🏁 Productivity
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12 sept. 2024
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3 min read
You heard about the concept of Deep Work, and it piqued your interest. Maybe you've read other articles that seemed abstract or lacked concrete actions. How frustrating! This article was written to remedy that and share with you the secrets of Deep Work.
The concept of Deep Work was developed by Cal Newport, a professor and author, in his book "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World," published in 2016. Deep Work refers to a state of intense concentration where you accomplish complex tasks without distraction, enabling you to produce high-quality work while improving your skills.
In this context, there are two key concepts:
Deep Work: Professional activities performed in a distraction-free state that push your cognitive abilities to their limits. These efforts create value, improve your skills, and are hard to replicate.
Shallow Work: Logistical tasks that aren't cognitively demanding and are often done while distracted. These efforts don't create much value and are easy to replicate.
But you probably know, most of the time, we are more in Shallow Work than Deep. So the question is: how do we reverse the trend?
The Rules of Deep Work
According to Cal Newport, Deep Work is based on four major pillars (we've simplified them a bit to encourage you to read the full book):
📍 Plan Deep Work sessions
It's important to plan and learn to block your time. Reserve specific periods in your schedule dedicated solely to Deep Work and set a duration for each session (e.g., 90 minutes).
🪴 Create a distraction-free environment
It's crucial to create a dedicated workspace. Find a quiet place where you can work without being disturbed. Eliminate distractions: turn off notifications, put your phone on silent, and close non-essential applications.
🎯 Set clear goals
Take the time to set specific goals, clearly defining what you want to accomplish during each session. Don't hesitate to break down your tasks. Divide large tasks into smaller, manageable subtasks.
🕰️ Use time management techniques
You can use the Pomodoro method (if you're interested, we explain its history and how it works in detail in this article) or batching: group similar tasks together to handle them simultaneously, reducing transitions between different activities.
We understand it might seem difficult at first. But after testing it ourselves, we found it really interesting, especially when we saw all the positive points it could bring.
Benefits of Deep Work
Through our research and experiences, we've noted several clear advantages of the Deep Work method. We've made a list for you, though not exhaustive (as you'll need to complete it with your own feedback):
Intense concentration: By eliminating distractions and focusing intensely on a single task, you can accomplish more work in less time.
Better quality of work: Deep Work allows you to produce high-quality work due to sustained concentration and mental effort.
Mastery of complex subjects: By dedicating time to Deep Work sessions, you can better understand and master complex subjects or skills.
Better problem-solving: Intense concentration promotes deep thinking and creative problem-solving.
Sense of accomplishment: Completing important and complex tasks provides a sense of satisfaction and personal achievement.
Increased motivation: Achieving meaningful and high-quality work can boost motivation and job satisfaction.
Better time management: By planning Deep Work sessions, you can manage your time better and avoid procrastination.
Better work-life balance: Increased productivity during work hours frees up time for personal activities and relaxation.
Less multitasking and more mental clarity: A distraction-free work environment promotes greater mental clarity and reduces cognitive overload.
The Digital Life According to Cal Newport
"Use your smartphone only for the following activities: calls, text messages, photos, maps, and audio (songs/podcasts/books)." — Cal Newport
Yes, you got it right, Cal Newport is not a big fan of social media or apps in general. He quickly faced the digital FOMO (fear of missing out) and chose not to go on these platforms. According to him, a phone should be limited to key actions: calling, communicating via messages, taking photos, maps, and audio listening (music, podcasts, books).
Intrigued by this lifestyle? Know that you can simply replicate it while keeping your latest iPhone — no joke.
For this, you don't need much, just the Jomo app. Available for free on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. With the app, you can easily block all apps on your phone whenever you want, with just one tap.
Go to Rules > Templates > Brick Phone Mode
Tap Start!
If you liked this article, feel free to share it with your loved ones, talk about it on social media, or let us know (by tapping the little chat bubble at the bottom right). And of course, all credits go to Cal Newport for his book Deep Work.
