Focused effort

Enhance your productivity and maximize your output by minimizing distractions

Today, we are more distracted than ever. The internet and our digital devices have made it difficult for us to get the most out of our time.

At one point, I was so distracted that I found the regular eight or nine hours of work insufficient to get even the basic stuff done. I stretched those hours and took work home. My personal and professional life suffered because of that, and I never found time to work on my long-term projects.

My experience isn’t a one-off. The latest research shows that most knowledge workers cannot get even an hour of continuous, uninterrupted time. I figured that the only way out of this distracted lifestyle was to engage in deep work regularly.

Author and Georgetown University computer science professor Cal Newport defines deep work as “professional activity performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that pushes your cognitive capabilities to their limit.” It is also commonly referred to as the zone or a flow state.

The shift from distracted to deep work is crucial to achieving your potential. However, it isn’t easy. The following steps made it possible for me and may help you.

Meditate

Daily meditation gets your brain in shape for deep work. The best part is you can do it anywhere and at any time. I started with five minutes of meditation daily on the subway on my way to work. It is that simple. Start small and practice it daily. Consistency is the key.

Plan your day

When I started planning my days, I found that they gained a rhythm and some direction. Begin your day by writing down two or three key priorities for that day and scheduling time on your calendar to work on them. Turn o your devices and stay out of reach of others during those designated slots.

Avoid multi-tasking

When you toggle between tasks, you end up performing poorly overall. This is especially true for complex high-impact tasks.

Relax and rejuvenate

Deep work is intense. It is impossible to sustain it without allotting enough time for rest and recovery. Take breaks between sessions, at the end of the day and over the weekend. Indulge in activities that relax and refresh you.

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