Deep work vs. shallow work
I’m a fan of Cal Newport for the same reason I like Henry David Thoreau. Newport sees immense value in the ability to focus and filter out distractions. For this reason, I highly recommend his book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. The key idea is in the title. Here’s how Newport defines this main concept: “deep work.”
Deep Work: 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 (p 3).
He contrasts deep work with shallow work.
Shallow Work: Noncognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate (p 6).
To simplify, we might say that “deep work” vs. “shallow work” is akin to focus vs. distraction.
Focus vs. distraction
To understand this difference, take a couple of examples.
- Computer programming and writing (books, reports, etc.) are examples of deep work. These activities require a lot of focus, including what psychologists call “deliberate practice,” or concentrated effort.
- In contrast, posting on social media and texting on your smartphone are examples of shallow work. These tasks require less concentration and are more conducive to multitasking.
Given this difference, deep work is rarer because it’s more difficult. Shallow work is more common because it’s easier. Although some shallow work is unavoidable, deep work is necessary in many professions today. Which brings us to Newport’s “Deep Work Hypothesis.”
Deep Work Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at 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 (p 14).
Why will deep workers thrive? As Newport, explains, it’s because they’ll be more productive, as opposed to merely busy.
Productivity vs. busyness
To clarify, being productive has a very different meaning than being busy, at least according to Newport. Busy people multitask, usually with few results to show for it. (As any psychologist will tell you, multitasking is almost always counterproductive.) Hence, productive people typically produce valuable work in minimal timeframes because they don’t multitask.
Unfortunately, some workplaces confuse busyness for productivity, a fallacy Newport has a perfect name for.
Busyness as Proxy for Productivity: In the absence of clear indicators of what it means to be productive and valuable in their jobs, many knowledge workers turn back toward an industrial indicator of productivity: doing lots of stuff in a visible manner (p 64).
Newport’s rules for deep work
So how do we become less busy and more productive? According to Newport, the ability to focus is key. Here’s a quick summary of his four “rules” to train focus, followed by my own thoughts.
Rule 1: Work Deeply
Schedule time for deep work, and avoid multitasking.
I wouldn’t argue with this rule. Without question, the best way to ensure you spend time in uninterrupted concentration is to schedule time for deep work.
As an aside, however, I’d take issue with some work that Newport classifies as “shallow.” For example, de describes email as shallow work, but that’s not true if you’re an admin, customer service rep, or help desk expert. These professionals use email deliberately to solve problems for customers and craft careful responses to clients.
Rule 2: Embrace Boredom
Train yourself to be comfortable without distractions.
Boy, did this rule resonate with me! Whenever I wait in line (at the gas station, grocery store, etc.), there’s a temptation to whip out my cellphone and distract myself from the present moment.
It’s an understandable reaction, but here’s the problem. Such behavior wires the brain to constantly anticipate short-term rewards (i.e., continuous dopamine hits). Since that’s incompatible with training long-term focus, Newport wisely asks us to be mindful of how digital technology affects the brain.
Fortunately, he gives a tip. For distracting activities like checking your phone or going online, schedule limited blocks of time (what he calls “Internet blocks”). In the interim, be okay if you feel bored when not digitally stimulated. After all, Newport says, “to succeed with deep work you must rewire your brain to be comfortable resisting distracting stimuli” (p 165).
Rule 3: Quit Social Media
Delete your social media accounts, especially if they’re distractions.
Newport gave a great TED talk on this rule, and I mostly agree. I say “mostly agree,” because questioning the value of social media can sometimes get complicated, particularly in business contexts. For instance, what if you’re a business owner who connects with clients over social media? In this case, social media aren’t distractions but valuable tools.
While I’m quite sympathetic to this rule, I also think there’s room for some nuance. (See my article “On delete Facebook.”)
Rule 4: Drain the Shallows
Plan your entire workday to avoid distractions, especially digital ones.
Without a doubt, that’s great advice! I’ve only a minor quibble. Newport says, “Decide in advance what you’re going to do with every minute of your workday” (p 227). To me, that degree of conscientiousness feels just a bit too restrictive (although that feeling of mine may just be a personality difference between us).
Personally, I like some serendipity and spontaneity in my day, such as random encounters that lead to unplanned but highly valuable discussions. Nevertheless, there’s a cognitive benefit to planning your day if it helps you avoid digital distractions.
Deep work and the “Craftsman approach”
Even if I don’t agree with them all 100%, I nevertheless find Newport’s rules particularly relevant in today’s day and age. Each rule touches upon how technologies affect our minds and lives, for good or for ill. And these rules force us to ask: Is the technology helping us focus, or is just distracting us? This kind of pro-con analysis is what Newport calls a “Craftsman Approach” to technology or tool selection.
The Craftsman Approach to Tool Selection: Identify the core factors that determine success and happiness in your professional and personal life. Adopt a tool only if its positive impacts on these factors substantially outweigh its negative impacts (p 191).
For anyone who values highly focused living (or “to live deliberately,” to quote Thoreau), this craftsman approach can serve as a helpful heuristic to eliminate distractions and make our lives more deliberate and productive.
If you’ve any thoughts on Newport’s rules, feel free leave a comment below, or check out other Recommended Reading on this site.
References
Newport, Cal. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. New York: Grand Central Publishing.