Tag: deep work

The most important work

Posted on by philipdodson

Most people spend their days responding to ‘urgent’ tasks such as phone calls, emails, social media notifications, and chatting.

However, the work that is most likely to propel us towards our goals in life we define as not ‘urgent’ and as it is more time consuming, challenging and requires time to focus on, we carry on with the low hanging fruit of so-called ‘urgent’ tasks as we feel busy and productive.

We are always in responsive mode instead of focused mode and it takes bravery and patience to step away from the tasks to do the work that really matters and step off the ‘busy’ treadmill.

I’m locking myself in a room

Posted on by philipdodson

Thursday and Friday I’m locking myself in a room.

It’s not an experiment to see what kidnapping might be like. It is to focus.

Not to make a plan for the next 12 months but just for the next 12 weeks.

Anything longer than that is pointless and I am going to have just 2 or 3 main areas that I am focusing on.

It’s part of the 12-Week Year by Brian Moran a great book that compliments deep work so well.

My focus for the next 12 weeks is my new project The Deep Work Project which amazingly is all about focusing.

We all need time once a week, once a month, once a quarter to plan and to plan properly. It doesn’t mean I’ll succeed, but I’ll get a lot closer than I would without anything written down.

I’ve had a good break now, I’ve switched off, shut down, and most importantly it has been guilt free. That’s something I have finally learnt at 51, guilt-free downtime and leisure time enables me not to resent work-related tasks.

Amazingly, when you do decide to lock yourself away, switch off the phone, close off the distractions of the internet and get out some good old-fashioned Sharpies and paper, you can really get into your flow, be creative and focus.

This is the very core of deep work, it is building the ‘muscle’ of concentration and allowing ourselves to do our very best work.

Like everything this is a work in progress, I am the world champion at procrastination and it is a long slog to the nirvana of concentration but it’s a journey, not a sprint.