Lesson from The Book: Deep Work
Deep Work is a book about productivity. The author, Cal Newport, stated that the best way to get more meaningful work done is by working in a state of high concentration without distraction.
1. Why deep work is valuable?
In other words, deep work is about working on a single task with high concentration and stopping yourself from checking emails, social media, and everything. You just focused on the one thing that you need to do on hand. It might be writing your papers, studying or creating new work. Here are the 4 main reasons why deep work is valuable:
Single-tasking. Research has proven over and over again that multitasking makes people less productive. Focusing on one task at a time to maximise output.
Remove all distractions. Put away your phone. Don’t read your emails. You get more work done when you’re not constantly interrupted by distractions.
Focus. If you can put all your energy into the task at hand without distraction, you will get more work done in less time. The more focused you are, the more work you produce.
For extended periods. Every time you switch from one task to another, a residue of your attention is stuck with the previous task. You need to put in extra effort to focus and work on the new task.
Given the current climate where I am surrounded by smart devices and even software, it is hard to not want to check your emails or messages once in a while. It is not easy to get into a state of deep work. For deep work to happen, one must practice the following points:
2. The 4 Rules of Working Deeply
Rule #1: Work Deeply. It is not easy to work deeply. Moreover, with all the smart devices around you, it is even harder to work deeply. For my case, I would block off 3 hours of my weekend morning to study UX. I would then use the Pomodoro technique. This helps me to get into a state of deep work. There were only a few times when I managed to work deeply for more than 4 hours in a setting.
Rule #2: Embrace Boredom. Working deeply with intense concentration is a skill that requires training. The book states that if you give in to distractions at the slightest hint of boredom, one will struggle to develop intense concentration. Honestly, this is not easy. If I am on a long commute, I would naturally take out my phone and start swiping. I treat this period as a break. I do not use it for work. When it is time to rest, rest. Given my current lifestyle, it is hard to experience boredom.
Rule #3: Quit Social Media. Cal stated that we cannot work deeply if we feel the need to look at our social media accounts every few minutes. Moreover, such platforms are created in a way that their users would get addicted to them. Due to this nature, social media and deep work do not go well together. I beg to differ. I cannot quit Social Media totally because this is part of my rice bowl. I would argue that it is all about the intention. Use social media as a tool, and not let it control you.
Rule #4: Drain the Shallows. In the book, Cal refers to “shallow work” as answering emails, making phone calls, attending meetings, and other inevitable but ultimately low-value tasks. If you are serious about working deeply, you need to reduce the time used on shallow work. Hence, I strongly suggest blocking your calendar to work deeply. Based on my experience, my attention and energy span for deep work is 3 to 4 hours, then I would need a break. I need to charge my "willpower" and "discipline" batteries before I continue to work.
It is not easy to get into such a state. It takes a lot of practice.
After reading the book, I realised that I had done something similar to deep work. I had been blocking my time for work and personal projects. It helps me to be aware of my daily schedule. However, to push myself to the next level, I need to learn to concentrate. This is tough! I have been trying my best to practise for the last few months. It gets easier as time passes, but there are days when the flesh is weak. I am not going to sugarcoat my experience. I prefer to schedule the session of deep work accordingly to my cardiac schedule too. I have a limited amount of energy every day, so I will not practise deep work after a gym session. I will be too tired to focus.
Practising deep work did bring more value to me. Now, I put time aside every week to learn. I am challenging my knowledge, practising thinking deeper and polishing my design skills. After reading the book, and learning about UX, part of me could vaguely connect all the learnings. Now, I find it slightly easier to think deeper, use my experience and infuse it into my daily experience.
In conclusion, the book provides useful tips on why and how to work deeply. There are points which served a great purpose. There are also points that I disagree with, eg. quitting social media. This is a good read for anyone who wants to put time aside to study and generate valuable work.
x, Esther
Liked the post? Take a second to buy me a coffee.
