Implement a "hard day protocol" (HDP), which involves scheduled check-ins to process information and address distorted thinking, while avoiding constant rumination.
5. Take breaks from your phone, reducing its accessibility and removing social media apps to limit distractions.
6. Work on something delightful, starting a new project that excites you and provides a cleansing cognitive state.
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