Summary of 'Deep Work' by Cal Newport. (2 Summaries in 1: In-Depth Summary and Bonus 2-Page PDF.)
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Summary of 'Deep Work' by Cal Newport. (2 Summaries in 1: In-Depth Summary and Bonus 2-Page PDF.)
Recall the definition of shallow work: "Noncognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend not to create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate."
So Newport create a sender filter on his website as follows: "If you have an offer, opportunity, or introduction that might make my life more interesting, e-mail me at interesting@calnewport.com. For the reasons stated above, I'll only respond to those proposals that are a good match for my schedule and interests." Newport's sender filter
... See moreThe bimodal approach to deep work involves switching between periods of monastic deep work and periods of being available to interact with others. The period of monasticism should be at least one full day, though it can last for several days, weeks or months.
There are two different types of metrics, and one matters more than the other: Lag measures are metrics of the final result. Lead measures are metrics that track behaviors and inputs that lead to the final result. In other words, lag measures are the output. Lead measures are the input.
The need for a shutdown ritual stems from the Zeigarnik effect, which is the tendency of incomplete tasks to continuously engage our thoughts. At the end of the day, your mind will continue to engage with these incomplete tasks, preventing mental rest. Fortunately, you don't need to complete all tasks to avoid this outcome. Experiments by Roy Baume
... See moreRhythmic deep work is the habit of performing deep work daily, ideally at the same time and place and for the same duration. An example is dedicating the first two hours of each morning to deep work.
By his third year as a professor, Newport continued to find ways to improve his deep work practice. He also started to write the 70,000 word manuscript for Deep Work itself. Newport pushed himself to an extreme, ruthlessly turning down any non-essential commitments, and finding isolated places to work free of interruption. He used productive medita
... See more