I've just published a book summary for Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport. I finally decided to read this book after listening to Cal Newport's podcast and hearing about his time-blocking strategy. You can read about my experience with time-blocking here.

The key takeaways from Deep Work are below and, as usual, you can find the full summary by clicking the link above.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What is deep work?
  • Deep work is work that pushes you to your limits and requires long, uninterrupted periods of concentration.
  • There’s much overlap between deep work and deliberate practice.
  • Shallow work by contrast consists of logistical-style tasks that are not mentally demanding and can be done while distracted.
• Why should you care about deep work?
  • Deep work is rare because in most knowledge work, people prioritise responsiveness and busyness (where it’s easy to show value) over long-term value (which is harder to show).
  • It is becoming increasingly valuable as our world rewards (1) those who can work well with machines and (2) those who can produce at an elite level. Deep work helps with both of these.
  • Deep work is also meaningful and rewarding.
• We can incorporate deep work into our lives in different ways. While some are drastic (e.g. not having an email at all), there are alternatives that fit deep work into a more “normal” life.
• Newport sets out a variety of practical suggestions to incorporate deep work into your life. The key ones are:
  • Time-blocking (schedule every minute of your day).
  • Set a clear stopping time for your work and enforce it with a shutdown ritual.
  • Train your concentration by embracing boredom and resisting the urge to seek distractions online.
  • Be more picky in your use of social media tools, such as by trying a 30-day social media ban.

Thanks for subscribing! As always, you can read the full summary on ToSummarise.com​.

Until next time