This is a guest lesson from my Life of Focus co-instructor, Cal Newport. In anticipation of a new session of our popular course, he decided to share some of his experiences building a deep life. Enjoy! Early in the pandemic, driven by the dislocation that characterized the moment, I began writing about a topic I quickly came […]
Why Don’t We Use the Math We Learn in School?
How much of the math you’ve learned in school do you use in everyday life? For the majority of people, the answer is surprisingly little. This question is at the heart of the problem of transfer of learning—how we apply what we’ve learned to new problems and situations. As readers will note, I’ve spent the […]
New Research Shows I Was Right About Watching Lectures Faster
A new paper argues that watching video lectures at 2x the speed has minimal costs to comprehension. From the abstract: “We presented participants with lecture videos at different speeds and tested immediate and delayed (1 week) comprehension. Results revealed minimal costs incurred by increasing video speed from 1x to 1.5x, or 2x speed, but performance […]
The Science of Achievement: 7 Research-Backed Tips to Set Better Goals
Setting goals can transform your life. Goals can help you get in shape, improve your finances, learn a new language, or finally launch that business. But goal-setting can also leave you miserable. Burnout, stress and disillusionment are high on the list of potential side effects. The crucial difference between success and burnout often comes down […]