Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

by Cal Newport

Two Core Abilities for Thriving in the New Economy The ability to quickly master hard things. The ability to produce at an elite level, in terms of both quality and speed.

High-Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus)

Knowledge work is not an assembly line,

This potent mixture of job ambiguity and lack of metrics to measure the effectiveness of different strategies allows behavior that can seem ridiculous when viewed objectively to thrive in the increasingly bewildering psychic landscape of our daily work.

We’re instead quick to idolize these digital doodads as a signifier of progress and a harbinger of a (dare I say, brave) new world.

Deep work is at a severe disadvantage in a technopoly because it builds on values like quality, craftsmanship, and mastery that are decidedly old-fashioned and nontechnological.

depth will become increasingly rare and therefore increasingly valuable.

a deep life is not just economically lucrative, but also a life well lived.

the role that attention—that is, what we choose to focus on and what we choose to ignore—plays in defining the quality of our life.

It's not only about productivity but also about fulfillment in life

“Who you are, what you think, feel, and do, what you love—is the sum of what you focus on.”

Attention is a precious resource we have and we throw so quickly away to superficial activities for a little dopamine.