Deep Work

1. Deep work is the key to thriving in the modern economy

"The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive."

Defining deep work. Deep work refers to professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. This type of work creates new value, improves your skills, and is hard to replicate.

Economic value of deep work. In today's information economy, three groups of people will be especially successful:

• Those who can work well with intelligent machines
• Those who are the best at what they do
• Those with access to capital

To join the first two groups, you need two core abilities:

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

Both of these abilities depend heavily on your capacity for deep work. As shallow work becomes increasingly automated, the ability to do deep work will become even more valuable and rare.

2. Cultivate the ability to focus intensely without distraction

"To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods with full concentration on a single task free from distraction."

Concentration is a skill. The ability to concentrate intensely is not a habit like flossing that you know how to do but have been neglecting. It's a skill that requires practice and development.

Impact of distraction. Constant attention switching online has a lasting negative effect on your brain. People who frequently multitask:

• Can't filter out irrelevancy
• Can't manage working memory
• Are chronically distracted
• Initiate much larger parts of their brain irrelevant to the task at hand

To cultivate deep work ability:

• Minimize the number of times you give in to distraction
• Practice concentration like a mental muscle
• Create rituals and routines that support deep work
• Gradually increase the duration and intensity of your focus sessions

3. Embrace boredom and resist the allure of constant connectivity

"Don't take breaks from distraction. Instead take breaks from focus."

Addiction to distraction. Many people have become accustomed to filling every moment of boredom with quick glances at their smartphones or other distractions. This constant stimulation makes it difficult to concentrate when it's time for deep work.

Strategies for embracing boredom:

• Schedule internet usage, and avoid it altogether outside these times
• Practice productive meditation during physical activities like walking or jogging
• Memorize a deck of cards to train your concentration ability

Benefits of embracing boredom:

• Strengthens your "mental muscles" for focusing
• Reduces your craving for distraction
• Improves your ability to do deep work when needed

4. Structure your day to maximize deep work opportunities

"Your goal is not to stick to a given schedule at all costs; it's instead to maintain, at all times, a thoughtful say in what you're doing with your time going forward."

Time-blocking technique. Schedule every minute of your workday in advance. Divide your hours into blocks and assign activities to each block. This forces you to confront the reality of how much time you have and how to make the most of it.

Flexibility within structure. Be willing to revise your schedule as the day unfolds, but always maintain a plan for how you'll use your time. This approach:

• Reduces decision fatigue about what to work on next
• Helps you allocate appropriate time for deep work
• Makes you more aware of how you're actually spending your time

Tips for effective time-blocking:

• Use 30-minute blocks as a minimum
• Schedule breaks and buffer time
• Be realistic about how long tasks will take
• Review and adjust your schedule regularly

5. Implement rituals and routines to support deep work

"The key to developing a deep work habit is to move beyond good intentions and add routines and rituals to your working life designed to minimize the amount of your limited willpower necessary to transition into and maintain a state of unbroken concentration."

Create a workspace for depth. Design your physical environment to support deep work. This might include:

• A dedicated office or study space
• Noise-cancelling headphones
• A clean, organized desk
• Tools and resources readily available

Develop start-up and shutdown rituals. These help you transition into and out of deep work mode:

• Start-up ritual: Review goals, gather necessary materials, clear distractions
• Shutdown ritual: Review accomplishments, plan for tomorrow, clear your mind

Set specific parameters. Define the following for your deep work sessions:

• Where you'll work and for how long
• How you'll work (rules, metrics, etc.)
• How you'll support your work (food, exercise, etc.)

6. Collaborate strategically while prioritizing individual focus time

"The hub-and-spoke model provides a crucial template. Separate your pursuit of serendipitous encounters from your efforts to think deeply and build on these inspirations."

Balance collaboration and solitude. While collaboration can spark creativity, it's essential to have uninterrupted time for deep work. Adopt a "hub-and-spoke" model:

• Hub: Collaborative spaces for serendipitous encounters and idea-sharing
• Spokes: Private spaces for focused, individual work

Whiteboard effect. For some problems, working with others can push you deeper than working alone. The presence of collaborators can short-circuit the natural instinct to avoid depth.

Strategies for effective collaboration:

• Schedule specific times for meetings and collaborative work
• Use shared project management tools to reduce the need for constant communication
• Establish clear boundaries between collaborative time and individual focus time
• Leverage the "whiteboard effect" for complex problem-solving sessions

7. Quit social media and limit shallow work

"Just because you cannot avoid this tool altogether doesn't mean you have to cede all authority over its role in your mental landscape."

Evaluate the true value of social media. Apply the craftsman approach to tool selection:

1. Identify the core factors that determine success in your work and life
2. Adopt a tool only if its positive impacts substantially outweigh its negative impacts

30-day social media detox. Try quitting social media for 30 days, then ask yourself:

1. Would the last 30 days have been notably better with this service?
2. Did people care that you weren't using this service?

If the answer to both is no, quit permanently. If yes, return to using it. If ambiguous, lean towards quitting.

Limit shallow work. Schedule every minute of your day and quantify the depth of each activity. Ask your boss for a "shallow work budget" to limit less important tasks.

8. Drain the shallows to make room for depth

"Your goal is to squeeze out every last drop of value from your current intellectual capacity."

Identify and eliminate shallow work. Shallow work includes:

• Non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks
• Often performed while distracted
• Typically don't create much new value
• Easy to replicate

Strategies to reduce shallow work:

• Schedule every minute of your day
• Quantify the depth of every activity
• Set a shallow work budget
• Finish your workday by 5:30 PM (fixed-schedule productivity)
• Make people who send you emails do more work
• Don't respond to all emails

Benefits of reducing shallow work:

• More time and energy for deep work
• Increased overall productivity
• Better work-life balance

9. Execute like a business to enhance productivity

"The 4DX framework is based on the fundamental premise that execution is more difficult than strategizing."

Apply the "4 Disciplines of Execution" (4DX) to your personal work habits:

1. Focus on the Wildly Important: Identify a small number of ambitious outcomes to pursue with your deep work hours.
2. Act on Lead Measures: Focus on the behaviors that drive success on your lag measures. For deep work, track time spent in a state of deep work dedicated toward your goals.
3. Keep a Compelling Scoreboard: Use a physical artifact in your workspace to display your current deep work hour count.
4. Create a Cadence of Accountability: Do a weekly review of your scoreboard, celebrate good weeks, understand bad weeks, and plan for the days ahead.

By implementing these disciplines, you can:

• Maintain focus on your most important goals
• Track and improve your deep work habits
• Stay motivated and accountable

10. Develop a deep work philosophy tailored to your circumstances

"You need your own philosophy for integrating deep work into your professional life."

Choose from four different depth philosophies based on your specific circumstances:

1. Monastic: Eliminate or radically minimize shallow obligations (e.g., Donald Knuth, Neal Stephenson)
2. Bimodal: Divide your time into clearly defined stretches of deep pursuits and open time (e.g., Carl Jung, Adam Grant)
3. Rhythmic: Transform deep work sessions into a simple regular habit (e.g., Jerry Seinfeld's chain method)
4. Journalistic: Fit deep work wherever you can into your schedule (e.g., Walter Isaacson)

Factors to consider when choosing your philosophy:

• Nature of your work and career stage
• Personal temperament and preferences
• External obligations and constraints

Remember that your deep work philosophy can evolve over time as your circumstances change. The key is to find an approach that allows you to consistently prioritize and protect time for deep work in your professional life.

Last updated: January 22, 2025