Being busy is not the same as being productive. To be your most productive, you actually need to be less busy and more focused on what really matters (i.e. remove distractions). That's the short version of Cal Newport's book, Deep Work.
The longer version includes a more detailed explanation of why deep work ("Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.") is more difficult to engage in, but more valuable than shallow work ("Noncognitively demanding, logistical-style tasks, often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate."). Which leads to the following equation for personal productivity: High Quality Work Produced = (Time Spent) x (Intensity of Focus) To help people increase these two variables (time and intensity of focus), Newport offers 4 rules to follow:
To learn more, order the book and/or listen to Newport's podcast at the Art of Manliness: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2016/01/12/podcast-168-the-value-of-deep-work-in-the-age-of-distraction/.
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AuthorThis is a place to share my passion for liberty, thoughts on leadership, and other musings. Archives
January 2018
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