Prepare and Execute a Deep Work Session

There is a major benefit to accomplishing deep work sessions almost every day. This is a simple thing to say, but difficult to accomplish. There are many theories as to how long you can be locked into a work session such as this. For me, it ranges from 3 to 4 hours with a few small breaks in between. This is a serious commitment to work and requires clearing your mind, schedule, and any potential distractions prior to proceeding. This also requires you to pick the topic or task that you want to focus on. The latter is what I have the hardest time with.

Imagine how your life would change if you only really worked on one significant area per day. The rest of your time would be spent preparing for and making sure your 4-hour block was distraction-free. This would mean the quality of your output would significantly be improved, but the quantity would reduce as well. Just think of how filled your work queue would be waiting for your attention. I think that you would be much more selective about what you say yes to. Alas, this would be impossible unless, of course, our work was more of the individual and creative kind, such as writing. I imagine that a writer, out of sheer necessity, has discovered the secret of preparing for deep work such as this.

However, this ideal could be sought for when we can or are able. Spending time in concentrated effort is indeed needed for the most important aspects of our lives and work. If you set out to achieve a deep work session even one day per week, you will find this increasingly difficult. We live in an era where our distraction has become a commercial enterprise. There are many people and giant corporations vying for our attention.

So we are hopelessly overwhelmed by distractions, so deep work time has become evasive and precious. However, this does not mean it has become less important. Deep work time has become paramount as those who engage in this level of effort will find themselves in a better position to be innovators, thought leaders, and visionary.

You may want to ask yourself when the last time was that you had this type of deep work for an extended period of time. You can carve out the time but would not know what to work on. That is an entirely different problem. Frequently, we become so mired down in nuanced tasks that we are pulled away from anything really meaningful. This is a bit like awakening from a long nap. It will take some time to wake up and shake off the cobwebs. I often proceed with my deep work time with a vigorous walk. This allows me the time to contemplate the best thing to focus on.

You must find a space where you cannot get distracted. Shut off all distractions. Kill all notifications. Do not open your email and put your phone in another room. If the internet is required for research, close all browsers and stay with one. Multiple monitors do not help you here unless you are doing development or design work. Reduce all possibility of distraction, and make sure you have everything you need prepared and ready. Take care of any pressing matters so that when the time comes, you can dive in and not come out for several hours.

To wrap this idea up, I have met many people who are far more successful than I will ever be. Without exception, all these people have had this passion for focused work time where they can focus on a particular problem or issue of vital importance. In terms of life hacks, this is one of the key differentiators for those known for having a meaningful impact.