How to make work feel good again
'Slow Productivity' is familiar territory for Cal Newport, but a good reminder for those of us caught in the world of busy for busy’s sake.
In your job, how do you define productivity?
This is one of the key questions that arises out of Slow Productivity, and it’s interesting how few of us can truly answer the question. The book’s central premise is that, before we had our modern communication tools (and back when certain activities — like writing, for example — could afford to take longer), we had far more opportunities to create high-quality work at a natural pace (and feel accomplished while doing it). So what happened, and how do we get back there?
Those familiar with the work and philosophy of Cal Newport will be unsurprised by many of the ideas in this book. Newport is always an easy, reassuring read. He has a knack for labelling and dismantling the many unspoken assumptions that guide our working lives, and his practical advice is refreshingly realistic.
I read Slow Productivity at the right time — I’ve been going around in circles launching my company, feeling like I was clicking around all day, messaging my cofounder every five minutes, dealing with client requests every hour or so. Combining Slow Productivity’s principles with those from Deep Work and Digital Minimalism is difficult, but it’s already making my days less frazzled.
I recommend a hard copy over the audiobook. I listened to the audio version, as I like to do with both narrative-driven reads and lighter personal development books. Typically I enjoy hearing an author read their own work, but Newport isn’t my favourite speaker. He’s fairly monotone, even when speaking about a subject he’s clearly passionate about. Partly this seems to be the way he is — his podcast has a similar tone. However, there’s a strong “I’m reading from a page” quality to the audiobook that I didn’t love.
Narration aside, Newport really is the real deal. He doesn’t just write about this stuff — he manages to publish books, articles, podcasts, scientific papers and more, all while teaching at Georgetown, raising three kids, reading five books a month, becoming an amateur movie critic, and seeming completely undaunted by it all. In our 2X-speed world, Newport is proof that slow and steady wins the race.
Author: Cal Newport
About: Redefining what it means to be productive in the modern workplace
Rating: 4/5
Did you read Slow Productivity? Let me know what you thought.
Related reads:
Deep Work (Cal Newport, 2016)
Digital Minimalism (Cal Newport, 2019)
A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload (Cal Newport, 2021)