Cal Newport: Deep Work

Cal Newport, author of Deep Work*, teaches us the rules for focused success in a distracted world.

Key Points

The Four Rules of Deep Work:

Work Deeply

Embrace Boredom

Quit Social Media

Drain the Shallows

How to get started with Deep Work:

Train your brain to be better at focusing (example: put your phone away after dinner)

Set aside time for deep work (example: set aside five hours a week for deep work)

Make a move in your life that signals to yourself that you take the ability to focus seriously (example: quitting a social media service)

Quotes

A big problem with a lot of these attention-stealing technologies is that we’ve adopted … the “any benefit mindset” for tool adoption.

–Cal Newport

You have to wean [your brain] off its dependence on novel stimuli every time you feel a little bored.

–Cal Newport

I think focus is the new IQ, and that deep work is going to become one of the most valuable skills as our economy gets more competitive and more complex.

–Cal Newport

In almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits.

–Cal Newport

It’s wrong to assume you automatically have the right to work whatever schedule you want.

–Cal Newport

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