If you’re trying to be productive, what if the answer isn’t to do more… but to do less, better?
On today’s episode, we welcome back Cal Newport — Georgetown computer science professor, bestselling author of Deep Work and Slow Productivity, and one of the most influential voices on focus, sustainable achievement, and the hidden costs of our digital lives.
Cal and Dr. Mike pick up where their first conversation left off — exploring why the human brain can’t do its best work while juggling five active tasks, how context switching quietly crushes output, and what leaders can do to build cultures that protect focus without adding headcount.
On the human side, Cal dives into digital fatigue, rethinking our relationship with phones, and how parents can create healthier tech norms at home. Finally, he looks ahead to AI — not with fear, but with clarity about how it can remove friction and restore our ability to think deeply.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why doing fewer things at once leads to faster, better results
- How to reduce context switching and build deep work into team culture
- The difference between true productivity and “pseudo-productivity”
- How to counter digital fatigue at work and at home — with different strategies for each
- What parents should know about phones, social media, and attention
- How AI can actually protect deep work when used wisely
The heart of this conversation: mastery in the modern world isn’t about speed or volume — it’s about depth, clarity, and choosing what truly deserves your attention.
“Doing something great has huge returns versus doing lots of things kind of good.”
Resources + Links
Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more conversations at the intersection of high-performance, leadership, and meaning: https://www.youtube.com/c/FindingMastery
Get exclusive discounts and support our amazing sponsors! Go to: https://findingmastery.com/sponsors/
Subscribe to the Finding Mastery newsletter for weekly high performance insights: https://www.findingmastery.com/newsletter
Download Dr. Mike’s Morning Mindset Routine!
