We've all come across books that leave a lasting impact on us. For me, one of those books is Dr. Cal Newport's Deep Work.

The book has a plethora of lessons. Carefully understanding & application of these lessons has allowed me to get 6+ hours of focused work done each day. Even as a Medical Student! Here are some of the key lessons you can take away from the book and how you can implement each one :

Deep vs Shallow Work

Shallow work is performing tasks that are not demanding on a cognitive scale. They don't have much value and are easy to perform.

Deep work, however is performing tasks that create value, improve your skillset and conducted in a distraction free environment. It is crucial that your technique for conducting deep work is methodical. Not random.

The Law of Productivity

High Quality Work = Time Spent x Intensity of Focus

In order to increase your work output, I recommend scheduling deep work blocks starting with 3 hours each day to perform deep work. This is your sacred time to get your stuff done. Nothing else. Start off by implementing a shut-down ritual. This involves

• Identifying incomplete tasks - Review them and assess why they aren't done.

• Create a plan for its completion - Structure it and add a location for completion

Multitasking is the enemy

It might seem harmless to have your social media pages and email notifications turned on at all times. While majority of people like batching tasks together, this only derails their levels of productivity. Not only will multitasking derail your progress but you will also start feeling overworked rapidly.

During Deep Work mute all your notifications from your phone (focused mode on iPhone is a great tool). Always be selective with your usage of social media. Create boundaries and make it sustainable.

"If you want to eliminate the pull of entertainment sites on your time & attention, give your brain a quality alternative"

Productive Meditation

I can't put into words how much meditation has changed my life. If you're looking for a simpler approach, try out Productive Meditation.

Take any unproductive work (doing the dishes) to identify some productive work you need to get done (writing an essay) and ask yourself how am I going to get it done.

New Approaches

• Monastic Approach - Eliminate distractions & seclude yourself for long periods of time

• Bimodal Approach - Setting aside few days each week for your work

• Rhythmic Approach - Forming a habit by scheduling 3-4 hours/day for Deep Work

• Journalistic Approach - Any unexpected free time is used for Deep Work

By scheduling both, your work and free time, you'll start being more mindful of how you spend your time and will identify periods of time where you can get deep work done.