Shallow work vs. Deep work

So, how do we break free from the shallow work and dive into the deep end of productivity?

Sophie Leroy¹, a business professor, did a study that proves what we all suspect: every time you switch from writing your latest newsletter to answering an email about quarterly projections, you're leaving a little piece of your creative soul behind. 

So, how do we break free from the shallow work and dive into the deep end of productivity? Newport's got a few ideas that we're going to adapt²: 

The Monastic Approach: Imagine if you could just... disappear. No Slack, no emails. Just you and your words. This is the dream. While you're still juggling your day job, this might look like waking up at an ungodly hour to write.. It's not fun. 

The Bimodal Approach: This is for the weekend warriors. Dedicate entire days to nothing but writing. Tell your friends you're "out of town." Order in. Emerge 12 hours later with a month's worth of content. 

The Rhythmic Approach: The "I've still got bills to pay" strategy. Set aside 90 minutes every single day – no negotiation, no excuses. Maybe it's right after work, maybe it's during your lunch break in a coffee shop far, far away from your coworkers. Guard this time like the most expensive coffee brand beans. 

The Journalistic Strategy: Seize any unexpected pocket of time to write. Stuck in a never-ending Zoom call? Plot your next post. Waiting for the train? Jot down ideas. Your Notes app needs to be always open in the background. 

What Is Deep Work and How To Practice It

Now, let's talk about the heroes who've done this before us. J.K. Rowling checked into a fancy hotel to finish the last Harry Potter book. Stephen King has a writing cabin that's probably nicer than your entire apartment. Maya Angelou used to rent hotel rooms to write, armed with legal pads, a bottle of sherry, and pure, unadulterated focus. 

You might be thinking, "Great, but I can't exactly expense a five-star hotel stay for 'newsletter writing.'" Fair. But here's what you can do: 

Create a "Deep Work" space: Maybe it's a corner of your bedroom, a specific coffee shop, or even just a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. Train your brain to know that when you're in this space, it's creation time. 

Practice "Productive Meditation": Use your commute to think about your next post. Plot it out, mentally write the opening line. 

Time-block: Use a tool like Notion to schedule every minute of your day if you have to.  

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Pick one of Newport's strategies and commit to it for a week. Maybe you'll hate it. Maybe you'll finally write that piece that makes your subscriber count explode. 

Use Notion or any other tool to create a content calendar for your Substack. Having a plan makes it easier to dive into deep work when you've carved out the time. 

Start paying attention to when you're most creative. Are you a night owl? Morning bird? Structure your deep work around these times, even if it means some short-term sacrifice. 

1. Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks 

2. https://calnewport.com/writing/