Deep Work

Chapter 1

Physical Mechanisms that drive people’s improvements on hard tasks

Myelin - a layer of fatty tissue that grows around neurons acting like an insulator that allows the cells to fire faster and cleaner. Keep in mind that all skills eventually reduce down to brain circuits. The better you are at a certain skill, the more myelin there is around relevant neurons in the brain allowing the corresponding circuit to fire up more effortlessly and effectively. To be great at something is to be well myelinated.

By focusing intensely on a specific skill, you are forcing a relevant part of the brain to fire up more frequently and more intensely in isolation, resulting in a higher level of myelin around those neurons in the circuits – hence, cementing the skill.

Batching

• Definition: Intense and uninterrupted pulses of work.
• Formula:
  High Quality Work = (Time Spent) × (Intensity of Focus)
• Key Insight:
  Everyone has the same amount of time, but intensity is what makes the difference.
• Benefit:
  Increasing intensity can reduce the time needed to finish tasks, freeing up time for other pursuits.

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Attention Residue

• Concept:
  When switching from Task A to Task B, some attention remains on Task A for a while.
• Effect:
  This “residue” leads to poor performance on Task B, especially if the residue is large.
• Solution:
  Focus on Task A for longer, uninterrupted periods

“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” - Albert Einstain

Sticking with one problem will give you advantage. On top of that if you apply deep work in the hours you give to that problem, you will be exponentially more effective.