Deep Work Summary

Our the ability to focus without distraction is becoming increasingly rare and valuable in our ever-connected world. Cal Newport calls this Deep Work and he contrasts it with shallow work:

• Deep work means those professional tasks that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit done in concentration mode (no distractions)
• Shallow work relates to the tasks that do not require much cognitive work (logistical-style tasks) performed while distracted most of the time. They don't bring much new value in the world and are easy to duplicate.

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

The New Law of Productivity states that the amount of knowledge you can create is limited by your ability to focus without distraction. This means that if you want to be productive, you need to be able to focus on one task at a time and avoid distractions.

This is in contrast to the traditional view of productivity, which is that productivity is about multitasking and getting as much done as possible in a short amount of time. An approach is not sustainable and that it actually leads to lower productivity in the long run.

Knowledge workers usually lack explicit indicators of what it means to be productive and valuable at work, so they turn back toward an industrial indicator of productivity: doing multiple tasks in a visible manner.

But doing lots of tasks is shallow work. Productivity for knowledge workers is about effectiveness not efficiency. Lots of corporate workers have become experts in effectively doing the wrong things. 

It is the low-value work that is done in a distraction-ful environment and most of the time it is done by multi-tasking. 

Shallow Work - 

• Low productivity work.
• Adds no improvement over time.
• May be automated in near future.

If we continue to do more shallow work then our ability to perform deep work decreases over time. Here we use 'business' as a proxy to 'productivity'.

Definition: 'Professional activities performed in a distraction-free environment that pushes your cognitive abilities to their limit. Those efforts create new value, improve our skills, and hard to replicate.'

Deep work - 

• Stretches your mind.
• Gives meaning to your life
• More valuable as it becomes scarce.

Deep Work - Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value and improve your skill.

Shallow Work - Non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend not to create much new value in the world.

1. Single-tasking: Research has proven over and over again that multitasking makes people less productive. Without a doubt, focusing on one task at a time maximizes productive output.
2. Without distractions: You get more work done when you’re not constantly interrupted by distractions.
3. Intense focus: If you can put all of your energy on the task at hand without distraction, you’ll get a lot more work done in less time. The more focused you are, the more productive.

1. Deep Work

• Performing activities in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit.
• These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.
• Psychologists used to refer to deep work as “being in the flow."
• Requires long periods of uninterrupted thinking.

2. Shallow Work

• Non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted
• Tend not to create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate.

Deep work is the type of effort that is needed to stand out in a cognitively demanding field.

□ Minimize the shallow.

• Shallow work includes a low level of focus and consists of tasks that can be performed while distracted. These tasks don’t create new value.

• It is much more satisfying to create something extraordinary that only you can create.

□ Master hard things quickly.

1. Focus intensely without distraction.
2. Tackle relevant topics sysyematically.
3. Deliberate practice.

• Focus on developing your high-level skills, and you will be more valuable.

• Be a superstar. Climb to the top by becoming the best in your field.

• Work your way up to being an owner. Owners are the most valuable people out there.

• Immerse yourself in your work to master hard things quickly.

“Deep Work: Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”

“Shallow Work: Noncognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate.”

In short, because it maximizes the amount of productivity you can squeeze out of a certain amount of time.

And the reason for that is quite simple. Deep work refers to single-tasking, without distractions, in a state of intense focus, for extended periods of time. 

When you switch from some Task A to another Task B, your attention doesn’t immediately follow – a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task. This residue gets especially thick if your work on Task A was unbounded and of low intensity before you switched, but even if you finish Task A before moving on, your attention remains divided for a while. 

• Deep Work: focused, distraction-free work that uses maximum cognitive capabilities, resulting in creation of value and improvement of skills.
• Shallow Work: non-cognitively demanding replicable work that can be done in a distracted state and that creates no value.
• The information economy requires us to master the art of quickly learning complicated things.
• Knowledge workers are unable to perform deep work due to distractions from social media.

Three groups of people will have a particular advantage in the new economy:

1. High-skilled - those who can work well and creatively with intelligent machines.
2. Superstars - those who are the best at what they do.
3. Owners - those with access to capital to invest in new technologies driving the new economy.

