We are all bombarded by notifications, emails, texts, calls, and other interruptions. All day, everyday. Brokers, regularly at the whim of their clients, may even have it worse than the average person.
Cal Newport’s Deep Work is a really great read that discusses the value of focused, undistracted work. The book is focused on productivity but also includes some powerful sections on purpose and creating a meaningful life.
- 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.
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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.
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Shallow Work is Deceptive: Tasks that are easy to replicate and don’t create much new value can consume our time if we’re not careful.
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Rituals and Routines Matter: Establishing habits and environments that support deep work can help overcome the constant pull of distractions.
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Attention Shapes Reality: What we focus on determines our perception of the world and our place in it.
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Embrace Boredom: Allowing ourselves to be bored can train our minds to resist the urge for constant stimulation, enhancing our ability to concentrate.
- Deep Work is Meaningful: A deep life is not just economically lucrative, but also a life well lived. Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love – is the sum of what you focus on.
I have certainly become more aware of the constant stream of notifications and interruptions. My role at OneSource requires me to jump from big-picture thinking to the day-to-day. It’s really easy to get stuck in shallow work, but just reading this book has made me aware of how little deep work I actually do. Because this kind of work is both more valuable to the company and more meaningful to me, I’m making a conscious effort to do more of it.
Click this link to download my 12 pages of notes!
Charlie Coppola
