Deep Work is a reframing for the millenial digitally distracted age of the good old fashioned discipline of applied concentration.
The phrase "Deep Work" was coined by Cal Newport who is a computer science professor at Georgetown University. He has a background in writing articles and producing materials for students to aid and assist their study process.
Aside from his professional academic work, Newport writes a lot about how digital technology impacts people's capacity for focused attention - in terms of reduced capacity to perform because of the endless digital distractions of the modern workplace and our personal use of smart phones and social media.
In this context Newport positions 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.”
He has published a popular and well received book on this subject.
His extra-curricular activity in this area can be summarised as:
The concept of deep work has been rapidly adopted as a useful counter-measure to the prevailing modern working practices which are inundated with unrewarding and unproductive distractions – leading to overwhelm with emails, meetings, instant communication, constant connectivity, and social media.
Shallow Work
The counterpoint to deep work is what Newport has framed as "Shallow Work" and which he defines as work or mental activity that is non-cognitively demanding and that can be performed while distracted.
These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate
Deep Work As An Acquired Competence
Newport argues that the capacity to rapidly mentally get to grips with hard things and the resultant ability to produce at
a consistently high-quality level, are core prerequisites for surviving and prospering in the current economy.
“The differences
between expert performers and normal adults reflect a life-long period
of deliberate effort to improve performance in a specific domain.”
“To produce at your peak level you need to work for extended periods
with full concentration on a single task free from distraction.”
Newport sees deep work as a competence that can be acquired with practise and application and his book outlines a series of experience based practical tips on how to do this.
Removing [or Reducing] Digital Distractions
A secondary focus of Newport's approach in "Deep Work" is the application of several practical strategies for removing (or reducing) the digital distractions that erode the quality time needed to develop and benefit from deep work.
Summary - DEEP WORK by Cal Newport
Deep Work - Key Point Book Summary
Samuel Thomas Davies has produced an excellent 15 page book summary which you can review online or download.
I recently wrote a piece on Elon Musk in which I noted his reflection that:
“I think it’s very important to have a feedback loop, where you’re constantly thinking about what you’ve done and how you could be doing it better.
I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and questioning yourself.”
“Don’t tell me what you like, tell me what you don’t like.”
Following Musk's observation I have read a number of in-depth reviews of Newport's "Deep Work", all of which had many positive things to say about the book and his approach. I have curated the following perspectives of what cross-section of reviewers did not like:
Kelly Dombroski - The Invisible Gender of Deep Work
Here are a number of touch points:
Return to: How To Think
- What if everything we think…
LATEST ARTICLES
The Power Of Patience - Why You Need The World's Toughest Quality
Demonizing The Other and Personal Acts Of Compassion
Why You Should Embrace Anomalies - The Incredible Value Of Disconfirming Evidence
Amazing Grace - The Majesty And The Mercy of Freedom From Your Pain
The Transformative Power Of Acceptance
Inversion - The Power Of Opposite Thinking
Are You Aligned With Reality? Or Do You See What You Believe?
The Law Of Response and Outcome
Clear Thinking - Turning Ordinary Moments Into Extraordinary Results
Self Dialogue - Working With Your Many Selves
The Balanced Brain - The Ultimate Route To Personal Transformation
How To Make Better Decisions - By Avoiding The Narrative Trap
The Greatest Love - The Most Important Relationship You Will Ever Have
Everything Is Connected And Why You Don't Feel It
Who Is In Charge Of Your Brain?
How To Be A Winner On A Very Large Scale
The Metagame Approach To Life
- Being better by doing things d…Shantideva - The Way Of The Bodhisattva
Reframing History - Deconstruction And Discussion Not Destruction
Tao Te Ching - Connecting To Your True Source Of Power.
How Things Really Are - The Inbuilt Design Flaws
Intuition Or Anxiety - Are There Angels Or Devils Crawling Here?
What Is Truth - How To Tell A Partial Truth From The Whole Truth?
Duality And Life Beyond Your Thinking Mind
The Conscious Mind Is Limited - Be Aware And Be Prepared
Your Inner Map Of Reality - Here's Why You Think The Way You Do
The Failure Of Cancel Culture - Suppression Not Engagement
4 Big Reasons Why We Get Stuck In Our Attempts At Personal Change
How Do I Change And Why Is It So Hard?
The Illusion Of A Separate Self - Windows 11 With Self Awareness!