Deep Work

Why do some people accomplish so much more than others?

Georgetown professor Cal Newport studied the lives of great thinkers in history and found a common theme.

Many of these men and women went to great lengths to isolate themselves from distractions while they worked.

The average knowledge worker spends 30 percent of their time on email...

...and another 30 percent on team communication and internet activities.

Emails and chats aren't deep work, which requires a complex task and uninterrupted focus.

Email and similar tasks are what Newport calls shallow work.

Shallow work is work that's done in small pieces and doesn't require your full attention.

Even though it can make you feel busier than ever it won't lead to great achievement.

But if you can manage shallow work efficiently and avoid distractions you can prioritize long periods of complex thinking

When you leave room for long period of complex thinking with no distractions you are on to something.

Deep work is the practice of focusing on a complex task over an uninterrupted period.

• Eliminating distractions and practicing deep work is a key to great achievement.
• To focus on deep work, you need to effectively manage shallow work. Shallow work isn't complex and doesn't create value.