Deep Work: How To Focus in a Distracted Mind - Cal Newport
I love this book. It isn’t an easy read at times and definitely not one for the poolside on your holiday. I tend to think of it as more of a manual. That makes it easier for me to get away with using page markers, a highlighter pen and writing notes in it. I have gone back to it time and time again to either re-read it in its entirety or to go back through my favourite parts.
Cal Newport takes a deep dive into what deep work is and how many people achieve it. The book includes a number of case studies that are interesting and have added takeaways. For example, did you know that J K Rowling booked herself into a 5-star hotel away from all distractions in order to immerse herself in a state of deep work in order to write the last Harry Potter book?
Cal talks of entrepreneurs, scientists, academics and others who have all benefited by employing various techniques in order to reach their goals. Some are more extreme than others.
Takeaways include:
● A deeper understanding of what deep work is and why it is important
● How multitasking can make you less productive, and why
● How to make deep work sustainable
● How to identify and avoid distractions (sometimes going to great lengths)
This is a very brief overview of what this book is and what it offers. You need to put the work in. It isn’t a quick read but I have made significant changes to my working week by employing the understanding and techniques from deep work and that, in part, has enabled me to condense my week into four days. Four days earning the same and sometimes more than I did at five days. I should probably write him a testimonial!
Nicki Cawood The Small Business Copywriter https://www.nickicawood.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickicawood/
