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The red boxes are topics that are require to complete this lesson.

The green boxes are starting points and ending points for topics.

Pick 3 of the activities below to complete and comment your reflection at the bottom of this padlet!

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Take the next few minutes to reflect about what you have learned in this lesson.

What is your understanding of deep work?

What aspects of this lesson do you think would be beneficial to add into your routine?

How do you plan on implementing something you learned in this lesson into your study/work routine moving forward?

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Students will be able to understand and describe what Deep Work is and describe how it’s different from shallow work.

Students will be able to participate in their Deep Work choice.

Students will reflect on their Deep Work experience and be able to articulate its benefits.

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Do you ever have days at work where you're totally rushed off your feet, but have nothing to really show for it? That is, you've had no time to reflect, stop for lunch or practically leave your seat, but you haven't actually achieved much of substance? If that sounds familiar, you might've fallen into the shallow work trap. But what is shallow work and why is it so bad for you? More importantly, how can you identify and address your own shallow work problem?

What is shallow work?

Shallow work is a concept coined by Cal Newport, an associate professor of computer science at Georgetown University and self-help author. He defines it as as "non-cognitive, logistical or minor duties performed in a state of distraction". They require little cognitive effort and it usually easy to replicate - things like replying to emails, looking at websites, using social media, filling out forms, and sitting passively in meetings.

This type of work can easily fill our day, but it rarely contributes towards our wider objectives and doesn't confer much value. It also doesn't tend to leave us feeling fulfilled or satisfied, since we don't get a huge deal of meaning or sense of purpose from it.

Unless you're lucky enough to have a personal assistant to take all the mundane tasks off your hands, doing some shallow work is inevitable. Emails need to be replied to, updates need to be communicated, invoices and timesheets need to be completed. So while you can't remove this aspect of work entirely, you need to be mindful of how much space you dedicate to it.

What's the problem with shallow work?

The real problem with shallow work is distraction. Emails, pings, meetings and tool notifications create a series of small, inconsequential tasks that stop us from focusing for extended periods of time on high-priority valuable work. By hopping between these shallow tasks, we end the day feeling like we've worked hard with little to actually show for it. We haven't necessarily learned or achieved anything new.

The progress and quality of our work also suffers. Constantly having to shift our attention from one thing to the other isn't only draining; it stops us from performing at our cognitive peak. Studies show that every time we stop work to do something else, it takes around 25 minutes to refocus - " task residue " from our previous makes it impossible for us to properly concentrate on our current one.

Left to its own devices, shallow work can also create an endless cycle of unrewarding tasks. We need deep focus and creative problem solging to stay motivated and engaged at work - our brains thrive off that cognitive challenge. But unchecked shallow work makes that impossible: it introduces unproductive behaviors like multitasking and compulsive email checking, and lets our schedule be ruled by notifications and "quick requests", instead of considered priorities.

How do we solve the problem of shallow work?

The opposite of shallow work is - unsurprisingly - deep work. It's about working without distraction for extended periods of high concentration on one task. When we push our cognitive abilities to their limits, we produce our best work. It can also be incredibly rewarding; while it might be a struggle to knuckle down, at the end of deep work we feel like we've actually accomplished something. And by being fully present and giving a task our all, the work we produce isn't only better - it feels like it's worthwhile. But doing more deep work it isn't always as easy as it sounds.

Structural solutions

Overcoming the chaos of shallow work requires actual structural change. Our workplaces require a whole cultural shift to protect space for deep work and address the causes of shallow work. We need to rethink the way we communicate, use tools, share progress and collaborate with each other. A good place for managers to start, is to start automating shallow tasks and establish a communication framework, to keep daily collaboration productive and avoid a culture of instant availability.

Individual action

On an individual level, we need to become more aware of our current schedules and more responsible for creating the conditions for deep work. That means understanding your productive patterns, self-destructive behaviors and daily inerruptions. Automatic time trackers like Timely can show you all of this - effectively holding a mirror up to the way you work. You can see how long you spend in particular tools and working on different tasks, and quanitfy all your shallow work.

Once you've identified your biggest distractions, you need to set boundaries for a more productive relationship with technology and create more effective daily schedules which protect space for deep work.

Not only will you get far more out of your time, but you'll also learn the power of self-discipline... and potentially be amazed at your own cognitive prowess!

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Ever have days at work where you're totally rushed off your feet, but have nothing to really show for it? If so, you've fallen into the shallow work trap.

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This Strategy is the most common strategy used for deep work. The Rhythmic Strategy for deep work requires you to set deep work as a daily habit. This requires the user to participate in deep work on the same schedule everyday

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The Monastic Strategy for Deep Work requires the user to eliminate or radically reduce the amount of shallow work in their daily schedule. This strategy is useful for individuals that are working towards a well-defined and highly valued professional goal that they are pursuing and the bulk of their professional success comes from doing one thing exceptionally well.

