Deep Work
Depth of thought is scarce.
Yet, the world needs it now more than ever.
While many of us sit in the shallows, there are some that have elevated, raised the bar and gotten to a place of thinking BIG.
They’ve said “No” to hyper-reactive, short-term, fear-based thought, and “Yes” to intentional, long-term, fulfillment-based thought.
We, that is you and I, can join them.
To start, let’s go deep.
Cal Newport, professor of Computer Science at Georgetown University and author of Deep Work, makes the case that deep work is valuable, rare, and meaningful.
Value and rarity tie together, because deep work is hard and requires an individual to sit with complex thoughts or tasks for extended periods without distraction.
It requires thinking many layers beneath the surface, sitting with the discomfort of heavy unknowns, being able to tie things together without apparent loose ends, and persist in the face of setback-after-setback and obstacle-after-obstacle.
It takes a process-centric focus and craftsman-like mindset, applied exactly to fields of high demand, low supply (ie. great oracular ability + skill with intelligent machines).
Meaning comes from the fact that humans find purpose in dedicating themselves to causes larger than themselves that require their undivided attention.
In this way, when we step out of a state of distraction, we lose ourselves in the process and align ourselves with the needs of society.
Entering a sort of flow state and finding ourselves at the meeting place of strength, passion, and opportunity.
How do you or I get to this place?
#1 Accept boredom
The constant need for entertainment is unhealthy.
Do you remember what it feels like to be bored?
Waiting in line or waiting for someone to get ready. Long car rides (before digital entertainment). Dry, un-engaging lectures in school.
Before we had smart phones to ‘fill the void’, there was a void. There were these times in our day where we just had to wade it out. We had to sit with ourselves, think our thoughts, and feel that feeling of: “Hmmm, I guess we just have to get through this.”
I believe those times are good for us. Hear me out.
Regular doses of boredom in our day-to-day are good for us because they provide the opportunity to drudge through the drudgery and practice patience. To reflect on what we’re doing, what we’re going to do next and better appreciate the simple, beautiful moments when we’re in them.
It’s the contrast of these quiet moments that bring out the zest of being alive.
Just as we need the rain to truly appreciate the sun, we need boredom to truly feel excitement.
Maybe boredom’s not such a bad alternative to “always on, always connected”. Maybe it’s gotten a bad rep. And maybe it’s time we dust it off and put it back on the mantle.
#2 Say “No”
Unless the positives of the tool or habit substantially outweigh the negatives, drop it. Drop it and observe the effect of not having that thing in your life.
The list of things to say “No” to includes: social media, 24-hour news, and shallow work or hobbies.
For social media and 24-hour news, it’s a hard ‘NO’.
24-hour news and social media has proven to be cancerous in recent years. They play off of fear and division for clicks and views without considering the long-term repercussions to our society.
If what we reap is what we sow, then what we playback in our headspace is what we choose more of.
It’s what we paint our reality with. Thus it’s our duty to ourselves and others to choose wisely.
For shallow work and hobbies, it’s a soft ‘No’.
While there is a clear difference between responding to emails and solving challenging problems or writing a research paper, we can’t avoid all shallow work (especially early in our careers). Most jobs come with a certain amount of it.
If we recognize the difference between the time we spend in a shallow (responding to emails, running errands, surfing the web, filling spreadsheets, etc.) vs. deep state (writing, researching, solving complex problems, etc.) every day and work on optimizing our work routine to allow more and more deep work, that’s a major step in the right direction.
Efforts to deepen your focus will struggle if you don’t simultaneously wean your mind from a dependence on distraction. — Cal Newport, Deep Work
Deepening our focus and stepping in the right direction can be extended from work to our personal lives as well.
Working with our hands, cooking (and sharing) a meal, reading a book … activities of this nature are far better for us and far more fulfilling than binging Netflix, surfing the web, or compulsively buying things on Amazon.
If mindless consumption and a constant need for distraction are equivalent to fast food, and we understand that fast food leads to fat, unhealthy bodies, can’t we extend the same logic to our minds?
Voting with our lives, then, would mean opting for the healthier, slower burning alternative.
Elevating to a place of action, depth and real connection.
Reconnecting with what it means to be.
The state of being alive.
If you enjoyed this post, check out these notes.
If you enjoy the notes, give Cal Newport’s book Deep Work a read.
