[Book 1] Deep Work by Cal Newport

Deep Work is one of just a few books that I can confidently say changed the way I live my life. The most fundamental concept is that our work can be categorized into two groups: 1) deep work that requires intense focus and creates meaningful value, and 2) shallow work that is necessary to get things done but drives little overall value. This book not only teaches you how to bifurcate your work, but more importantly, several strategies on how to structure your environment and time to maximize deep work. I use strategies from this book nearly every day when organizing my time and choosing what to focus on.

You should read this book if you…

• feel constantly busy (emails, routine tasks, etc.) but don’t feel like these efforts move the needle as much as you’d like
• are looking for strategies to focus more and push yourself to create a better work product
• want to better understand how quality of work and craftsmanship contribute to value

Additional Information

Year Published: 2016
Book Ranking (from 1-10): 10 – Changed the way I live my life
Ease of Read (from 1-5): 3 – Average

Key Highlights

1. Deep Work is distraction free work that pushes your cognitive abilities to the limit. The ability to perform the work is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable – those who cultivate this skill will thrive
2. Two core capabilities needed to thrive: 1) master difficult things quickly, 2) produce at an elite level for both quality and speed
3. Attention residue is the negative effect of continually switching tasks. We often confuse business as a proxy for productivity such as managing your day through your inbox
4. What we choose to pay attention to, not our actual circumstances defines our reality. Older people have higher rates of their brain being wired for positivity, which is a core reason for how they’ve been able to live longer
5. Happiness and satisfaction don’t come from relaxation and leisurely activity, it comes from doing meaningful challenging things
6. A narrow set of ideal jobs is a myth – what’s much more important is a commitment to craftsmanship
7. Developing optimal work habits is about adding routines and rituals to minimize the will power needed to maintain a state of concentration
8. Great creative minds think like artists but work like accountants
9. Keep a compelling scorecard – people play different when you’re keeping score
10. Shut down for the night early. The downtime adds insights and allows the unconscious mind time to untangle
11. The distraction itself doesn’t lessen focus nearly as much as the constant switching does
12. Give yourself an unreasonably short amount of time to get a task done and try and do it, like interval training for your brain