Business Quote by Cal Newport
““Shankman did something unconventional. He booked a round-trip business-class ticket to Tokyo. He wrote during the whole flight to Japan, drank an espresso in the business class lounge once he arrived in Japan, then turned around and flew back, once again writing the whole way—arriving back in the States only thirty hours after he first left with a completed manuscript now in hand. “The trip cost $4,000 and was worth every penny,” he explained.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Cal Newport discussing productivity hacks, 2023
He maximized limited time by turning a short business trip into a focused writing sprint, proving intense work can be done in unconventional settings.
In simple terms: He wrote a manuscript in 30 hours by using a business class flight as a writing retreat.
Key Takeaway
Leverage travel time for deep work.
Themes
productivity
focus
travel
writing
Mood
determined
energetic
Type
motivational
practical
When to use this quote
- business trips
- remote work
- creative projects
- tight deadlines
Key Concepts
deep work
time compression
environmental design
Questions to Reflect On
- Can you turn any commute into a productive session?
- What environment helps you focus best?
A Different Perspective
Requires discipline and may not suit all personalities.
![“The range of debate between the dominant U.S. [political] parties tends to closely resemble the range of debate within the business class.” quote by Robert Waterman McChesney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eec/robert-waterman-mcchesney-2452_business_the-range-of-debate-between-the-dominant_78941.jpg)
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)
