Mind & Productivity

Focus and Deep Work

Build the ability to work with full concentration for hours, and protect that ability from the things that erode it.

This course is for members

$9 unlocks every course in the library, this one included, plus a credit to build a topic of your own and at least 10 new courses every month.

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What you will learn about Focus and Deep Work

The 7-day sprint
  1. What Deep Work Actually Is. Deep work is cognitively demanding work done without switching attention, and it is a separate category from the shallow work that fills most days.
  2. The Cost of Switching. Every switch of attention leaves a residue of the previous task, so interrupted work is slower and worse than the clock suggests.
  3. Blocking Time Like It Is Real. Deep work happens only when it has a specific, defended slot on the calendar, not when you have free time.
  4. Building a Ritual and a Runway. A repeatable start ritual removes the friction at the beginning of a session, which is where most focus attempts fail.
  5. Making Distraction Expensive. Willpower is unreliable, so redesign your environment so that the distracting option takes more effort than the work.
  6. Training Concentration Like a Muscle. Your capacity for sustained focus grows with deliberate practice and shrinks with constant stimulation, including during your free time.
  7. Shutting Down and Keeping Score. A clear end to the workday and a simple record of deep hours are what make the habit survive past the first enthusiastic week.
The 80/20: the 6 concepts that matter most
  • Unbroken time is the unit of value
  • Schedule beats intention
  • Friction decides behavior
  • Rituals kill startup friction
  • Capacity is limited and trainable
  • Shutdown protects tomorrow
The core idea, explained like you are 5

Attention is a single, limited resource that can only be pointed at one demanding thing at a time, and its value comes from being pointed at that thing without interruption.

Then the quiz and the ladder

10 questions that correct you when you are wrong, and beginner, intermediate, advanced levels, each with a practical exercise.