“Shallow Work” and “Deep Work” are concepts originated from the book “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” of our results.
Understanding the difference between them is essential because they have a deep impact on how we should plan each day.
Ensuring we’re continually progressing towards achieving our daily goals is the only way to accomplish our big goals.
This is made possible by consistently building upon our daily efforts.
What Does “Deep Work” Mean?
“Deep Work” refers to the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.
When in a state of deep work, you’re fully engaged in a task, stretching your cognitive abilities to their limit.
These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.
Examples of deep work tasks could include preparing the strategy of your company, creating a new design, writing a sales pitch, preparing a report, structuring a lecture, or learning a new crucial skill for your business.
What Does “Shallow Work” Mean?
On the other hand, “Shallow Work” refers to non-cognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks that can often be performed while distracted.
These efforts do not create much new value and are easy to replicate.
Examples of shallow work could include responding to emails, routine administrative tasks, attending meetings that don’t require much preparation or engagement, or surfing the web for information.
Last Thoughts
Cultivating a deep work practice can produce massive benefits.
However, it’s also worth noting that not all shallow work can be avoided or removed. Some shallow work tasks are, in fact, essential for the day-to-day operation of a business.
The key lies in effectively balancing and managing your time between these two types of work.
Differentiating between “Deep Work” and “Shallow Work” is crucial to schedule your tasks.
This differentiation ensures you consistently perform at a high level, allowing you to accomplish as much as possible on a daily basis.
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