On Reading Deep Work

A few years into my teaching, my work philosophy did a 180. Between a full load of teaching and taking two graduate courses, I began to drown. My teaching suffered, my studies suffered, and I needed to change how I spent my precious time. I then borrowed Deep Work by Cal Newport from the library and devoured it over a weekend. 

Deep Work radically changed my approach. Cal argues that our own distractions limit us from reaching our full potential and he shares how to enter this state of deep work. Quite frankly, it isn’t some cheap trick to accomplish more. Plenty of other folks have written that awful kind of book. Deep work necessitates intense focus, undistracted time, and the will to consistently follow through. Garnering a better work/life balance has been an unexpected benefit of deep work. I’d argue that it’s the best self-help book written in the past 37 years.

Cal Newport’s approach has made an immense impact on how I teach my students, on how strong I finished my Masters degree, and how I continue to carry on my independent studies. This method is demanding, but absolutely worth it. Although I have much to learn about better applying this deep work philosophy, I can only imagine what a mess I’d be in without it.