Reflections on Deep Focus

Deep focus is one important subject I’ve been interested in since I learned about the ‘Deep Work’ book. I’ve read the book (haven’t finished it though) and my interest grew as I agree with the premise and the idea.

In my view, the ability to concentrate on a task for long period is a talent, a skill that can be trained. In this day and age, for many of us, we simply do not have the luxury to ignore such skill and expect to accomplish our goals (if any). This is because our lives is infested with distractions:

• social media scrolling
• notifications from email and messaging apps
• excessive news consumption
• interruptions at work or at home

And the list goes on. The more I keep trying to battle distractions in my life, the more I realize deep focus is a necessity, not a luxury, and not mastering this skill is costing us not only time, but effort and even money and wasted opportunities.

In my field of work (Software development), it is exceptionally important to be able to focus intently, as my work and study involves deep and critical thinking, constant learning and practice. I have learned that the hard way, but I’m on track to recovery and learning from mistakes.

Here’s some bites of wisdom I came across online in regard to deep work:

• Shallow work is stealing our lives. The more we give in to distractions and chasing instant dopamine hits, the more we waste invaluable time in our lives.
• Being busy ≠ Productivity: This is one of the traps I often fall in. It’s important to measure productivity by how much we achieved rather than how much time we spent being busy on something.
• The brain gets trained by whatever it consumes. Whatever you feed your brain, it will reflect on your life. Choose what you focus on wisely.
• In today’s noisy world, focus is a superpower. It’s not an ordinary skill. It’s a superpower because when done right:
  • it’s difficult to master, requires iteration, consistency, strong will and the right mindset.
  • it enables one to achieve goals faster and unlock more opportunities and grows, even when your life is filled with other responsibilities. I’ve seen people busier than I am in all aspects of their lives, yet achieved more than I did. That’s not a simple feat.

Final thoughts

Productivity and deep work/focus has been extensively addressed by many experts and we can learn from their experiences.