Marie Curie won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. She’s famous for her work in radioactivity.
Lin-Manual Miranda is a songwriter, producer and director who won the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 2016, as well as several Tony awards.
What do they have in common?
They lived a century apart. They innovated in disparate fields. But they shared a similar productivity practice.
Both achieved greatness by embracing the practice of slow productivity, says Georgetown computer science professor Cal Newport.
Slow productivity is a three-part practice, Newport explains: (1) do fewer things; (2) work at a natural pace; (3) obsess over quality.
We’re used to thinking of productivity as doing more in a short amount of time. This flips that idea on its head, focusing on doing less, but excelling.
Slow productivity is the practice of doing fewer tasks better.
In this episode, Newport explains how the practice of slow productivity diverges from the normal ways that people in modern society tend to work.
Life can be stressful. Your to-do list might feel never-ending. This episode can help you focus on the few things that matter most.
It can help you feel less stressed, less busy, and yet — paradoxically — more productive, at the same time.
Enjoy!
Discussion as of March 2024:
00:00: Introduction to Cal Newport
01:24: Marie Curie’s approach to progress
04:41: How to figure out what works when you’re producing results with your brain
06:41: The story behind Lin-Manual Miranda’s success
08:39: Discerning between slow productivity, procrastination and distraction
18:01: The importance of taste
20:24: How to refine your taste
29:42: How to apply slow productivity to your work environment
40:39: Tactical suggestions for staying on task
54:34: How to surface your workload
Resources Mentioned:
Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout
Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World | Book
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