Ep 385:

On my slow productivity book tour, I tossed a tiny notebook in my pocket, left my phone behind for meals, and used that one pad to chip away at a new book idea everywhere from hotel breakfasts to a beach walk; it worked so well that I’m replaying the classic episode where I explain why dedicating a small notebook to one problem can unlock real progress.

Artists and travelers did this for ages—think Picasso’s sketchbooks or Bruce Chatwin’s pocket journals—and it complements, not replaces, other systems like professional project files or second-brain setups by giving you a tool for focused creative exploration.

It works because it creates a single mental context, has almost no friction when inspiration hits, and builds a ritual that invites attention; carry a slim notebook and pen you love, assign it to one idea only, review it weekly, and retire it when that idea is done.

If you’re juggling multiple themes, do you keep more than one with you, and how do you keep track?

I usually carry just the one I plan to work on that day, though a separate capture pad for errands can ride along; during weekly planning I flip the idea notebook, note any decisions, and translate next steps into my actual systems so nothing lingers in my head.

In the broader analog–digital mix, part of living deeply is picking what not to use, what new tech to embrace, and which analog anchors to protect; a little paper notebook can guard the creative space that screens tend to scatter.

Sam asks why companies still make money if so many people are stuck in pseudo productivity.

Because knowledge work is hard to measure, we defaulted to visible busyness, and modern tech supercharged that behavior; big organizations also optimize for stability while a small group of high-impact contributors create most of the value—think CBS rising on CSI and Survivor—so inefficient norms can persist without immediately sinking the ship.

Carol wants to connect missions, projects, and daily goals, and asks how to choose what to do today.

Trim at the top first: clarify one or two missions, then reduce active projects, and only then limit daily goals; aim for one substantial push each day, plan the week against your quarterly direction, and let admin fill the rest without guilt.

Thomas asks about your pricey lab notebook and how to invest in tools without going overboard.

That archival notebook made me treat proofs like they mattered and yielded multiple papers and grants, which is the point—good tools signal seriousness and improve craft; invest in proportion to the value you create or can credibly create soon, and as a creator consider reinvesting five to ten percent of take-home into tools and space, including a dedicated place to work.

Sula asks how slow productivity relates to mental models and first principles.

The model shift is recognizing that busyness is not productivity and that meaningful output, not speed, is the target; from there flow three guiding ideas—do fewer things, work at a human pace, and emphasize quality—which generate practical tactics across your week.

Peter wonders how to read and apply the book without getting overwhelmed.

Read both parts straight through to get the full model, then circle back and spend weeks experimenting with the principle that resonates, one at a time; after a few months the pieces reinforce each other and the relief kicks in.

I love your work but struggle to apply it as a busy CEO and parent; can you share where your own systems fail and where you have to keep trying?

My systems exist because I’m human—slow to ramp up, sleep gets shaky, and crowded days rattle me—so I built shutdown routines, fixed-schedule habits, and a philosophy that favors steady, long-horizon progress over daily heroics; slow productivity is my playbook for making good things despite variability, not proof that I run perfectly.

Quick case study: a State Department diplomat used lifestyle-centric planning to pick a DC training role with seasonality and no after-hours crises, trading resume shine for a rhythm that fits; I made a similar bet choosing academia for flexibility and writing.

On the WSJ report about twenty-somethings leaving TikTok, this matches my earlier thesis: pure algorithmic feeds maximize addiction but lack the social-graph lock-in, so once people break the habit they lose nothing by leaving, which makes the attention market more volatile and, ultimately, gives you more freedom to design an online life you actually want.

Thanks for listening; send topic ideas to Jesse, subscribe to the newsletter for weekly deep-life essays, and we’ll be back next week—until then, stay deep.