"This Is Stealing Your Life Away!" (Unmotivated, Burnt Out, Unproductive) | Cal Newport
Added: Jul 4, 2024
Cal Newport, author of the new book "Slow Productivity," discusses the alarming statistic that 88% of UK workers have experienced burnout in the past two years. He argues this indicates that knowledge work is fundamentally broken, with the introduction of digital tools like email, Zoom, and smartphones increasing not just the pace of work but also the amount of time spent talking about work rather than doing substantive work. Newport defines knowledge work informally as the type of work where you get annoyed by how much time you spend on email and have mixed feelings about Zoom.
The Problem with Knowledge Work
Newport explains that the core problem with knowledge work is the inability to measure productivity in the same way as traditional industries like agriculture or manufacturing. Without clear metrics, companies fall back on rougher heuristics like looking at activity and busyness as proxies for useful effort. This leads to what he calls "pseudo-productivity" - the idea that visible effort indicates productivity. The introduction of digital communication tools has exacerbated this issue by allowing workers to demonstrate activity at a much more granular level and at all hours.
The Consequences of Pseudo-Productivity
This culture of pseudo-productivity is leading to burnout because people are busier than ever but feel like they're producing much less meaningful work. Newport argues that what's burning people out is the absurdity of the busyness, not just the raw workload itself. People spend entire days in meetings and answering emails without making progress on important projects or strategies. The administrative overhead of having too many active projects builds up to the point where there's no time left for substantive work.
The Importance of Solitude
Newport emphasizes the critical importance of solitude, which he defines as freedom from input from other minds. This is how people make sense of their lives and the world around them. Smartphones and ubiquitous internet access have made it possible for the first time in human history to eliminate all solitude from one's life. Without the ability to be alone with one's thoughts, people feel unrooted and more anxious. He argues that a daily practice of solitude is one of the most important things we can do for our health and happiness.
The Three Principles of Slow Productivity
Newport outlines three core principles in his book:
1. Do fewer things: This doesn't mean accomplishing less, but actively working on fewer things concurrently. Focus on a small number of things at a time, do them faster and better, then pull in something new.
2. Work at a natural pace: Humans aren't meant to work at full intensity all day, every day. We need variation in intensity and should stretch out the timescale on which we measure productivity.
3. Obsess over quality: Coupling the first two principles with a focus on doing your best work and continually improving your craft is key to gaining autonomy and pushing back against busyness.
Implementing Slow Productivity
Newport acknowledges that implementing these principles can be challenging, especially for those working in traditional office environments. However, he argues that knowledge workers have more autonomy than they realize. He suggests strategies like maintaining a public list of active projects and a queue of waiting projects, which allows for transparency and helps manage expectations.
For those without the ability to make sweeping changes, Newport recommends small steps like designating one day a week for no meetings or taking an occasional afternoon off to see a movie. He emphasizes that these actions don't need to be announced - they can be implemented quietly within one's existing autonomy.
The Impact of Technology on Work and Life
Newport discusses how technology, particularly smartphones and social media, is impacting both work and personal life. He argues that these tools are subverting deep human drives for their own means, leading to less fulfilling experiences. For example, social media hijacks our drive for communication and leadership in ways that feel satisfying in the moment but ultimately leave us feeling less rooted and more shallow.
Digital Minimalism and Phone Usage
Newport, who doesn't use social media himself, recommends not putting any apps on your phone that make money from your attention. He argues that the phone itself isn't necessarily addictive - it's the apps we put on it. He suggests using smartphones more like Steve Jobs originally intended: as tools for specific tasks like listening to music or getting directions, rather than as constant companions.
The Unnatural Nature of Modern Work
Newport discusses how our current work patterns are unnatural from an evolutionary perspective. He points out that for most of human history, work patterns had much more variation in intensity both within the day and across seasons. The idea of working at steady intensity all year round was invented by factories and mills and is not how humans are wired to operate.
Strategies for More Natural Work Patterns
Newport suggests that companies could implement more variation in work patterns through ideas like paid sabbaticals or work cycles with periods of intense focus followed by periods of reduced workload. For individuals, he recommends creating personal cycles of intensity, such as designating certain weeks of the year for winding down or certain days of the week for no meetings.
The Challenges of Email and Always-On Communication
Newport compares the constant availability of email to a psychological torture device, pulling on our deep social instincts to respond to tribe members in need. He emphasizes the importance of going upstream to reduce the number of requests coming in, rather than just trying to manage a constant influx of messages.
Obsessing Over Quality
While Newport uses the strong word "obsess" when it comes to quality, he acknowledges the potential pitfall of perfectionism. He argues that caring deeply about the quality of your work is crucial for earning the ability to have a slower notion of productivity. It's about finding the right balance between striving for excellence and meeting necessary constraints and deadlines.
Advice for Getting Started with Slow Productivity
For those feeling overwhelmed and wanting to implement slow productivity principles, Newport recommends starting with workload management. Reducing the number of active projects by 30% and clearly delineating between active and waiting projects can provide immediate breathing room. This space then allows for the implementation of other slow productivity principles.
The Impact of Technology on Children and Teenagers
Newport expresses concern about the impact of smartphones and social media on children and teenagers, particularly in terms of social development. He suggests that unrestricted internet access should be delayed until after puberty, around age 16, when individuals have a more stable sense of identity and are better equipped to handle the potential negative impacts of these technologies.
Conclusion
Throughout the conversation, Newport emphasizes that slow productivity is not just about work - it's a revolutionary manifesto for a slower way of life that can lead to better health choices and overall well-being. By challenging prevailing cultural norms around work and productivity, he argues that we can create more meaningful, fulfilling, and sustainable ways of working and living in the 21st century.
Related episodes
