PRODUCTIVITY
How To Practise Deep Work For Greater Productivity
The Ultimate Guide | Step 2: Habitualise
“Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task”. The art of deep work is a subject that Cal Newport discusses in depth in his ground-breaking book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World.
Who should practice deep work?
Deep work is highly effective for those who want to excel in their field of work. If you are reading this, congratulations, you have met the requirements for the practice of effective deep work.
What is required?
The two skills required for this type for effective deep work are essentially the ability to master hard tasks or concepts and produce work that is at an elite level — meaning with great quality and great speed.
Fear not. The idea of deep work can be simplified with your new law for productivity:
“High-Quality Work Produced = [Time Spent] x [Intensity of Focus]”
What does this mean?
Essentially, if you increase your intensity of focus, whilst keeping the time spent constant, your work will increase in quality. Likewise, if you keep the intensity of focus constant and increase time spent on your work, the quality of work will also increase.
Why are we not all rushing to practice deep work?
Newport establishes that deep work is inevitably hard in our modern distraction-filled world — “shallow work is easier”. To practise deep work, we must shift our mindset to value deep work. If done properly and effectively, deep work “creates new value, improves skill and are hard to replicate”.
Bottom line: it’s about working smarter instead of harder.
How To Practise Deep Work?
This guide will help you practice deep work in 6 simple steps.
- Choose your Deep Work Philosophy
- Habitualise your Deep Work
- Implement your Deep Work
- Enhance your Deep Work with Downtime
After reading this guide you will practise deep work like a pro.
Step 1. Choose your Deep Work Philosophy
Newport outlines the four deep work philosophies or methods to practise deep work in your life.
The Monastic Philosophy of Deep Work Scheduling
“This philosophy attempts to maximise deep work efforts by eliminating or radically minimizing shallow obligations.”
Bottom Line: This means that you focus nearly all of your time on deep work by removing distractions and setting a timer for your self. Focus on high-energy and high-leverage tasks that will move your career forwards and are a productive use of your time.
The Bimodal Philosophy of Deep Work Scheduling
“This philosophy asks that you divide your time, dedicating some clearly defined stretches to deep pursuits and leaving the rest open to everything else.”
Bottom Line: This means to split your time, or an annual, monthly, or weekly basis into “deep work” and “shallow work”. Perhaps you can devote Monday to Wednesday to deep work and Thursday to Friday to shallow work.
The Rhythmic Philosophy of Deep Work Scheduling
“This philosophy argues that the easiest way to consistently start deep work sessions is to transform them into a simple regular habit.”
Bottom Line: Look at your day and divide it into deep work and shallow work. Statistics show that the average human can achieve up to 4 hours of complete focus. Dedicate the first 4 hours of your day for deep work and leave the rest of your work hours for shallow work.
The Journalistic Philosophy for Deep Work Scheduling
“…fit deep work wherever you can into your schedule.”
Bottom Line: Practice deep work, sporadically when your schedule allows it. Perhaps you can use cancelled meetings for a period of deep work. This philosophy is not recommended for first-time deep workers.
Step 2. Habitualise your Deep Work
The reason you’re reading this right now is that you want to practise deep work effectively. Here are your meat and potatoes: habitualise and manifest deep work.
Schedule your deep work hours in your calendar and hold yourself accountable. But make sure you know how to do this.
Logistics: Outline your rules and boundaries.
- Where will you keep your phone?
- Will you block all social media?
- How will others know not to disturb you?
- How will you measure your productivity?
All of these questions are essential in understanding the logistics of your deep work. If you can’t answer these questions definitively, your deep work will suffer.
Where: Find a quiet and distraction-free place for your deep work zone. This will ensure that you stay focused on your task for the scheduled time.
How Long: Determine how long you will practise deep work.
Start by spending about 90mins every day on your work. After a successful week of deep work, increase this and spend about 3 to 4 hours. The best time for deep work is usually the first thing in the morning.
Support: Ensure you have the support system from people around you and the environment around you.
- Perhaps it is a good idea to communicate with others that for the next 3, or however long, hours you want to not be disturbed.
- Maybe have a good cuppa or a strong coffee right before you start your work.
- Ensure your nutrition is good to maintain your energy.
Hold yourself accountable and create a scoreboard or a streak tally. Don’t break your streak and soon you will find yourself practising deep work as a habit.
Step 3. Implement your Deep Work
It is one thing to make your deep work a habit and an entirely different thing to make it effective. There is no point in practising deep work if it isn’t real uninterrupted deep work.
Effective deep work means you:
- Focus on the most important and urgent task
- Keep track of how many hours of deep work you’re doing
- Review frequently and with an open mind for progress
- Remove distractions
The first 3 are more or less self-explanatory and whilst removing distractions sounds self-explanatory, it is perhaps effective to go through how to do this.
- Will you put on headphones to create friction for people to disturb you?
- Will you put your phone on do not disturb? People call in real emergencies.
- Maybe quit social media? If this sounds too extreme, try scheduling your social media and internet time in your to-do list — perhaps as a reward for your deep work.
Some ideas on how to remove distractions
- You can remove distractions by working remotely (now is the perfect time with quarantine). This way, you eliminate your commute time.
- Treat your email as a to-do. Tim Ferriss suggests checking your email at 12 pm and at 4 pm for about 10 minutes each time.
- Write any distractions that pop up during your deep work on a post-it note next to you. Our brains like to trick us into thinking that a particular thought is urgent, especially when we’re trying to focus. By writing down your distracting thoughts, you can look over them later.
- Whatever you do, do not multitask.
- At the end of every workday, clear to zero. Close all tabs and apps; empty trash can below your desk; delete or move all files from your downloads; clear your inbox and shut down your computer. This way, every day starts off distraction-free.
Step 4. Enhance your Deep Work with Downtime
Downtime means quality rest. Whether sleeping or doing mindless, repetitive tasks such as commute, exercise, and cleaning. Your unconscious mind solidifies work done and provides valuable insights and creative inputs.
Sometimes, mindless web browsing and Netflix scrolling are what you need for a rest. Perhaps you prefer a more creative activity like painting a picture.
Whatever you do, we have all heard of the wisdom behind recharging your batteries.
Besides, evening work is far less effective. Most people tend to fill their time to be ‘busy’ and conform to the hustle-culture. You don’t have to be busy to be productive.
Your Takeaway
Will the practice of deep work be difficult? Sure.
Does that mean you should quit? Of course not.
If done properly and effectively, deep work “creates new value, improves skill and are hard to replicate”.
The road ahead is long and meandering. But like with any unfamiliar path, what you learn along the journey is far more valuable in reaching your destination.