‘Slow Productivity’ by Cal Newport: When less means more
The book suggests we can up our game by doing fewer things at a more natural pace
IN 1959, Jack Kerouac was asked how long it took him to write On the Road. “Three weeks,” replied the voice of the Beat Generation.
This does not seem an obvious example of a man taking his time. Yet Kerouac is cited in Slow Productivity, the latest book by productivity guru Cal Newport, because his work highlights the reality beneath the self-mythology. Kerouac may have written his first draft in a burst of activity, but he then spent another six years on it.
This redrafting and polishing is key to Newport’s argument that “knowledge workers” – a loose band of creatives and lawyers – need to slow down. His philosophy is based on three principles: do fewer things; work at a natural pace; and obsess over quality.
KEYWORDS IN THIS ARTICLE
BT is now on Telegram!
For daily updates on weekdays and specially selected content for the weekend. Subscribe to t.me/BizTimes
Opinion & Features
Putin will visit Xi, testing a ‘no limits’ partnership
Regulatory changes a catalyst for corporate service providers to raise their game
App stores are hugely lucrative – and under attack
Rather than Lawrence Wong’s choice of deputies, the post-GE Cabinet is the one to watch
Europe’s geoeconomic competitiveness challenge
As the Japan stock market hits new peaks, is it too late for investors to catch the rising sun?