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Deep > busy
Breakthrough work thrives on extended, distraction-free focus—what psychologists call “flow.” Yet modern schedules and Slack pings make that state a luxury instead of the norm.
RescueTime data scientists also calculated the longest interval that each user worked with no inbox checks or instant messaging. For half the users studied this longest uninterrupted interval was no more than forty minutes, with the most common length clocking in at a meager twenty minutes. More than two-thirds of the users never experienced an hour or more of uninterrupted time during the period studied. – From page 11 of Cal Newport’s A World Without Email.
This is obviously not ideal.
Shallow work: Non-cognitively demanding, logistical tasks often performed while distracted
fill our days but rarely move the needle on what truly matters
Deep work: Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push cognitive capabilities to their limit
create breakthrough value and build rare, hard-to-replicate skills