4 Simple Schedules to Produce Deep, Meaningful Work

“The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.” -Cal Newport

Deep work — a state of high-level concentration that enables top-tier results only able to be produced by long, uninterrupted periods of deep focus — is increasingly rare in today’s economy.

As such, it has become increasingly valuable. (If you can do deep work, you can make a lot of money).

Shallow work — sporadic, spontaneous production interrupted by side-projects, email, and social media — is everywhere. The results are common and cheap.

The following article condenses four main strategies to produce deep work from Cal Newport’s book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, depending on different lifestyles.

Which one is right for you?

1. The Monastic Schedule

There have been a great many scientists, psychologists, authors, and individuals from every other occupation that have developed their best and most lasting work from a lifestyle of near-total seclusion from the outside world.