Book Review: Deep Work – Cal Newport
A deep life is a good life
Cal Newport
If you feel distracted and fuzzy all day, and you rarely feel you’re accomplishing anything on your to-do list, it’s time you learn how to go deep.
Cal Newport’s book Deep Work opened my eyes to the fact that we mostly spend our days on shallow work and distractions. The book outlines clear rules for focused work in a distracted world.
And absolutely everyone can benefit from learning how to go deep, how to really focus on important things, and not only consume content but actually create it.
In college, I used to dedicate mornings to learning the most difficult lessons for exams. I knew that I could concentrate early in the morning, there were no phone calls, no visits, just the silence of my home.
If I tried to learn in the afternoon, I would always fail. There were too many people around, and I was already tired and could not concentrate or remember anything.
Many years later I completely lost that habit.
I work with my TV on, with YouTube videos playing in the background. I cook while listening to podcasts, and I wait in queues reading news on my phone.
I spend my entire day distracted, multitasking all day.
I am very busy, but do I actually get anything done? Well, anything that truly matters.
What is deep work?
Deep work is working in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit.
In other words, it’s the lost art of losing yourself in work that matters, and not getting distracted by your phone, social media, or multiple browser tabs. It’s about training the brain to embrace ONE thing at a time.
The book’s basic premise is that today anyone who works at a desk or otherwise does most of their work on a computer is under constant pressure to engage in shallow work.
Shallow work is simple, transactional work that doesn’t create any tangible value and can be completed in a state of distraction.
We mostly perform simple, shallow repetitive tasks at work. We work in open offices, full of distractions with people, emails, and chat messages interrupting us all day.
Our environment influences our behavior more than we think.
Why did I buy the book?
I noticed that I could no longer focus on anything.
I forget important tasks and do unimportant ones.
I constantly feel I am behind in all my work.
I cannot write my posts, or write in my journal, I feel I am not improving in any way.
And I blame lack of time and age.
But do I really lack time, or do I actually waste a surprising amount of time on stupid things?
I also noticed that most of my tasks are simple and shallow. I don’t really ever focus on one thing at a time.
And I am now concerned that AI will take over these unimportant repetitive tasks.
Who will thrive in the new economy?
Well, according to Newport, people who can go deeper.
There are two skills that you need to focus on:
- The ability to quickly learn hard things
- The ability to produce at an elite level
How to do deep work?
In order to do deep, focused work, you first need to address your daily habits and your daily routine.
We all lost the ability to focus deeply on any task. And to get that ability slowly back and retrain our brain, we need to address several daily habits.
We need to organize our time so that we actually take breaks from work, and not from distractions.
We need to limit our social media time, chat, and browsing, and carefully plan WHEN we are going to do that.
We also need to learn to be bored. Spend some time with our own thoughts, when we walk, when we wait for an appointment.
And when we finish work, we need to stop checking email and stop thinking about work.
There are many useful advice in the book, and I will just point out a few of them.
For deep work, you need to:
- Work on one task only.
- Avoid all distractions: find a space that is safe.
- Focus intensely.
- Set aside a longer period (several hours) for deep work
Tips for deep work
There are many useful tips in the book, so I strongly suggest you read it. Here are a few of them:
Learn how to block time in your calendar
For instance, from 6-8 am I will write (do deep work). From 8-9, I will have breakfast and exercise. From 9-10 am I will assign projects.
You can, later on, add some time for relaxation and for instance, take a coffee break while watching YouTube.
But if you have a clear schedule, it will enable you to concentrate and limit all distractions.
Drain the shallow work from your day
You have two options here, you can outsource it or leave it for hours when you are tired, and you can no longer focus.
We cannot always choose our jobs. If your work is repetitive, do not give up.
You can add focused work before you go to work or after it.
Pay attention to the environment you work in
The environment you work in influences you more than you think. Create an environment that supports your goals. Look at your room, your workspace.
Pay attention to all spaces where you spend time during the day.
The digital environment is even more important. There is so much information online.
But the algorithms feed you what is engaging and addicting.
You need to focus on useful information and limit the time when you consume it.
My deep work routine
To introduce deep work into my daily routine, I first had to make several important lifestyle changes.
I do not look at my phone in the morning
I do not read news, or chat with friends. I get up, exercise, have breakfast and then I sit down to do deep work.
My morning routine is simple but very effective. It enables me to start the day with a positive mindset and set aside time for focused work.
I do not check out YouTube, Facebook, or any social media.
I do not even look at my email.
While others are asleep, I spend an hour or two just writing. This is the time I try to build my dreams.
Shallow work after deep work
After spending my morning taking care of myself and writing, I then engage in shallow work.
I cannot avoid it, as it is part of my job. So I assign projects, answer emails, and have meetings.
All work ends at 5 pm
After finishing work, I no longer check emails or think about work. It’s time for rest.
I talk with my kids, take a walk, clean the house, or cook.
This is now the time for chatting with friends, even listening to a podcast, or watching a show.
I still try to limit my time online to just 1 hour.
I prefer to hang out with kids and be active.
I let myself feel bored
I consciously try not to use my phone if I am bored, waiting at a doctor’s office, or just sitting on my couch.
If I take a walk, I do not listen to podcasts as I used to.
I read every evening
My favorite evening pastime was watching YouTube videos.
But as I am trying to reduce my content consumption, I started reading books.
This is one of the books I read recently, and it just shows how our lives can change if we just introduce a few positive habits.
Conclusion
Deep Work is one of my favorite books this year. It enabled me to drastically change my life in a few months with 1-2 hours a day of pure focus.
There are many useful tips in this book, so I highly encourage you to read it yourself and find a “deep work” routine that will work for you.
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