Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

Slow Productivity

Subtitle: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

Author: Cal Newport

Genre: Nonfiction, Business, Leadership

Format: Digital Purchase

Publish Date: March 2024

Read: April 2024

Favorite Quote: The relentless overload that’s wearing us down is generated by a belief that “good” work requires increasing busyness—faster responses to email and chats, more meetings, more tasks, more hours.

Synopsis: As Ferris Bueller once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."

Cal Newport dives into why life seems to be moving faster, and we’re moving faster along with it. However, most of us, especially knowledge workers, don’t seem to be moving anywhere. And why is this? Knowledge work is fairly unquantifiable, making output difficult to track and measure. Newport argues this is why so many knowledge workers are burnt out and have taken to quiet quitting. Slow productivity, he argues, is the answer to many of today’s productivity dilemmas. When individuals are able to do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and obsess over quality, their achievements will be significantly greater.

Why does this book beguile? I’ve been a longtime fan of Cal Newport and his philosophy around tech, time, and productivity. Slow Productivity helps readers better understand why our society and culture evolved the way it has, and then offers clear solutions for how to implement his three philosophies. I also greatly appreciate that Newport recognizes and tailors advice for entrepreneurs, self-employed people, and corporate employees to help create slow productivity.

Rating: 4/5

Link*: Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport

If you’re interested in this, read*: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport