What separates businesses that stand out from ones that blend in
In Cal Newport’s book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, he discusses the difference between deep and shallow work.
Shallow work is the small tasks that don’t require you to think much, like checking email or social media. This work is easy to multitask, leading you to be distracted.
There’s nothing wrong with these tasks, but if that’s all you do throughout the day, you reduce your ability to think deeply.
Deep work is when you push your thinking to its limit, distraction-free, in order to improve your skills and create new value.
If you want your business to stand out against everyone else in your space, deep thinking is crucial.
In a world where AI is replacing shallow tasks, being able to learn complicated things and do them with quality is going to be so much more valuable. That requires giving yourself space to get deep.
How to think deeply:
Set boundaries and enforce them.
It’s so easy to spend every waking minute either on life, or work, so that you can finally feel “caught up.” But there’s no such thing as “caught up”, and there never was. You have to allow yourself to sit in the discomfort of trusting that everything will be okay even if you’re not working on something all the time.
Reduce distraction as much as possible.
Close your email, set your phone on Do Not Disturb, let those around you know that you’re taking this time to focus on your business.
It’s okay if you just sit there for awhile unsure of what to do. The point is that you’re allowing yourself space to be open to fresh ideas.
Find a day and time during the week that works best for you.
A few hours a day during the week of uninterrupted concentration can actually go a long way. Giving your mind time to breathe isn’t time wasted; it’s one of the most valuable things you can do for your business.
Don’t switch up your type of thinking
When switching from one activity to another, your attention needs time to adjust. If you’re trying to learn a new skill for your business, focus your attention fully on learning before switching to something else. Then, take a break to reset your mind before moving onto the next task.
While this work is challenging and sometimes uncomfortable, it ultimately leads to long-term satisfaction with the direction of your business.
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