Tell me if this sounds familiar: you buy a beautiful notebook, excited by all its possibilities to help refine your thoughts and generate new insights. Then it sits unused until you forget about it. The problem is not *what* notebooks you own but instead *how* you use them. In this episode, Cal walks through the four different notebooks he owns, and the four different ways he uses them.
More from Cal
Download Cal’s FREE guide to cultivating a deeper life: calnewport.com/ideas
Learn more about Cal’s books: calnewport.com/books
Listen to Cal’s podcast: thedeeplife.com/listen
Chapters
(0:00) How to Use Notebooks in 2026
(30:11) Comments on a controversial article
(33:18 ) Statistics about smartphone bans in schools
(38:15) A practical question about remote work
(40:57) A question about focus and the World Cup
(46:08) What Cal is up to
(48:12) What Cal is reading
Resources Mentioned:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/a-neurologist-claims-gen-z-has-a-lower-iq-than-millennials/ar-AA1XAIFu
https://x.com/JimenaJuani/status/2072095851816620191?s=20
Sponsors:
https://www.superhuman.com
https://www.factormeals.com/deep50off
https://www.monarch.com/deep
https://www.mybodytutor.com
Credits:
Podcast Production: Jesse Miller
Newsletter/Research: Nate Mechler
Theme Music: Jay Kerstens
