"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."
– Cal Newport, author of Deep Work
When was the last time you spent a solid 90 minutes or longer, free from distractions and with unwavering focus?
If you've experienced this recently, then you've tasted the essence of deep work.
While it might be not always pleasurable and even difficult as a practice, the longer-term results offer undeniable fulfillment and satisfaction. Whether you honed a skill, made progress on a challenging problem, or added a landmark to your creative landscape, such dedicated intervals often usher in the elusive state of flow.
Beyond the sheer satisfaction it brings, deep work acts as a turbocharger for your efficiency. I've found that immersing myself in these focused sessions can amplify my productivity, sometimes making a single day of deep work equivalent to two or three days punctuated by minor disruptions, especially when tackling complex assignments.
In the book Deep Work, Cal Newport defines Deep Work as: “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.”
In today's age, when every chime of our devices pulls us away from our core tasks, the act of working deeply stands as a sanctuary. It's our way back to ourselves, a bridge to our true capabilities, and a path to work that resonates with quality and depth.
There are at least three compelling reasons for not just working deeply, but also turning it into a routine or habit.
1. Producing valuable work that stands out
Simply put, if you work more deeply, you can get more stuff done and the stuff you do is of higher quality. Cal Newport presents this neat equation in Deep Work:
High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)
More time spent on a task usually leads to better results, although there are many caveats. But the real game-changer here is the intensity of focus.
I will admit, the first time I read Deep Work in 2016 as a college junior, this concept felt a bit alien. As a student, all my study sessions felt pretty much the same – I didn’t really play around with how focused I was.
However, after becoming a software engineer at Apple and re-reading Deep Work, I finally got it.
If the task is uncomplicated or easy, amping up the focus might not change much. But for those gnarly challenges? That’s where deep work shines.
When I’m working on hard problems — like architecting new software or building a new complex feature — an uninterrupted day can feel like a productivity goldmine. I’ve found that a day with zero interruptions surpasses two or three days which have few (one to three) interruptions/meetings. Even though I have double or more the total time in the 2-3 days with meetings, the intensity of focus allows me to make quicker progress with less time.
2. Deep Work lays a foundation for a rich “internal landscape”
Our perception of reality is intricately woven from our sensory experiences, core beliefs, and deeply embedded patterns and concepts. Many of these aren't merely innate or static; they evolve based on what we expose ourselves to and what we prioritize.
Winnifred Gallagher, in her book Rapt, synthesizes research from diverse disciplines like anthropology, behavioral economics, and education to posit a compelling idea: our brain constructs our reality from what consistently captures our attention.
Drown in the torrent of digital media, and you might find yourself perpetually distracted, your attention span waning. Similarly, if the outrage of the news cycle consistently seizes your attention, your perspective might skew towards the negative, viewing the world through a lens colored by its flaws.
Conversely, embedding deep work into the fabric of your daily life brings transformative benefits. As you sharpen skills and engage with profound focus, your inner realm becomes richer, more nuanced, and profound. This not only fortifies your internal landscape but also reshapes how you perceive the world around you, highlighting its intricacies, potentials, and wonders.
3. Deep Work as a wellspring of meaning and fulfillment
Imagine engaging in a task that perfectly straddles the line between monotony and overwhelm. The demands are slightly ahead of your skills, but not insurmountably so. When these conditions align—appropriate challenge, high engagement, and immediate feedback—it becomes fertile ground for the state of flow.
The psychological state of flow was first identified by researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He described flow as “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”
This state, as compelling as it is captivating, offers profound psychological contentment and meaning.
Working deeply on challenging problems is the closest thing to a “flow-state pill”. I know because I experience flow several times a week during my deep work sessions.
John Vervaeke, a professor at the University of Toronto, delves into this phenomenon in his YouTube series, "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis". He posits the state of flow as a key ingredient of the antidote to the meaning crisis of the modern world. In embracing deep work and the flow it engenders, one finds not only professional progress but also a deep-seated sense of fulfillment and purpose.
How to do Deep Work?
The key idea is simple: Commit long chunks of time to working without distraction — regularly. So, a better question might be: How to turn deep work into a regular practice?
Schedule every minute of your (work) day
Divide your workdays into task blocks and assign work—deep or shallow—to each block. I like to use calendar apps (Google or Apple Calendar) to create my task blocks. You can use physical calendars, bullet journals, or whatever else floats your boat.
I was surprised when I first implemented this. I got much more done and enjoyed work more than before. By setting my schedule, I could direct and have more control over my work. Additionally, when I kept track of my workday like this, the time wasted went way down.
Some might argue that scheduling every minute is too cumbersome or too inflexible. However, this kind of scheduling can be much more malleable than it might initially seem.
I have a weekly template of how I want to spend my time.
At the start of every day, I assign concrete tasks to every template task block. If I need to work on a task longer than the time I assigned it or if a new task pops up—no problem. After completing that task, I simply restructure the task blocks for the rest of my day. In modern calendar apps, this is merely dragging around or expanding/shrinking the task blocks and doesn't take more than a few minutes. Using a pencil on a physical calendar or journal can make the scheduling similarly flexible.
Startup and shutdown rituals
I like to start my deep work sessions the same way each time. I first clear up any clutter on my desk, if any. Then I make sure that I have water and coffee ready. Finally, I take three deep breaths and begin. This "primes" my brain, and I can more easily transition into a deep mode.
At the end of the workday, I update my "global tasks list," which lists all the tasks I need to complete in the next few weeks. I cross out completed tasks and write down the next steps for pending tasks. Then I take a few deep breaths and call it a day. This shutdown ritual cues our brain to put the work down and help combat the "Zeigarnik effect," which is "the ability of incomplete tasks to dominate our attention.” (quotes from Deep Work)
Closing
Well, that’s it, folks! I hope I’ve convinced you that working deeply is a practice worth introducing to your life. There are some aspects of deep work I did not cover here, like whether deep work makes sense if you’re a high-level executive, quickly moving from one pressing task to another. Or what you can do if your work schedule and your ability to commit to deep work varies over weeks, months, or quarters. I’m happy to talk more in the comments and also highly recommend reading Deep Work by Cal Newport.
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This was really great, and landed in my inbox at the perfect time. I’ve been thinking about and experimenting with some of these concepts, but I’m excited to make some more intentional choices about my work practices. Thank you!