Having a ritual is essential for deep work

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 ...

We should track our habits to separate productive from unproductive time so we can spot patterns.

Adding routines and rituals to our day allows us to need our limited willpower less in order to maintain a state on unbroken concentration

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 cle...

Cal Newport says that our brains need space to wind down every night. Newport quits work every day at 5:30pm, no work, no email, no to-do lists. 

It's important to set limits. When you know you have to quit work at a specific time, it allows you to focus more intensely during your working h...

The idea here is to use any downtime, such as when you are walking the dog or riding the subway or driving to work to do some deep thinking. You might try to use the time to solve a complex problem--Try to see sub-problems and break it down so you can solve it.

You can ask yourself action q...