Deep Work -
The Art of Concentrated Work

Freelancers in particular often find themselves in a dilemma: no one is watching their backs, so they can work freely and creatively – and procrastinate to their heart’s content. The catch: output and thus hourly wages are steadily decreasing while we mindlessly scroll through social media instead of working productively.

The principle of Deep Work can help us to dive from the surface back into deep concentration: With simple tricks we can trick ourselves and finally really get going – Deep Work that is. Deep Work creates focus in a distracted world.

With 6 simple tricks you can start Deep Work today.

"The art of resting is part of the art of working."

John Steinbeck

1. identify sources of interference

For me, the biggest sources of disruption are my email inbox, smartphone and social media: For many years, I replied directly as soon as an email came in – and bang, I was no longer in the flow. It’s even worse with phone calls: If someone calls, you inevitably have to interrupt your work. Especially when I’m concentrating on a text, it’s counterproductive.

And if no one calls or emails? Then there’s social media. Let’s see what’s going on there… At some point I noticed that I automatically clicked on the little Instagram icon in my bookmarks bar after an intense period of work, as if I wanted to reward myself with the click for the work I had done.

Sources of distraction are many. The first step to Deep Work is to recognise your personal concentration traps. When you become aware of a source of distraction: Write it down. This way you can find a solution to dry up the source of distraction.

2. let mails rest

It may sound paradoxical: If we are not always available, we are better contractors. After all, if you disconnect from time to time, you won’t be pulled out of your focused work all the time. That’s why I switch off my mail client when I want to concentrate.

Then I’m not available for two to three hours – but I don’t have to be all the time. My work is easier to do, I finish faster – and I need much less time to check the finished work before sending it out. Deep Work helps me to deliver optimal results.

3. switch off the phone

I usually tell my clients right when I meet them that the best way to reach me is by email. Because during productive work phases, I switch my phone to silent and put it away. During breaks or after a productive phase, I call back directly if I do have a missed call. So far, no one has complained about this.

When I forgot my smartphone once and was on a trip for two days without a phone, I realised: you miss very little: I had neither angry voicemail messages, nor pestering mails or messanger messages that couldn’t have waited.

That’s why the phone is silent with me when I really want to concentrate.

4. replace self-discipline with apps

During our studies or training, we polished our flat spotless, punched holes in files or excessively painted our fingernails to perfection when we actually wanted to study. Today, we secretly dive into the temptations in our browser – and no one notices that we are doing something else. News sites, messaging services, social media and blogs are a welcome distraction. After all, we are sitting at the laptop. And the smartphone with all its temptations is always within reach.

Psychologists call it procrastination when we keep putting off urgent things. If you can’t save yourself from the swamp of distraction through strict self-discipline, technology can help: plug-ins and apps block the tempting websites for us during our deep work phases.

Because work apparently exhausts my self-discipline, I bought Cold Turkey Blocker. I have told this programme that I intend to do concentrated work between 9am and 5pm on Mondays to Fridays. I also told Cold Turkey Blocker about my digital Achilles heels. Now the programme knows all the sites, platforms and apps I used to procrastinate with. Like a muscle-bound bouncer, Cold Turkey Blocker now stands in front of websites and won’t let me back in until after 5pm.

Also, most smartphones have a built-in blocker – you just have to use that feature.

So if you know for a fact that these programmes are distracting you, turn off the notifications that take you out of focus – or lock yourself out of apps and platforms altogether.

5. get social control

It helps me a lot to meet up with friends and colleagues to work – and not just to exchange ideas. Because when we sit next to each other at our laptops, the temptation to get up and damp mop the kitchen or watch an episode of your favourite TV show on the side tends to be almost nil (dear ex-students, hand on heart, you know what I’m talking about). So co-working can be very helpful. The only catch is that if you talk to your co-workers all the time, nothing is gained. But you’ll quickly find a way – after all, you want to get more done together.

6. set up a workstation

Many freelancers work from home without any problems. They open their laptop in the living room – and off they go. For many people, this kind of remote work or telecommuting works wonderfully – but for me, unfortunately, only to a limited extent: After my start-up, I worked within my own four walls for exactly one year. But at some point I got wise to myself: I had crowned myself the queen of procrastination and hadn’t even noticed. The solution: I looked for an office. By chance I found a very cheap studio where I now write, draw and paint.

Since then, I work much more productively, I don’t get distracted any more and work and free time only merge when I really want to. I used to sit in my office after work. Now I cycle home in the evening after work and really have the feeling of being free.

Deep Work -
The Art of Concentrated Work

"The art of resting is part of the art of working."

1. identify sources of interference

2. let mails rest

3. switch off the phone

4. replace self-discipline with apps

5. get social control

6. set up a workstation

Read more...

How to calendar block

How to deep work

The perfect writer’s playlist

How to create a persona

Deep Work - The Art of Concentrated Work

"The art of resting is part of the art of working."

1. identify sources of interference

2. let mails rest

3. switch off the phone

4. replace self-discipline with apps

5. get social control

6. set up a workstation

Read more...

How to calendar block

How to deep work

The perfect writer’s playlist

How to create a persona

Deep Work -
The Art of Concentrated Work