Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Cal Newport

Finished August 19, 2020 · 296 pages · first published 2016

★★★★☆

Shallow work: we do that a lot. Checking email, scrolling through Twitter. To mitigate the effects of the distractions around us, Cal Newport proposes Deep Work, defined as this: “Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit”(3). In short, reading this book will enable you to have the time to read many more books in the future, which, if you’re like me, is a wonderful idea.

Here are a four main takeaways that I found interesting and practical:

1. Doing multiple simultaneously will result in poor performance. This is due to an effect called attention residue which says that when multitasking, part of your attention is left on the last task you were working on, resulting in shallow attention.

2. Teddy Roosevelt was a deep worker—he was known for studying in short bursts of blistering intense focus. Cal Newport advises that individuals adopt short bursts of deep work into their schedule as well, in which you set aside time less than you normally need to finish a task which results in more focus and intensity during that period.

3. Utilize productive meditation—a state in which you are occupied physically, but focused mentally on a problem that needs to be solved.

4. The author ends his work at five-thirty each day and rarely works on the evenings. By predetermining periods of deep work, Cal Newport gets more done in less time. Deep work, he claims, should be like a game. Put up a scoreboard and track the hours of deep work you do. This simple act provides the incentive to do more deep work. He also utilizes a time-blocking method in which chunks of time (thirty minutes or more) are dedicated to a task. Be conservative in your planning though; our minds are know to underestimate the time it takes to complete a task.

The distraction is there, now take the action to hone your focus. Deep Work by Cal Newport is a necessary read for any individual seeking a productive workflow and lifestyle.