This is a part of a series where we review and give you the key points of nonfiction books! In this article we’ll go over the book Deep Work by Cal Newport first published in 2016. Please note these are my personal opinions and take aways – I encourage you to read the book to find out what its like for yourself!
Summary:
The purpose of Deep Work is learn how to perform a high level of intense focus to achieve your goals. The author talks about common distractions, plans to keep focused and the kind of results you can get with focus. He uses stories and research from other people which I think sets this book apart from your average “self-help” book.
My Key Points:
You won’t be able to make a massive change in your life or work unless you deeply focus. Eliminating distractions isn’t enough, you need to commit to a routine of thinking deeply in order to see massive success. Most people won’t understand or respect your time when you want to be alone, especially at work. It’s up to you to insist for your own sake to get this time in order to be able to solve the problems in your life.
Some things that can help you perform “Deep Work”:
Keep Score:
Create a scoreboard of when you are able to intensely focus. Aim to increase the number of hours you spend doing this. Having a visual scoreboard will help you keep track and increase this number. If you aren’t used to being able to focus well this can difficult at first. Put in the reps to practice and the amount of time you are able to spend in a focused state will increase. On average, people are only able to about 4 hours of deep work per day. 90 minutes is about the longest time with no breaks someone can focus for. Start small, with maybe only 10-15 minutes at a time so you can build momentum and avoid becoming discouraged.
Specific and lofty goals – with a REAL reward:
If a scoreboard or the results your focus gets you isn’t enough to keep you motivated, its time to ask a friend for help. Ask a friend or loved one to have a weekly “accountability meeting” with you. You’ll go over the deep work you did during the week. This only works if you have a clear and big goal you want to achieve with these stretches of focus. If your goal is too small (“realistic”) then you won’t be able to push yourself enough to focus. The goal has to be difficult but not impossible. During your meeting have some type of reward in place. This doesn’t have to be weekly but you could, for example, decide that if you hit your monthly “quota” of deep work you receive a large gift. This could be something you get for yourself and that your accountability partner holds onto until you reach your goal. If achieving your goals isn’t enough of a reward, that is. (It should be!)
Intensity Sprints
Shut down all your media. Seriously. Avoid working on a computer if you can. If not, limit your internet usage to only sources that are relevant to your work. For example, if your goal is to get an A on an exam you must only use your textbook and supporting materials when studying on a PC. Even if you aren’t the time to glance at social media we can end up down rabbit holes researching somewhat related but not really things. Avoid this by making sure you have sprints of focus where you can only access what you need. An exercise you can do is to just sit and think with nothing else by you, except for a notebook to write down your thoughts. Practice this enough and you’ll be able to resist distracting sites more easily.
Identify your Variables
Go outside, go for a run, or do this during one of your “intensity sprints” that I mentioned in the last paragraph. When thinking through a tough problem that could have many solutions, you need to identify your variables first. This means, think of every question you have about your problem. Then go through and answer each one. If you don’t have the answer, write down the name of someone who does. When you’re done, review all your questions and answers and see if your problem has been solved. If anything you should have a clear plan of action to take.
Craftsman Tool Selection
You don’t need every app, tool or gadget to achieve your goals. Look at every tool you use whether it is free or paid. Ask yourself if the pros of it outweigh the cons. This might seem ridiculous at first since the cons of using a tool aren’t usually obvious. For example, if you use a scheduling app but you end up fiddling with it so much throughout the day that it takes a serious chunk of time from you – consider dumping the tool and switching to scribbling on a notepad. You might pale at the thought of not using a super optimized app, but when you look at how much time you’re spending avoiding what you should be doing by looking at it – it doesn’t seem so bad after all. Only keep the tools you absolutely need to succeed. Audit how exactly you use and improve your day with each app or tool you use.
Shutdown Ritual
It’s important to have sections of your day devoted to deep work but its equally as important to turn it all off. Usually its easier said than done, there is always one more email or call to respond to. For your own sake, ignore this. Choose a time of day where you will ZERO work. A common pitfall is to have this as an unscheduled free for all. Plan your activities. Even if its just sitting on the couch playing video games, write it in your schedule. The purpose of this isn’t to show you how much time you spend on hobbies, its to make sure you actually spend your time doing that and not working. Even if you quickly respond to one thing that is still temporarily taking your brain back into work mode and will lead to eventual burnout. If you’re already burned out then start writing in your leisure time. It will seem “unromantic” at first but the stress relief you feel and knowing you’re supposed to be relaxing will help your mental health.
Favorite Quotes from Deep Work:
If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive… (page 32)
Our brains…construct our worldview based on what we pay attention to. (page 77)
We who cut mere stones must always be envisioning cathedrals. (page 89)
…Maintain a metric such as words produced per twenty-minute interval to keep your concentration honed. Without this structure, you’ll have to mentally litigate again and again what you should and should not be doing during these sessions..(page 120)
The more you try to do, the less you actually accomplish. ..Execution should be aimed at a small number of wildly important goals. (page 136)
Study Seal Score:
10/10 Would recommend if….
I recommend this only if scheduling and productivity is something you struggle with AND you have an already crammed schedule. This book isn’t about working more but structuring your time in a way that you’ll accomplish more with less. This book doesn’t really account for people who have attention issues, so if you suffer from a condition like this I don’t think this book would be helpful.