This book really left me skeptical. A friend recommended it to me after I shared my struggle with focusing. I thought I'd dive into it as I would probably have not read it on my own but well, I guess that's the reason why I don't read those productivity books... Because I actually don't like them haha. Don't get me wrong though, if I didn't have an amazing experience reading this, I still believe there are quite a few tools in there that are quite useful! but before I get into this, let's jump into a more "neutral" summary of it.
What is Deep Work from Cal Newport about?
The main idea of "Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World" revolves around the concept of "deep work," which refers to the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. Newport argues that in our increasingly distracted world, the ability to engage in deep work is becoming rare and valuable.
The book provides rules and strategies to cultivate deep work, emphasizing the benefits it can bring to one's professional and personal life. Newport also discusses the impact of shallow work (non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks) and the importance of minimizing distractions in order to achieve deep, meaningful work.
Throughout the book, the author draws on examples from the lives of successful individuals and organizations, demonstrating how they prioritize and incorporate deep work into their routines. Overall, "Deep Work" encourages readers to reevaluate their work habits, embrace focused concentration, and create an environment conducive to deep, meaningful productivity.
What I thought of the book:
Dislikes :
:( The first reason that probably made me resist this book so much is that I strongly disagree with the western idea of always having to be more and do more. And even though I'm aware that what the author tries to tell us is to work less by focusing more and organising our work differently, It still felt like in the end, we should be doing more, by focusing more. For someone as structured yet very spontaneous as me, this feeling just doesn't feel right.
:( The second reason that left me feeling quite unsatisfied with this book is that, applying all of the advice to real life, sounds like an addictive quest for productivity. The boundary between healthy and unhealthy is thin and I know it's a very subjective world too, but to me, and the author admit it too in the closing chapter, the structure he offres is quite rigid and extreme. It could be a track for overcontrol and a path straight to burn out.
:( I really didn't get captivated by the stories the author is sharing. Maybe because a lot of them are around tech companies or professors and student stories and that I couldn't relate... or maybe it's a style thing?! I'm not sure... but I ended up reading the first half of the book by skipping lines and I still feel like I got all the content. The second half which is more tool & strategie oriented is when I actually started enjoying the book.
Likes :
If I disagree with the rigid structure of the offering, I do agree with the main idea behind the book : we are all being more and more distracted in our lives, focusing has never been this hard and having the right tools could make a difference. This book has great insights and a variety of tools that are still worth looking into. Some of my favorites were the shutdown ritual at the end of the day to wire your brain into work mode and off mode where you state out loud when your work day is over; the Fixed-Schedule Productivity, where you set specific work hours and do not allow work to spill into evenings or weekends, and the card memorization technique used by professionals that could be applied to our present life for paying more attention and memorizing information in a better way.
Conclusion:
3 lessons learned from this :
first, reading something you usually don't read won't be easy but that's where you'll find different tools, strategies and inspiration. I'm lucky my curiosity pushed me through this book, despite my dislike for morning routines books and productivity books.
My lack of productivity doesn't come from external distractions, but from internal distraction. My main distraction problem comes from my emotions. If I'm going through something emotionally speaking, I won't be able to sit down and do any deep work. This book isn't about this kind of focus. This book won't help with that.
I can read a book by reading one line every two lines and still understand it and you probably can too. I'm not sure if that's deep work but that's definitely efficiency. ^^
More seriously, Deep Work is a book worth reading if you are looking for new strategies and inspiration to change your work habits but a book to approach with a "Take what you need, leave what you don't" to avoid falling into an extreme and ending up more burned out and lost than when you started!
Have you read this one? What did you think?
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