As the demands for your time increase, consider focusing your time and energy into deep work. Deep work is defined as work that requires a lot of concentration and is done without distraction. It requires solitude and takes effort and planning to do right.
Deep work will help you make the most of your time and allow you to accomplish important work tasks and concentrate on projects while working in an office or at home. If you're someone who wants to achieve more and become better, then deep work will be very helpful for you!
Finding time for deep work can be difficult in an ever distraction-increasing world! Finding time for this type of work, first starts with prioritizing your work. You have to care and you have to make it a priority. We’re not saying it needs to be your #1 priority, but it should be A priority. Once you’re committed to finding time for deep work, move on to the next tips!
Mindfully Plan Every Bit of Your Day
There’s a big emphasis on mindfully here! Just scheduling out every minute of your work likely isn’t going to be effective. You need to mindfully plan out your work day. Consider planning your least favorite item first. This will get it out of the way and you can be assured the rest of the day won’t be as bad as the first few hours.
Included with mindful planning is prioritizing what needs to be done, in what order, and how long it will realistically take you to complete each task. This way, you can figure out what times you need to make sure you’re without distractions and able to fully focus on the task at hand.
Also, be sure you plan for less productive time as well. No one should work, work, work, all day long. It’s good to take breaks and socialize with your co-workers. Don’t overbook yourself because down-time is an important part of the deep work process.
Decide What Meetings are Necessary
How many times have you sat through an hour-long meeting than could have been a half page email? Probably too many! While this isn’t always the case (some companies are on-point with the productivity of their meetings), often you’re invited to meetings that won’t be the best use of your time.
Choose what meetings are essential, and only go to those. This will maximize the time you have to work, and also save your brain power for when you’re working solo. So remember, only go to the most essential meetings and replace them with time for deep work!
Choose Your Workspace Carefully
Choosing a proper workspace will go a long way in finding more time for deep work. If you’re a social person, working in a shared space with others can be your biggest downfall! It’s hard to not tune-in to conversations and join in when you have something to add. There’s just too much potential for excessive socialization. If this sounds like you, try to move your workspace to somewhere more private, where you won’t be as tempted to join in on conversations as you would be in a public area.
Maybe you’re not the most social person, but you still get distracted by other noises and movement around you. It’s also recommended that you find a more private and quiet place where your thought process won’t be interrupted every few seconds.
Once you’ve chosen the appropriate workspace, it’s time to focus on potential desk-distractions. Most of the time, your biggest distraction will be your cellphone! Put it away, or at minimum, face down with your notifications turned off. If you’re worried about someone being able to reach you in an emergency, change the setting so that anyone who calls you more than once in x-amount of time will be able to get through.
Limit the Time You Spend in Your Email
Many people care about their inbox being zeroed out all the time. While it certainly is satisfying, don’t make it the most important task of your day. Responding to an email right when it comes interrupts your thinking process and will likely lead to you losing your momentum. Pick a couple of times a day, or better yet one time a day, when you will focus on checking and responding to emails. Ideally, this time will be before or after starting or finishing a task so as to not interrupt your work-flow.
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