LYNN FRIESTH

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Making Space for Deep Work

One of the benefits of doing deep or focused work is that you can create amazing results. In order to make space for deep work, there are some necessary rules to follow. 

First, you must embrace boredom. This might mean giving up social media if it has become a distraction to you.  

Second, you must drain the shallows and let go of less important work that’s burning up your time and not moving you in the direction you want to go.  

In addition, you must realize there are different types of work which take up your time and energy. There’s great work, good work, and bad work. For the sake of this article, let’s focus on great work and good work. 

Great work is what we would call the deep work. 

Good work can be summarised as shallow work. It's the work that has to be done each and every day to keep things running. In other words, it’s the less important work that is using up all of your resources. 

One way to minimize shallow work is to use the principle of the 80/20 rule. This principle realizes that 20% of what you do is going to create 80% of your results. 

So, start looking at when and how you are utilizing that 20% and protect it. Use that 20% for the really important stuff you want to do, for the deep work. 

Give it a try. See how it works. These things in life are always experiments. If you develop a habit of doing deep work, I think it will be truly remarkable and transformational for you.