7 steps to create a Deep Work habit
One thing I’ve found to help me stay productive is the concept of Deep Working. It enables me to focus, cut out distractions and produce good work.
In this post I share my formula for how it works for me and how you can try this too. The inspiration came from reading Cal Newports book called Deep Work. He defines Deep Work as:
"Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate."
So we're not just talking about a little bit of hard work, but work that really challenges you and adds value both to you and the world.
Cal Newport provides several principles, or philosophies for how to approach Deep Work. I won't go through them here, but I've taken some of them and condensed them into a 7 step formula which works for me. You may need to tailor it for you, but here they are.
7 Steps to Create a Deep Work Habit
#1 Always Have a Plan
Know exactly what will be done during a deep work session before starting.
It sounds obvious. But one of the things that often derails us is not having complete clarity on what we actually want to achieve.
Recently for a Deep Work session, I set goals to,
a) finish a brand script (basically a process which I'd almost completed for redefining my branding)
b) draft the first 4 sections of my new website homepage following the new brand script.
Now you don't need to know details of what that entails, but my point is that my goal was specific. I knew what completion looked like–by the end of the session I would have a completed brand script and I would have a draft wireframe of my website. There's no ambiguity.
Set a clear goal for your Deep Work session and prepare everything you need before hand so you are not starting the session and then wasting time looking for specific files and documents. Have everything ready to go before you start.
#2 Have a Regular Schedule
Know exactly when Deep Work will start and for how long.
Knowing when you will have a focused attention session helps your brain get prepared for what's to come. This is key. It's not always going to be perfect, as in life things come up that are unavoidable. But the more you can work towards a regular schedule of Deep Work sessions, the better you will get at it and the more your focus and concentration will improve. I am finding that myself, to the point of really looking forward to my focused work time. I use 90min sessions, but feel free to try shorter or longer to find your optimum.
#3 Always Have Supplies
Make sure water, nibbles, pen and paper are easily accessible if required.
Our brains are wired for novelty. We like distractions. How many times in the middle of a task have you headed for the kitchen to get something to eat despite not being hungry? Or even headed for the toilet when you don't really need to go? Ok. Maybe just me. The thing is we will look for every excuse to be distracted, so to mitigate that problem, make sure you do not need to leave your deep work space for any reason unless an emergency, until the time is up, or you have completed your task. You are telling your brain–this is important focused non-distractable time.
#4 Get the Music Ready
Know what music–without lyrics–will be played via headphones.
Even when I'm at home on my own I still find that putting on headphones focuses me in a different way than having music being played out my speakers. This is a personal thing and may not work for you. But I've only found this out since lockdown. I wish I'd found it out earlier! I have a much more intense focus. For those that want to know what I'm listening to–and like I say, we all have differing personal tastes–see list of resources below. I personally prefer music without lyrics, but music that you are very familiar with can work just as well.
But remember, just like the other items, have this prepared beforehand. Don't spend your Deep Work time deciding between Bjork or Pink Floyd!
#5 Set the Environment
Close the door. Switch off any unnecessary equipment–including your phone.
Your environment is vital to get right to make sure you won't be disturbed. No family or housemates, or phone notifications or email popping up. Nothing should distract you from your focus. So close the door. If you are using your computer make sure every single app that you're not using for the session is closed. If you're on a Mac, use the 'Do not disturb' option to make sure notifications won't get through. This is about you being in control of your session, not your devices or other people.
#6 Set the Timer
Set a timer for the full length of the Deep Work session.
Here's what I suggest for this one–don't use your phone timer! Switch your phone off. Use a real alarm clock (remember those!?) or there are many apps for your computer you can use (see resources below). Don't even let time distract you. I have hidden my computer clock so I have to actively move the mouse pointer to the top bar to see the time. That's why you set your alarm for the full session length, then you can ignore time, get into the zone and your alarm will tell you when you're finished.
#7 Start Deep Work
If all points above are complete, then and only then commence Deep Work.
I sometimes think I can skip a step. Perhaps I don't need headphones today. Maybe I don't need any water. Perhaps I can start the session and then decide exactly what I'm doing. My advice...Don't! You want to build a good habit. Every little step in the process is a way of telling your brain you are getting ready to focus now. Just like closing the curtains and getting into bed clothes signifies to your brain that it's sleep time. The more you keep doing this, even if you change the steps to things that are more relevant for you, the easier it will be to get into this mode.
Conclusion
I'm really enjoying my Deep Work sessions. There are some that I have to move around when something else comes up. That's ok. Life happens. It's very rewarding to know that I'm producing work that's of a higher quality and more satisfying to me than if I allow myself to be constantly distracted under the guise of multitasking. Note, there are times when you need to do what Cal Newport not surprisingly calls Shallow Work. We cannot do Deep Work all the time as it takes up a lot of our cognitive resources. We need a mix.
Another reason why Deep Work is important, is that due to the constantly distracted way we work and live today, our brain now has a much harder task to stay focused and concentrated as we don't give it the chance. We don't practice deep concentration. Yet, there is a lot of research that points to how the vital skills needed for the future of work are those that require deep concentration. So its not only good for us and satisfying, but is the kind of work that will be more in demand in the future. Shallow work, by it's nature, is more easily able to be automated and carried out by Artifical Intelligence and bots. So, practicing Deep Work might just keep you in work!
Resources
Here's a few items you might find useful if you're trialling a Deep Work habit.
Download a PDF version of My Formula For Deep Work
Cal Newport - Deep Work book
Podcast - The Anjunadeep Edition - mixture of dance and house, the vast majority without lyrics.
Alarm Clock - I use Sleep Alarm Clock on Mac for its simplicity. Not sure if there's a PC version.
I'd love to know how you get on if you try a deep work session. Let me know via the comments–including any changes you make to tailor it to your needs.
