Practice deep work

- Our world is full of distractions. We have email, social media, swaths of productivity apps, phones more powerful than the computers that put a man on the moon. All of them call for our constant attention. As a result, our ability to concentrate has splintered. Research now suggests humans have an attention span of just eight seconds. That's less than a goldfish. This makes the ability to concentrate, to focus and make meaningful progress on wicked problems increasingly rare and increasingly valuable. Successful executives develop habits that allow for deep work to get done. In his book called "Deep Work," Cal Newport lays out the importance of pushing your cognitive capabilities to their limit in a distraction free environment. Many spend their working hours perpetually distracted, multitasking, constantly switching their attention between activities and never getting difficult tasks done well. When you practice deep work, you learn to master hard things and produce at an elite level. But this requires high levels of concentration and focus. If you're not already practicing deep work, that focused, distraction-free concentration for chunks of time, I've got some tips to help you start practicing this critical habit. First, start scheduling time for deep work. Identify blocks of time when you can shift your environment and eliminate distractions so that you can tackle wicked problems. At first, just aim for an hour each day or two 25 minute blocks if you're a fan of the Pomodoro Method. And try to schedule it in the morning when you're the freshest. Deep work is taxing. It takes real effort and energy. Over time, you'll be able to expand that hour to four or maybe even more hours of deep work. Also, when you finish deep work, take a real break. Work hard and then play. One way to make your breaks a habit is to establish a transition ritual. Your deep work ends. What habit will you stack on the end? Will it be a walk or a nap? Create a ritual that rewards the work and gives your brain a well earned break to recharge. Finally, pay attention to your internet use. If you really want to practice deep work, schedule your internet use for each day and only use it during scheduled times, dial down the noise that comes from incessant notifications by simply turning them off. This is especially important as your workday ends. Internet use trains you to practice splintered attention and this will hinder your deep work practices. As much as you can, cut the cord, read a book, be present with people. As an executive, your habit of deep work will equip you to tackle the hardest problems and lead with insight. It's a rare skill and your company will value your ability to produce at an elite level.