"Deep Work" Mini Guide: 3 Lessons and an Action Plan

Introduction: The Most Valuable Skill

In our hyperconnected, information-saturated world, it often feels like success is about multitasking and staying plugged in. But in Deep Work, Cal Newport says success comes from blocking everything out.

He writes that focus, or deep work, is the most valuable skill you can have, and it’s the key to advancing your career. In this Mini Book Guide, we’ll distill Newport's thoughts on deep work into three lessons and an action plan. For elaboration plus analysis of his ideas, check out our complete guide.

Lesson 1: Deep Work is Challenging

Deep work is focused, uninterrupted, undistracted work on cognitively demanding tasks. It requires great effort. This distinguishes it from shallow work, which is cognitively undemanding work—often logistical, such as scheduling, answering emails, or organizing files—that you can do while distracted.

Lesson 2: Deep Work Is Important

Deep work, not shallow work, is what creates value for both society and individuals. It produces groundbreaking ideas and meaningful progress, and it’s increasingly important in today’s economy, which relies on skills like complex problem-solving and data analysis.

Because deep work is both challenging and important, it’s also personally fulfilling; immersing yourself in a worthwhile task that pushes you to your cognitive limits brings you contentment and a sense of purpose.

Lesson 3: Deep Work Is Increasingly Hard to Attain

Ironically, the technologies that built our information economy also prevent us from doing deep work. Cell phones, social media, and addictive apps have made deep work increasingly fleeting, even as it becomes more important.

(Shortform note: Newport discusses an early iteration of deep work in his book So Good They Can’t Ignore You, writing that people often look for a job they love while they actually should look for a job that leverages their unique, rare, and valuable skills (what he calls your career capital). You can develop these skills through deliberate practice—consistent, focused, and purposeful effort. In Deep Work, he expands on the role of focus in this type of effort, offering tools for your purposeful effort that can lead you to meaningful, fulfilling employment.)

Action Plan

Newport writes that focus is like a muscle—you can strengthen it through training and practice. He offers a number of strategies to resist distractions and train your brain to focus:

• Schedule distraction-free blocks: Designate daily or weekly time slots for your task, and remove distractions from your workspace during those periods. For example, turn off your phone and log out of social media accounts.
• Allow yourself to be bored: Resist the urge to scroll through texts or social media during idle moments like waiting in line. When you constantly fill low-stimulus moments with high-stimulus activity, you feed your addiction to on-demand distractions, making it harder to concentrate later.
• Schedule time for rest: Plan rest periods around unfocused, cognitively undemanding activities, like listening to music or taking a walk. Giving your conscious brain a break allows it to recover from its focused efforts, and allows your subconscious mind to work through problems.

(Shortform note: The importance of focus doesn’t only apply to what we traditionally think of as work. In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle writes that freeing yourself from distractions allows you to be fully present in the moment, enhancing everything from personal relationships to creative pursuits to spiritual growth.)

Want More?

In our complete guide to Deep Work, we further explore Newport’s thoughts on the importance of deep work and his advice on how to incorporate it into your life. We also examine advice from other productivity experts on how you can prioritize, improve, and maintain your focus.