This week I’ve been listening to Cal Newport’s podcast’s Deep Questions. Cal is an author and Computer Science Professor who writes about “the impact of technology on society, and the struggle to work and live deeply in a world increasingly mired in digital distractions”. His podcast focuses on eliminating distractions and doing meaningful work. I remember reading his book, “Deep Work” several years ago.
I enjoy some of his monologues when he discusses essays he’s written about technology and society. But I’ve found that I don’t need any of his help for doing deep work.
It turns out that I’m a natural.
I learned how to eliminate distractions during the Dotcom boom in the late ’90s. I wrote about it here and here. At the time, as an inexperienced manager working for a fast paced startup, I couldn’t work enough hours to get everything done. My Big Rocks technique changed the way I approached work forever.
Over the next 20 years, I had to use the Big Rocks, block time and pushing back against workplace norms because I worked in sales for high pressure, fast paced, tech companies. I was subject to the whims of our senior executives, corporate policies, short term quarterly objectives, multiple bosses and knee-jerk business decisions.
Unproductive activities like compliance training, mandatory meetings, team building activities, HR issues, “fake” business required social events, getting “face time” with management, business travel, etc. were all time sucks that I did my best to avoid. Many were unavoidable.
The minute I left that world, my life immediately shifted into a natural “Deep Work” cycle.
I live my life in block time now. I focus on one thing at a time. I only check email and messages a few times a day.
My days and weeks are segmented into uninterrupted blocks for:
- Working Out
- Swimming
- Dog Walking
- Chores/ Home Maintenance
- Writing
- Drawing & Painting
- Drumming
- Meals
- Winding Down
As I was thinking about this more, I realized that prior to entering the workforce, my life was organized the same way. As a kid, I was quite focused. I didn’t flit from distraction to distraction. When I studied, I put everything away except the work at hand. When I read, I sat for hours engrossed in a book. When I went on dates, I was 100% in the moment.
I wonder if all of us are naturals? Perhaps we only get pushed out of our natural ways by external forces like school, work, and digital media.
It’s something to think about.