Thoughts on: Deep Work by Cal Newport

A friend mentioned that this book might be of interest to me in a discussion we had about one of my favorite books this year; The Shallows by Nicholas Carr.

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While Carrs book is centered around why distractions are bad for us and the science behind it, Cal Newport focuses more on the importance of deep, focused work and on providing practical advice on how to achieve as much of it as humanly possible.

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He argues that the fact that everyone is getting more and more distracted creates a personal and financial opportunity for the people that resist this trend by prioritizing depth. If that’s not reason enough to put effort into deep work, he also points towards evidence that deep work is a proven way towards a fulfilling life.

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📝When you lose focus the mind tends to fixate on what is wrong with your life instead of what’s right. A workday driven from the shallow, from a neurological viewpoint, is likely to be a upsetting and draining day.

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📝 The principle of Least Resistance:

In a business setting, without clear feedback on certain behaviors impact on the bottom line, we will tend towards behaviors that are easiest in the moment.

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📝Flow > Relaxing. Most people get this wrong. Work is easier to enjoy than free time.

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📝 Downtime aids insight. Shut down after work. No mental recitation of conversations, no planning and scheming about the next work day. No late night email checks.

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My recommendation to you is to put “The Shallows” and “Deep Work” on top of the stack of books to read this summer. For me, these have been the most impactful reads this year so far.

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How do you promote deep work in your life?

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5/5