# Why Solitude Promotes Greatness - The Power Of Being Alone | Cal Newport ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6FolQ7XvIvw/maxresdefault.jpg) ## Deep Dive: The Power of the Quiet Mind [(00:00:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=0s) - The quiet brain is a cognitive state where an individual is alone with their thoughts and observations of the world around them. [(00:03:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=197s) - The quiet brain state allows the brain to defragment, make sense of the self and the world, and determine what is important. [(00:05:09)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=309s) - Constantly looking at one's phone eliminates the quiet brain state. [(00:08:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=484s) ## What are the benefits of walking meditation? [(00:25:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1553s) - [[Walking meditation]], originating from [[Mindfulness | mindfulness meditation]], involves walking while focusing on thoughts without engaging with them. [(00:26:04)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1564s) - To improve focus, it is recommended to practice focusing directly on the desired task instead of relying on transference from related activities. [(00:26:46)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1606s) - Productive meditation involves taking long walks without a phone and attempting to make progress on a single professional problem mentally. [(00:28:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1734s) ## How can a new dad find time to advance his career? [(00:30:53)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1853s) - It is suggested that instead of focusing on career advancement, new fathers should prioritize their family and navigate the challenges of parenthood together with their partner. [(00:30:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1859s) - Once a stable routine is established with the new baby, which includes childcare and adjusted schedules, individuals can then shift their focus back to side projects and career advancements. [(00:33:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=1997s) - With the formation of a family, lifestyle planning should be a shared vision between partners, prioritizing the family's needs over individual career aspirations. [(00:33:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2032s) ## How do I manage a temporary increase in admin responsibilities? [(00:35:24)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2124s) - It is suggested to reduce the load of large projects and dedicate more time to accommodate a new administrative role, recognizing that this is a temporary season. [(00:36:13)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2173s) - It is recommended to structure the new administrative work with systems and processes to minimize its negative impact, such as implementing office hours, ticketing systems, docket clearing meetings, and communication protocols. [(00:36:46)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2206s) - It is advised to structure time dedicated to the new role, setting boundaries and communicating availability to ensure a balance between existing responsibilities and the temporary administrative tasks. [(00:38:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2332s) ## How can my son organize his sports and school schedule? [(00:40:12)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2412s) - Students can benefit greatly from being more mindful of how they plan their time and activities. [(00:40:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2425s) - Two books, "How to Become a High School Superstar" and "How to Become a Straight-A Student," offer time management advice for high school and university students. [(00:41:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2460s) - The speaker's first book, "How to Win at College," was recently featured on the [[Fox News]] website. [(00:41:54)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2514s) ## How can I do less when my colleagues are getting ahead for doing more? [(00:42:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2570s) - There are two approaches to dealing with the perception of being a slacker when focusing on fewer, larger projects. [(00:43:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2630s) - One approach is to work on smaller projects but apply the principles of slow productivity, such as limiting concurrent projects, incorporating variability in workload, and prioritizing quality. [(00:44:48)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2688s) - The other approach is to focus on a smaller number of high-impact projects, but this requires clear communication and accountability to demonstrate the value of this approach. [(00:45:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2723s) ## Pre-scheduling with a pull system [(00:47:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2865s) - Prescheduling involves allocating time on your calendar for tasks in advance, providing a realistic view of available time and aiding in workload management. [(00:49:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=2960s) - The pull system limits the number of active projects to prevent multitasking, with new projects added from a waiting list as existing ones are completed. [(00:50:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3035s) - While these systems can be used together by scheduling specific time for pull system work and using remaining time for deadline-driven tasks, they are often used independently. [(00:51:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3112s) ## Collaborating with colleagues to effectively do hard work [(00:54:34)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3274s) - Co-authors working independently for a week or two before meeting for an hour to discuss and repeating this process is not as effective as having day-long sessions devoted exclusively to a single academic project. [(00:55:00)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3300s) - Working together for a half day or whole day allows for more to be accomplished than spreading the work out over many weeks. [(00:55:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3317s) - Weekly meetings can give the illusion of progress, but they often result in people doing the bare minimum or nothing at all, while spending an extended period of time working together on a problem can be very effective for making progress. [(00:58:03)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3483s) ## The 5 Books Cal Read in June 2024 [(01:04:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3885s) - Five books were read in June 2024, two about movies, two about the ocean, and one self-help book. [(01:04:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3899s) - *Hit Flops and Other Illusions* by [[Edward Zwick | Ed Zwick]], a Hollywood memoir about the director's career, and *Surely You Can't Be Serious*, an oral history of the making of the movie *Airplane!*, were the two movie-related books. [(01:05:14)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=3914s) - *In Oceans Deep* by Bill Stree, a history of underwater exploration, and *Jaws* by [[Peter Benchley]], a thriller about a great white shark, were the two ocean-themed books. [(01:10:23)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FolQ7XvIvw&t=4223s)