How to Work Less and Do More: Focus Mode
Cheers to half-days everyday
What would you do with an extra 4 hours everyday?
Hit the gym, go for sushi, or just chill by the pool?
How?
Enter deep work.
Coined by the godfather Cal Newport, deep work is a state of flow that allows for laser focus.
In other words…
Get MORE done in 4 hours than your peers do in 8.
Sounds great, right?
In a world of constant distraction, achieving deep flow might seem like a fairytale.
But after implementing certain changes into my own life, my productivity has skyrocketed.
You would think I live in the office.
Here are the triple Ds to deep work…
# 1 | DISTRACTIONS
Or more specifically…
Getting rid of them.
It might seem obvious, but these time-drainers creep up in unexpected places.
One that I never had thought of as troublesome —
Email.
Sorry to break it to you, but checking email is not productive.
It’s deadly sin number one when it comes to deep work.
And I get it…
If you work a 9–5, you’re probably much obligated to respond to emails in a timely manner.
Fair enough.
But do it in a way that DOESN’T rain on your parade.
Here’s my workflow:
Emails
Work 4 hours
Emails
Hard finish
Since the common brain (like mine) can only handle about 2 hours of deep work before exploding…
Take breaks.
Now, break time doesn’t mean toilet and IG for 20 minutes.
Avoid doing anything that spikes your dopamine.
Instead — take a nature walk.
Your brain actually gets it’s best ideas in a relaxed state, where it doesn’t have to make micro decisions.
Like which photos to like or more importantly, which photos NOT to like.
After you clear 4 hours of deep work and do a final email check…
Hit DND on work.
# 2 | DISCIPLINE
The distracted mind originates all suffering.
Not an ancient proverb, we’re talking science.
Kelly McGonigal in the “Willpower Instinct” talks about the importance of having an aesthetic prefrontal cortex (paraphrasing here).
This is the part of your brain that makes decisions.
So how do you build up your prefrontal?
Lifestyle optimization.
Adopting a meditation practice is the main one here, as this can directly improve your mental reflexes.
Meditate for 10 minutes a day with sleep, diet, and exercise…
Watch your productivity blow up.
# 3 | DEDICATION
Before you sit down at your desk in the morning, ask yourself this:
What am I grinding for?
It doesn’t have to be heroic, but the reason will help you stay CONSISTENT with deep work sessions.
And if you can’t come up with anything?
Make it a game for yourself.
My goal is to hit 4 hours of deep work daily, so I keep a calendar to visualize my progress.
This is what Seinfeld does, and he’s worth at least a B.
Don’t get discouraged if the progress is slow.
It’s all about the HABIT.
For example…
Writing an article today probably amounts to jack.
But 500 of these in 2 years or so…
That’s motion.
Don't forget to subscribe to help me herd sheep in Andalusia.
Member discussion