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The Bimodal Strategy for deep work is for those who cannot succeed professionally without shallow work. This strategy requires the user to shift between deep and shallow work on a large scale. In this strategy the time set aside for deep work needs to be be long enough to allow for maximum cognitive intensity; therefore, this strategy needs to be employed in a time frame no shorter than a week but can extend up to a full year.

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The Journalistic Strategy for deep work is the most difficult to do. This strategy requires the user to face each week as it comes and squeeze out as much deep work as possible. In this strategy each week will look different, this strategy takes practice and discipline to be successful.

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Which strategy for deep work do you think would work best in your schedule?
How will you employ this strategy in your future deep work sessions?

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Why is it Important to Have a Strategy for Deep Work?

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Why is it Important to Have a Strategy for Deep Work?

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What Does the Rhythmic Strategy for Deep Work Look Like?

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What Does the Rhythmic Strategy for Deep Work Look Like?

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What Does the Monasticism Strategy for Deep Work Look Like?

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What Does the Monasticism Strategy for Deep Work Look Like?

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What Does the Bimodal Strategy for Deep Work Look Like?

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What Does the Bimodal Strategy for Deep Work Look Like?

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Assignment: While completing another group's book assignment. Keep tallies of the times you were distracted by shallow tasks/work. Write a reflection in which you identify how often you stopped and engaged in shallow work. How did those distractions affect your overall performance in the deep work you were engaged in?

The Apps/Programs listed are available if you would like to keep track of your shallow and deep work.

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Don't Take Breaks from Distraction; Instead Take Breaks from Focus.

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Don't Take Breaks from Distraction; Instead Take Breaks from Focus.

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When we attempt to focus for long periods of time, our mind often wanders into more tempting distractions. Instead, try scheduling your distracted time. During this scheduled time, you are allowed to connect to the internet, check your phone, use social media, etc., but you are only allowed to utilize those things during these scheduled times.

1. This works even if your job requires Internet!

2. Regardless of how you schedule Internet blocks, keep the time outside of them Internet-free.

3. Schedule Internet use at home, too.

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Who among us hasn't gone online to look something up and ended up going down a rabbit hole as you discovered more and more information, or logged onto Facebook or Instagram for a quick check in on family and friends only to realize that two hours have passed and you have accomplished absolutely nothing? The internet, and social media specifically, can be great, but they are also distractions and keep us from completing deep work.

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Humans do not have an infinite amount of willpower. Our will tires, like a muscle, and the more distractions we give into, the faster our willpower is depleted. Creating routines and rituals allow us to strengthen our willpower and focus on deep work.

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One way to create routines and rituals comes from taking taking stock of the social media and internet sites (referred to by Newport collectively as network tools). There are two strategies to selecting your network tools, the Any Benefit Approach and The Craftsman Approach.

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Any Benefit Approach to Network Tool Selection

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Any Benefit Approach to Network Tool Selection

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This approach states that your use of a network tool is justified if you can identify ANY POSSIBLE benefit to its use or if you might miss out on anything if you don’t use it. So, if you see a cute video of Corgis on Instagram, that is a benefit and you should definitely make sure you keep using Instagram. If you quit using Instagram, you would miss out on cute Corgi videos. You are not weighing the pros and cons with this approach. Here you ignore all the negatives that come with using network tools.

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The Craftsman Approach to Network Tool Selection

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The Craftsman Approach to Network Tool Selection

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This approach states that you should consider which network tools have the features that lead to success in both your personal and professional life. This approach looks at the pros and cons of a network tool, and in order to continue using it, the pros must outweigh the cons. If we return to the previous example, watching Corgi videos on Instagram may benefit you personally, however, unless your job in some way involved with Corgis, time spent watching these videos will not benefit you professionally. It's doubtful that the pros would outweigh the cons in this example.

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Once you have narrowed down your network tools to those that pass the Craftsman Approach, you may want to consider implementing the Law of the Vital Few to your internet habits. This is sometimes called the 80/20 rule - meaning that 80% of the benefit is provided by 20% of the effort.

There are three steps to this strategy:

1. Identify your main professional and personal goals.

1. Limit your goals to what is most important.

2. Goals should be broad, but specific.

2. List two or three specific, but general activities that will help you meet these goals.

1. You need to find a happy medium. The goals have to be just right; not too general, but not so specific that they can only be completed once.

3. Consider the network tools you use.

1. Determine whether the tool has a more positive impact, more negative impact, or little to no impact on your regular and successful participation in the activity.

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Here is an example from page 196 of Cal Newport's book, Deep Work.

Professional Goal -To craft well-written, narrative-driven stories that change the way people understand the world.

Key Activities To Support This Goal - ·      Research patiently and deeply; Write carefully and with purpose

Network Tool - Twitter (now known as X)

There aren't many positives listed in the book. You may be able to find sources by scrolling through Twitter. Newport also doesn't offer any negatives, although scrolling through a Twitter feed can be distracting and time-wasting. Based on this, the determination is that there is no impact, so this person should not continue using Twitter.

