March 11, 2024 • 2hr 56min

Dr. Cal Newport: How to Enhance Focus and Improve Productivity

Huberman Lab

Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and bestselling author who writes about productivity, focus, and doing deep, meaningful work. His books, like Deep Work, have been very influential for many, including Andrew Huberman.

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Key Takeaways

Smartphones and social media can be major distractions, but they aren't inherently the problem - the issue is specific products and services engineered to constantly grab your attention (7:46)
Having some periods of boredom and lack of novel stimuli each day is important for breaking the Pavlovian connection between boredom and seeking distraction (59:09)
Cal Newport's top 3 recommendations for productivity and focus:
1. Use a pull-based workload management system with only 2-3 active projects at a time (2:27:53)
2. Engage in multi-scale planning - plan your objectives seasonally/quarterly, make a weekly plan, and use daily time blocking (2:28:52)
3. Have a clear shutdown ritual at the end of each workday to transition out of work mode (2:38:57)

Introduction

Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and bestselling author who writes about productivity, focus, and doing deep, meaningful work. His books, like Deep Work, have been very influential for many, including Andrew Huberman.

In this conversation, they discuss the challenges of distraction and context switching in today's digital world, and Cal shares his best strategies and habits for sustained productivity and creativity.

Distractions of Smartphones & Social Media

Cal's Phone Practices (9:08)

Cal has a smartphone but doesn't use social media, so it's not that distracting or interesting to him
When working, his phone is nowhere near him - he has separate spaces for focused work vs admin/logistical tasks
He can go hours without looking at his phone and is often slow to respond to texts

The Real Problem: Engineered Distractions (42:35)

Smartphones themselves aren't necessarily the issue - it's the specific apps and services (social media, games, etc.) designed to constantly grab your attention
Without those hooks, the internet and smartphones are far less distracting
There may also be an element of behavioral addiction involved in compulsively checking devices

Impact on Youth & Changing Norms (48:29)

Cal is particularly concerned about the impact of unrestricted internet/social media use on brain development in children and teens
He believes cultural norms will shift to delaying unrestricted access until after puberty when the brain is more developed
Studies are starting to show concerning mental health impacts, especially for girls and social media, and for boys and video games

Focused Work & Productivity

Environments for Deep Work (10:37)

Cal has a dedicated library with no screens/tech for focused deep work and writing - he brings in only his laptop and is surrounded by relevant books for inspiration
Movement (like walking) and semi-random visual stimuli (like a fireplace) seem to help with brainstorming and subconscious processing
For executing focused work, Cal recommends a distraction-free environment and "productive meditation" - practicing maintaining an internal focus

The Power of Whiteboards (16:36)

At MIT, the theory group had a culture of 2-3 people working on the same whiteboard to push concentration to the max
Visually mapping out ideas engages both the visual and cognitive system
Writing on a vertical surface for an "audience" forces you to crystallize your thoughts carefully

Notebooks, Laptops & Information Capture (20:33)

Nice notebooks (even pricey ones) can elevate thinking by making you take the work more seriously
Cal recommends capturing ideas in the actual tools you'll use to do the work (Scrivener for writing, LaTeX for academic papers, etc.)
WiFi on/off doesn't make a huge difference for Cal since he lacks the social media apps that would distract him

Active Recall for Efficient Learning (28:07)

Retrieving and replicating information from memory (without looking at notes) is far more effective than passive review
It's more mentally taxing but is a much faster, stickier way to learn
Cal used this to go from an average student to getting nearly straight A's

Task Switching Costs (51:15)

Every time you switch your focus, there's a major cognitive cost that can linger for 10-15+ minutes
Constantly bouncing between email/messages and work means you spend most of the day in a state of "cognitive disorder"
People dramatically underestimate the cumulative cost of quick checks and interruptions

Attention & Stimulation

Solitude Deprivation (1:39:54)

Solitude = freedom from input from other minds; lack of solitude means constantly being in "social processing mode" which is cognitively draining
Pre-smartphone, solitude was built into most people's days; now many people almost never get breaks from social stimuli
This could be a major contributor to rising anxiety levels

Smartphones & Non-Clinical Attention Issues (1:19:45)

Many people who feel they have attention/focus issues may actually be suffering from "phone brain" - the hooks and stimuli are so persistent it feels like an attention deficit
But it's likely not an inherent, permanent neurological condition for most - more of a reversible pattern from behavioral addiction
The younger generation who grew up with this tech may have more lasting impacts

Embracing "Boredom" (1:31:34)

Having some time without novel stimuli may feel "boring" but it's critical for focus
Boredom shouldn't be the default state, but you need some tolerance for it
Resisting the impulse to eliminate boredom at all times helps break the Pavlovian connection and makes focusing easier

Work Habits & Strategies

Pull-Based Workload Management (2:27:53)

Keep only 2-3 projects in your active "doing" list; everything else goes in a holding queue that you pull new projects from only as you finish active ones
Don't allow overhead (meetings, discussions, etc.) for projects not in the active 2-3
Share the project queue so others can see the status but aren't constantly asking for updates/progress

Multi-Scale Planning (2:28:52)

Set high-level objectives on a quarterly/seasonal basis - what do you want to accomplish in the next few months?
Make a weekly plan looking at your actual schedule - what needs to happen this week to move toward those bigger goals?
Use time blocking to plan out each day - give every minute of your workday a job and stick to the plan

Workday Shutdown Ritual (2:38:57)

Have a clear ritual to end each workday - review open items, make a plan for the next day, and do a specific action to indicate you're done
If work thoughts arise after this, don't engage - remind yourself you've already closed out the day
This helps you actually get a mental break from work and be more present for other activities

Work Culture & Environment

Pseudo-Productivity & Busyness as a Proxy for Productivity (1:10:23)

Knowledge work output is hard to measure, so we've defaulted to using busyness and visible activity as a proxy for productive work
But with email, Slack, etc. people can now perform massive amounts of "pseudo-work" that feels productive but doesn't move the needle
Prioritizing responsiveness over real productive output is making people feel overwhelmed yet unaccomplished

Remote Work & Collaboration Overhead (2:06:50)

Cal believes remote/hybrid work can succeed but not by just recreating in-person offices over video calls
Remote work needs to be much more structured and thoughtful to avoid massive overhead of constant back-and-forth communication
People are spending way more time in meetings (+252% by some measures) because it's the default way to collaborate
Cal proposes having clear "no meeting" days and setting better norms around when to communicate vs. when to just focus on work

Conclusion

Our world is still figuring out how to adapt our work to these new technological tools. The path of least resistance - constant connectivity and defaulting to shallow busywork - clearly isn't working.

But by being more deliberate with our devices, our time, and our attention, we can do much more focused, impactful work without burning out. It's not easy and takes going against the grain, but it's worthwhile.

Cal's work provides a roadmap: carve out blocks for deep focus, be mindful about what you let grab your attention, and put hard boundaries around work. Simple, but not easy - which is why those who implement it get a major advantage.