Cal Newport’s Slow Productivity challenges the modern obsession with pseudo-productivity – where looking busy replaces actual meaningful progress.
His solution? Be thoughtful with the way you work.
- Limit the Big. Success starts with ruthless prioritization. Reduce your core objectives to a select few missions, key projects, and daily tasks that actually move the needle. This has proven to be critical for us at OneSource. There are a million things we want to do, updates we should make to the platform. But we need to be ruthless and focus on the most important items.
- Contain the Small. Small tasks add up and quietly sabotage deep work. Set boundaries, automate repetitive work, and minimize distractions.
- Put Tasks on Autopilot. Assign recurring tasks to specific times, days, or even locations so they don’t drain your mental energy.
- Use Office Hours. Instead of constant interruptions, set a designated time for questions and quick discussions, making collaboration more efficient.
- Think in 5-Year Horizons. Most people only plan for the next few months. Long-term thinking and mapping out where you want to be in 5 years ensures steady, sustainable progress. I’m a huge goal setter. Goals help me get wins in my life but allows me to have a bad day or two occasionally. Just keep chipping away.
Slow productivity isn’t about doing less. It’s about prioritizing and focusing on the most important things. Long-term success isn’t built on constant hustle; it’s built on focused, deliberate effort over time.
Charlie Coppola
Here are my notes from Slow Productivity by Cal Newport