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This example is taken from page 198 of Deep Work by Cal Newport.

Personal Goal - To maintain close and rewarding friendships with a group of people who are important to me.

Key Activities to Support This Goal - Regularly take the time for meaningful connection with those who are most important to me (e.g., a long talk, a meal, joint activity); Give of myself to those who are most important to me (e.g., making nontrivial sacrifices that improve their lives)

Network Tool - Facebook

Allows you to catch up with people you haven’t seen in a while; Allows you to maintain lightweight contact with people you know but don’t run into regularly; Allows you to easily monitor important events in people’s lives; Stumble into online communities or groups that match your interests.

Determination - In this case we have a lot of positives, but the real question is do they match the activities we set to meet our goals, and in this case, Facebook does not.

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One of the biggest difficulties with our ability to work deeply is the fact that we often multitask mentally-occupying tasks at the same time. The attention residue that remains never lets us fully into the next topic because we so frequently hop from one thing to another.

The idea of meditating productively is taking a time you're physically occupied (walking, jogging, shoveling...) and using it to focus on ONE professional problem mentally.

1. Be wary of distractions and looping.

2. Structure your deep thinking.

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Don't Use the Internet to Entertain Yourself

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Don't Use the Internet to Entertain Yourself

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In 1910, Arnold Bennett, a British writer, published a book called How to Live on 24 Hours a Day. He felt that the new class of white-collar workers were looking at their eight-hour work day as the whole of their day, and not doing anything with the sixteen hours they had to themselves.

He recommended structuring free time by reading classic literature and poetry to improve their lives.

This remains a concern today. When we don't structure our free time, we tend to fill it with distractions, like the internet and social media.

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"A side effect of memory training... is an improvement in your general ability to concentrate" (Newton, 175).

Master memory champions do not utilize rote memorization. Instead, they focus on scenes and connect unique details of an event already in their memory to the process of memorizing something new by associating the new information with the old.

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Two options

1. The Bennett Approach - schedule your free time in advance – evenings and weekends

1. Plan structured hobbies like reading, puzzles, board games, family time, learning/studying a new topic, cooking, art

2. Structuring your free time will actually leave you feeling more fulfilled than evenings and weekends spent in unstructured distraction

2. Quit Social Media - Take an internet sabbatical

1. The sabbatical asks that you take an extended break from online life – many weeks or longer

2. 30 days of no social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (X), Snapchat, TikTok

3. Don’t formally deactivate the accounts

4. Don’t tell anyone you are doing this

1. If someone reaches out, you can explain

5. At the end of 30 days, ask yourself

1. Would the last 30 days have been notably better if I had been able to use this service?

2. Did people care that I wasn’t using the service?

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"The ability to concentrate intensely must be trained" (Newport, 157).

Here are the "big ideas" from this rule.

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1. Schedule distractions

-Start by scheduling in advance blocks of time when you need to use the internet, but avoid any internet usage outside of those times. To help you stay on task, keep a sheet of paper next to your computer and list the next time you’re allowed to use the internet. Until that time, no internet is allowed. You can decide the blocks of time that work best for you, but challenge yourself to see how long you can go without screen distractions.

-If your work is dependent on the internet, it can be challenging to schedule time away from screen(s), particularly during the work day. To handle this, create more frequent internet blocks (e.g., every 15 minutes). However, once you do the necessary "screen" work, such as responding to emails, step away from the internet until the next block begins. Do not answer every message as soon as it "dings."

2. Meditate Productively

-The idea of meditating productively is taking a time you're physically occupied (walking, jogging, shoveling...) and using it to focus on ONE professional problem.

-During your meditative time, you will need to keep bringing your attention to your one question. You cannot allow your mind to wander.

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Have you ever struggled to get a project going because you know you have time to get it done? Has the intensity of a deadline ever helped motivate you?

"Working with great intensity" (168) comes from Teddy Roosevelt's time at Harvard where academic focus was necessary, but a broad list of interests also demanded time. It suggests that you identify a high-priority, deep work task and estimate how much time you would normally need to get it done. Give yourself a hard deadline, but reduce your estimated time significantly. Make your deadline public or set a timer for yourself to see if the concentration necessary to get the work done increases your ability to do so.

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Drain the Shallows..how to treat your time with respect.

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Drain the Shallows..how to treat your time with respect.

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Here are some suggestions:

1. Schedule every minute of your day-this helps one to guard against distractions and multiole focus.

2. Quantify the depth of every activity-this allows you to decide how much time is spent in deep or shallow work.

3. Ask your boss for a shallow work budget- for most people shallow work takes 30-50% of the work day. Asking for clarification will assist you in getting the task required completed.

4. Finish your work day by five thirty-these "fixed" work schedules lead to productivity.

5. Become hard to reach-place filters and reduce time on your email.