Deep Work: Key Takeaways

The Deep Work Hypothesis

The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy.

As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.

Two Parts

The first part is to convince you that the deep work hypothesis is true.

The second part is to teach you how to take advantage of this reality by training your brain and transforming your work habits to place deep work at the core of your professional life.

PART 1: The Idea

Deep Work Is Valuable

• The ability to quickly master hard things.
• The ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed.

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

Deep Work Is Rare

Deep Work Is Meaningful

PART 2: The Rules

Work Deeply

• Where you’ll work and for how long
• How you’ll work once you start to work
• How you’ll support your work

Keep Downtime

• Downtime Aids Insights.
• Downtime Helps Recharge the Energy Needed to Work Deeply
• The Work That Evening Downtime Replaces Is Usually Not That Important.

Embrace Boredom

Quit Social Media

• Apply the law of the vital few to your internet habits.
• Quit social media for 30 days.
• Don’t use the internet to entertain yourself.

Drain the Shallows

• Make people who send you email do more work.
• Do more work when you send or reply to emails.
• Don’t respond.

The deep life, of course, is not for everybody. It requires hard work and drastic changes to your habits.