Two core abilities to thrive in the new economy:

1. The ability to quickly master hard things.
2. The ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed.

• If you can't learn, you won't thrive.
• If you don't produce, you won't thrive- no matter how skilled or talented you are.

Performing deliberate practice requires:

1. Tightly focused attention on a skill you're trying to improve or an idea you're trying to master.
2. Feedback to correct your approach and improve productivity.

Attention Residue: when you switch from Task A to another Task B, your attention doesn't immediately follow- a residue of your attention remains stuck thinking about the original task.

Therefore, batch hard/intellectual work into long, uninterrupted stretches.

High Quality Work = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

When we are task switching some of our attention is still thinking about the first task so we are only half-focused on the new task. 

Having social media and email tabs open on your browser allows their notifications to pop up on the screen, which is enough to derail our focus

Todays workers feel like they are being more productive however they are merely moving information and completing small tasks which makes them feel busy--not productive though. Task switching and distractions are preventing us from truely focusing.

There are four strategies for achieving deep work:

1. Monastic approach- this is eliminating all sources of distraction and secluding yourself like a monk.
2. Bimodal approach- this is setting a clearly defined, long period of seclusion for work and leaving the rest of our time open for anything else.
3. Rhythmic approach- this approach is about forming a habit of doing deep work for blocks of  ~90 minutes and using a calendar to track your accomplishments.
4.  Journalistic strategy- this one has you doing deep work in any unexpected free time in your daily routine.

Despite the strategy you choose the important part to remember is the the key is consistency with that routine.

The difference between being in the zone and deep work is being in the zone happens by chance and after hours of procrastination but deep work is intentional and desired.

One ritual you could have is to define your workspace. Placing a "do not disturb" sign on your door or going to a coffee shop or library

Another way is to define specific boundaries. For example, you could completely disconnect from the internet or turn your phone on silent. 

You just need it to be a sustainable routine

The Chain Method that help you to concentrate on task with consistency.

The traditional way to do the Chain Method (given by Seinfeld) involves crossing off days in a calendar, preferably a big yearly one, each time you successfully complete your daily task or habit. The Seinfeld Method is a simple commitment device that can be used for initiating and maintaining any habit.

Things you need:

1. A marker (or Pen).
2. A Calendar
3. One(or more) major task every day.

Pick a task of your day, concentrate on task. (Any task that play a major role in your life and career).

For Example: Reading a self help book or on your passion.

Complete it by the end of the day. If you successfully complete the task. Take a marker and make a big cross on Calender.

● DEEP WORK: Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. Create new values, improve your skills and are hard to replicate

● SHALLOW WORK: Noncognitively demanding logistical style tasks, often performed while distracted. Tend to not create much new value and are easy to replicate.

● THE DEEP WORK HYPOTHESIS

The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare and valuable in our economy.

The few who cultivate the skill, will thrive.

The Art of Habits (It's free)

● RULE #1 - WORK DEEPLY : How to integrate deep, work into your schedule to help you reach the current limit of your concentration ability

● RULE #2 - EMBRACE BOREDOM : How to improve your ability to concentrate intensively and overcome your desire of distraction

● RULE #3 - QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA : How to identify the core factors that determine success and happiness. Adopt a tool only if its positive impacts substantially outweigh its negative impacts

● RULE #4 DRAIN THE SHALLOW : How to identify the shallowness in your current schedule and cull it down to minimum levels

💡DEPTH PHILOSOPHY: Find an approach that makes sense for you: Monastic, Bimodal, Rhythmic or Journalist

💡DON'T WORK ALONE: Hub-and-Spoke: both serendipitous encounters and isolated deep thinking are supported. Working with a shared whiteboard push you deeper than working alone

💡EXECUTE LIKE BUSINESS: 4 Disciplines of Execution

1. Focus on the important
2. Act on lead measures
3. Keep a scoreboard
4. Create regular meetings

💡BE LAZY: Create a shutdown ritual. "When work, work hard. When you're done, be done."

Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.

Not cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much value in the world and are easy to replicate.

Larger efforts that would be well served by deep thinking, get fragmented into distracted dashes that produce muted quality.

Deep work is ubiquitous among influential individuals and it is important to emphasize because it stands in sharp contrast to the behavior of most modern knowledge workers - a group that's rapidly forgetting the value of going deep.