Exploring how we can actualize our potential in the modern world. I write about Optimizing our Energy, Mind & Performance as Knowledge Workers. Enjoy!
Deep work is focused, uninterrupted, undistracted work on a task that pushes your cognitive abilities to their limit.
Your ability to do deep work will determine how much you thrive in this economy. It's where groundbreaking ideas and meaningful progress come from. I hope you walk away from this essay with a new superpower.
Let me introduce you to the "Cognitive Gears" Model:
The High Cognitive Gear - Deep Work 📈
This is where deep, focused, meaningful work lives. Your cognitive performance is at its peak and you can enter the flow state.
The Middle Cognitive Gear - Middle Ground 💭
This is where shallow, pseudo-work lives. You're prone to distractions and low productivity. You’re receiving inputs but being active instead of productive, i.e. using social media.
The Low Cognitive Gear - Deep Rest 😌
This is where your brain rests, from meditating and sleeping to relaxing and taking a walk outside. No inputs live in this gear, as you would go into "Middle Ground".
What You Need To Understand 🧠
Your brain needs to recover to be able to maintain its peak performance throughout the day. Every 90' of High Cognitive Work, it needs around 20' of Deep Rest to recover.
Your brain is NOT able to rest for the next Deep Work Session if it's in the Middle Cognitive Gear.
How You Can Apply This 🚀
Oscillate between High Cognitive Gear and Low Cognitive Gear. Choose the time format you want, even Pomodoro Breaks will do the trick.
Avoid the Middle Ground as much as possible, especially in the morning.
Train your recovery. The only thing that is going to allow you to maintain your Deep Work ability throughout the day is your capacity to engage in Deep Rest. Go outside, take a nap-itation, or simply sit without any input coming in.
Make sure to add this mental model to your mental toolkit and to move from theory to practice 😉