What is Deep Work and why is it important?
What is deep work? How can we learn new things, accomplish hard tasks, and perform efficiently? Why is deep work valuable? How can we work deeply?
In this article we will summarize some ideas from the best seller “Deep Work” by Cal Newport and try to discuss them with some examples. Our primary focus
will be on the chapter “deep work is valuable” which explains why we need deep work as undergraduate and graduate students, academic researchers, workers, and professionals all in the pursuit of achieving success.
Content:
1.Who are the real successful people?
Who are the real successful people?
Let’s start with an interesting classification of the successful people or the “survivors” in our economy. The writer classifies people who can thrive in our economy in 3 groups: the highly skilled workers, the superstars, and the owners. In other words, those who have the necessary skills to work well and creatively with intelligent machines, those who are the best at what they do, and those with access to capital.
- High-skilled workers: are those who are able to manipulate increasingly complex machines and extract valuable results out of them. The key question is: “are you good at working with intelligent machines or not.”
- The superstars: These people are rare. What makes them special is their ability to be unique, provide high quality services, and deliver the best possible value. They are masters in what they do so there is no possible alternative for them.
- Individuals with capital access: are wealthy individuals who have either inherited their wealth or attained it through their own efforts. Both groups can thrive as long as their wealth remains relatively unchanged.
Despite the huge opportunities that the internet offers nowadays, for instance people who are making money on social media and online platforms, I consider this classification a quite realistic one from an economic point of view. Since everything is driven by economic on this planet, I started considering these 3 groups when setting my strategies and plans. The third category doesn’t really interest us in this article. Our focus will be on the first two categories.
How to become a highly skilled worker or even a superstar?
to answer this question Cal refers to key abilities that anyone would probably need to thrive in our economy:
- The ability to rapidly master challenging tasks, which includes the adept handling of AI technology, intricate hardware, and complex software.
- the ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed.
2. What is Deep Work?
Deep work refers to the ability to focus without distraction on cognitively demanding tasks. In this context, deep work involves concentrating on tasks that require your full, undivided attention and intellectual effort. During deep work, you block out interruptions and work with a high level of concentration and productivity. It is the opposite of shallow work, which doesn’t require an intense cognitive effort. Shallow work includes activities like answering emails, attending meetings, making phone calls, and performing routine, repetitive tasks.
3. Why is Deep Work valuable?
1- Quickly mastering hard things
New features in technology are constantly emerging, particularly those driven by AI and machine learning, which are advancing at an astonishing pace. In today’s era, the ability to adapt and master these new technologies is not just advantageous; it’s a necessity. Failing to acquire proficiency in utilizing AI-powered tools leaves you vulnerable to being replaced by those who can, even if you still have other skills. In almost every professional domain, the infiltration of these machines is undeniable. Your future success relies on your willingness to learn and conquer these technologies because, in essence, it’s a case of “adapt or be replaced.”
The question is “how can I learn to master these technologies as fast as possible?”
Newport evokes the concept of “deliberate practice” which is that kind of practice during which the person is 100% aware and aiming to achieve a well-defined goal. This concept is based on two important laws:
1- While practicing your attention should be 100% focused on the skill you are trying to improve or the idea you want to deeply understand.
2- To make this practice as efficient as possible you must get some sort of feedback. that can show for example how fast you are mastering this skill. Feedback is also powerful as it helps to improve the approach you are adopting and correct it if it derails. It is a great way to keep you on track.
2. By working deeply, you can produce at an elite level.
The main secret according to Cal is in the ability to work on hard and important tasks for long and uninterrupted periods of time. So, you don’t really have to work more than the average person, however you can still perform better. How? because our understanding of productivity is misleading. We generally think that those who work longer hours are more luckily to succeed. Which is wrong as we are missing a game changing detail, which is how focused we are during these hours. That’s what the writer tries to make clear by presenting the productivity formula:
High quality work produced = (time spent) × (intensity of focus)
In other words, to excel in a shorter time you should maximize your concentration per unit of time. If you are a student, you should understand the role of focus and adopt this formula in your studying strategies by improving focus to radically reduce time required to prepare for exams or homework and so on. The best students are those who really understand this formula and adopt their strategies of studying by working more on the focus side. Being a student, I try to really implement this formula in my daily life. As an adult man trying to get the best from my twenties, I do my best to not just spend my time on studying, which is, in my opinion, harmful and dangerous for anyone in my age, who aims to learn and experience things as much as possible and forge a personality for the future. All of which can’t be achieved by just studying the whole week and trying to get excellent grades.
To summarize, you should be comfortable working deep for extended periods otherwise it will be hard to reach your peak levels of productivity.
In the end, I encourage everyone to embrace the practice of deep work as a powerful tool for unlocking their full potential in both studying and working. By prioritizing focused, distraction-free, and cognitively demanding tasks, you can achieve remarkable results and stand out in our fast-paced, distracted world. To delve even deeper into the concept of deep work and its game changing impact, I highly recommend reading Cal Newport’s book, “Deep Work.”
If you already read it, stay tuned to refresh your memory and get more insights, tips, and strategies to help you thrive in your academic and professional pursuits. In the next blog we will discuss the paradox of deep work’s importance and its rarity: Why is Deep work rare? How can you take advantage of it?
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