Slow Productivity Crash Course

Summary

In this video, author Cal Newport explains the concept of 'slow productivity,' his proposed solution to knowledge workers' growing discomfort with mainstream notions of productivity. Slow productivity offers an alternative, more sustainable approach built around three key principles: do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and obsess over quality. Newport traces the history of productivity notions, arguing that 'pseudo-productivity' focused on constant busyness is no longer tenable, causing burnout. By shifting focus to quality over quantity of output, working on fewer projects at once, and embracing natural work/life rhythms, Newport believes knowledge workers can find more meaning, fulfillment and impressiveness in their work.

Takeaways

• 😊 Slow productivity is an alternative definition of productivity that produces impressive, profitable work in a sustainable way without burning people out
• 🤔 We don't have a clear definition of productivity for knowledge workers like we do for farmers and factory workers
• 😮 Pseudoproductivity uses visible activity as a proxy for useful work, which is not sustainable with more digital tools enabling endless tasks
• 👥 Do fewer things to minimize the overhead tax of open obligations and reduce cognitive load
• 📝 Use a public pull list to take control over your own workload instead of letting others push endless tasks onto your plate
• 🕰 Judge productivity on longer timescales, not just what you did today or this week
• 🌴 Introduce seasonality to your schedule with quiet periods of lower intensity like our ancestors had
• ✨ Obsess over quality to make your work more fulfilling, force you to slow down, and give you more leverage
• 🎨 Study the masters in your field to improve your own taste and ability to identify high quality work
• 😌 Read the book for a full, detailed approach to transform to a slow productivity mindset

Q & A

What problem led Cal Newport to study the concept of slow productivity?

He began hearing growing discomfort from people about the general notion of productivity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. People felt overwhelmed by the constant pressure to do more work and be productive.

How does Cal Newport define pseudo-productivity?

Pseudo-productivity uses visible activity as a proxy for useful labor. It's the idea that if someone sees you doing something, that's better than not doing anything, even if the work itself isn't that valuable.

What are the three main principles of slow productivity?

The three main principles are: 1) Do fewer things 2) Work at a natural pace 3) Obsess over quality.

How can a public pull list help you take on fewer obligations?

A public pull list forces people to transparently add tasks instead of just pushing them onto you. Seeing your existing workload may make them less likely to add more. You can also point to it to explain why you can't take on more concurrent tasks.

Why is constant intensity and long hours of work unnatural for humans?

Studies of hunter-gatherers show our ancient ancestors worked in bursts with downtime in between. Agricultural societies also had seasons where work was intensive but winter had little work. Working at full intensity year-round is a modern construct.

What is quiet quitting and how can it create seasonality?

Quiet quitting means doing the bare minimum at work. Doing it for 1-2 months allows you to create a 'winter' rest period without your boss noticing, then you can ramp back up and do impressive work during the other seasons.

How does quality help enable the other principles of slow productivity?

Obsessing over quality makes your work more fulfilling, forces you to slow down to improve, and builds leverage to take on fewer obligations.

Why study the masters in your field?

Studying the acknowledged masters in your field improves your taste and appreciation for what is possible. This allows you to improve the quality of your own work at a faster rate.

What was the key problem Cal Newport identified with productivity?

There is no clear definition or way to measure productivity for knowledge workers. Things like quantity of output or time spent working do not necessarily equate to valuable productivity.

How is slow productivity different from traditional notions of productivity?

Slow productivity focuses on quality, working on fewer things, variability of pace, and sustainability. Traditional productivity tends to care mostly about quantity and constant intensity.