Deep Work

To work deeply:

1. Choose a Deep Work philosophy
2. Schedule deep work blocks
3. Decide where and how you’ll perform Deep Work
4. Execute like a business
5. Implement a shutdown ritual

‍

Rewire your brain for Deep Work:

1. Embrace boredom
2. Quit social media
3. Drain the shallows

‍

How to schedule your day (on paper):

1. On the left, mark every other line with an hour of your workday
2. Assign 30 min block to activities
3. On the right, list out the full set of small tasks you plan to accomplish in that block

‍

How to Work Deeply

To make Deep Work a habit, add routines. This reduces the willpower necessary to transition into a state of unbroken concentration. The 4 Deep Work Philosophies:

• Monastic: isolate yourself for long periods of time without distractions; no shallow work allowed
• Bimodal: reserve a few consecutive days when you will be working like a monastic (you need at least one day a week)
• Rhythmic: take 3-4 hours every day to perform deep work on your project
• Journalistic: alternate your day between deep and shallow work as it fits your blocks of time (not recommended to try out first)

‍

Rewire Your Brain for Deep Work

To succeed with deep work you must rewire your brain to be comfortable resisting distracting stimuli.

‍

Embrace Boredom

Due to our fast-paced lives, our brains have been rewired and expect and request distraction. As a result, we check our smartphones at any moment of “potential boredom”.

Don’t take breaks from distraction but instead take breaks from focus:

1. Schedule in advance when you’ll use the Internet, and then avoid it altogether outside these times. Do it both at home and work to further improve your concentration training
2. Practice productive meditation. This a period in which you’re occupied physically but not mentally—walking, jogging, driving, showering—and focus your attention on a single well-defined professional problem

‍