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DEEP WORK
 CORE IDEA

DEEP WORK SHALLOW WORK

TASKS THAT TASKS THAT

- CREATE NEW VALUE -DO NOT CREATE MUCH

- ARE HARD TO REPLICATE, NEW VALUE
- NEEDS DEEP FOCUS. - EASY TO REPLICATE
- OFTEN DONE WHILE
DISTRACTED.

SHALLOW WORK KEEPS YOU

FROM DOING DEEP WORK

krishnakiran.com
 DEEP WORK IS

#1 VALUABLE

#2 RARE

#3 MEANINGFUL

krishnakiran.com
 1. DEEP WORK IS VALUABLE

TODAY, THREE GROUPS OF PEOPLE

ARE THE MOST VALUED.

THE HIGH-
THE OWNERS
SKILLED
THE SUPERSTARS

THOSE WHO CAN THOSE WITH

WORK WELL AND THOSE WHO ARE
ACCESS TO
CREATIVELY WITH THE BEST AT
CAPITAL
INTELLIGENT WHAT THEY DO AND
MACHINES CREATIVITY

krishnakiran.com
 1. DEEP WORK IS VALUABLE

TWO CORE ABILITIES YOU NEED TO THRIVE IN

THE NEW ECONOMY

#1 THE ABILITY TO #2 THE ABILITY TO

QUICKLY MASTER PRODUCE AT AN ELITE
HARD THINGS. LEVEL, IN TERMS OF
BOTH QUALITY AND
SPEED.

NEEDS DELIBERATE PRACTICE.

FOCUS INTENTLY AND GET

FEEDBACK AND IMPROVE

HIGH-QUALITY WORK = (TIME

SPENT) X (INTENSITY OF FOCUS)

krishnakiran.com
 2.DEEP WORK IS RARE.

WHY?

#1 BECAUSE, WE #2 BECAUSE OF THE

ARE HELD FROM PRINCIPLE OF LEAST
DEEP WORK BY RESISTANCE:

DISTRACTIONS

EMAILS INSTANT

TEXT
MESSAGES
DEEP WORK IS HARD. SHALLOW
MESSAGES AND

WORK IS EASY.
NOTIFICATIONS

IF YOU ARE NOT INTENTIONAL YOU

WILL END UP DOING SHALLOW
WORK MOST OF THE TIME.

krishnakiran.com
 "DEPTH WILL BECOME
INCREASINGLY RARE AND
INCREASINGLY VALUABLE."

"MOST PEOPLE ARE STUCK IN

SHALLOW WORK.

IF YOU CAN SET YOURSELF UP

TO DO DEEP WORK, YOU WILL
HAVE AN
UNFAIR ADVANTAGE."

krishnakiran.com
 3.DEEP WORK IS MEANINGFUL

WHEN YOU DO INDIVIDUALITY AND

DEEP WORK, YOUR CRAFTMANSHIP CAN
WORK FEELS ONLY COME FROM
MEANINGFUL. DEEP WORK.

MEANINGFUL WORK = MEANINGFUL LIFE

krishnakiran.com
SO, HOW CAN I DO MORE
DEEP WORK?

FOLLOW
THE
DEEP WORK RULES

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #1
WORK DEEPLY
 RULE #1 WORK DEEPLY

1.RITUALIZE

SETUP RITUALS FOR

1. WHERE YOU’LL WORK AND FOR HOW LONG?

2. HOW YOU’LL WORK ONCE YOU START TO WORK?

3. HOW YOU’LL SUPPORT YOUR WORK ?

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #1 WORK DEEPLY

2.MAKE GRAND GESTURES

STORY TIME: J.K. ROWLING BOOKED A LUXURY

HOTEL ROOM WHEN SHE WAS DISTRACTED AT HER
HOME TO FINALLY FINISH HER LAST HARRY POTER
BOOK.

THIS MADE A GRAND GESTURED TO HERSELF AND

THE WORLD THAT HER WORK IS IMPORTANT TO
HER.

STORY TIME: PETER SHANKMAN BOOKED A RETURN

FLIGHT TO JAPAN TO FINISH HIS BOOK MANUSCRIPT
IN 32 HRS.

HE SAID, I PAID $4000 BUT THE FOCUS I GOT WAS

WORTH EVERY PENNY.

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #1 WORK DEEPLY
3.EXECUTE LIKE A BUSINESS

EXECUTION IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN STRATEGIZING.

TO WIN YOU NEED TO EXECUTE.

THE 4 DISCIPLINES OF EXECUTION :

1: FOCUS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT.

2: ACT ON THE LEAD MEASURES. - MEASURE YOUR

INPUTS.

3: KEEP A COMPELLING SCOREBOARD. - YOU PLAY

DIFFERENTLY WHEN YOU KEEP SCORE.

4: CREATE A CADENCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY. HAVE

WEEKLY REVIEW OF YOUR EXECUTION. LEARN AND

ADAPT.

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #1 WORK DEEPLY
4. BE LAZY

“IDLENESS IS NECESSARY TO
GETTING ANY WORK DONE.”

DOWNTIME AIDS
THE WORK THAT
INSIGHTS.
EVENING DOWNTIME

REPLACES IS
SCHEDULE YOUR USUALLY NOT
DOWNTIME. THAT IMPORTANT.
DOWNTIME HELPS

RECHARGE THE ENERGY

DELETE EVENING
NEEDED TO WORK
WORK.
DEEPLY.

ENJOY YOUR
DOWNTIME.

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #2
EMBRACE BOREDOM

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #2
EMBRACE BOREDOM

DON’T TAKE BREAKS FROM

DISTRACTION. INSTEAD,
TAKE BREAKS FROM
FOCUS.

INSTEAD OF SCHEDULING THE

OCCASIONAL BREAK FROM DISTRACTION

SO YOU CAN FOCUS, SCHEDULE THE

OCCASIONAL BREAK FROM FOCUS TO

GIVE IN TO DISTRACTION.

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #2
EMBRACE BOREDOM

MEDITATE

PRODUCTIVELY

CREATE TIME IN WHICH YOU’RE

OCCUPIED PHYSICALLY BUT NOT
MENTALLY—WALKING, JOGGING,
DRIVING, SHOWERING—AND FOCUS
YOUR ATTENTION ON A SINGLE WELL-
DEFINED PROFESSIONAL PROBLEM

E.G MORNING WALKS/YOGA

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #2
EMBRACE BOREDOM

WORK LIKE TEDDY

ROOSEVELT

#3 GIVE

#1 IDENTIFY A

#2 ESTIMATE
YOURSELF A

DEEP TASK

HOW LONG
HARD

THAT’S HIGH

YOU’D
DEADLINE

ON YOUR

NORMALLY PUT
THAT

PRIORITY LIST.
ASIDE FOR AN
DRASTICALLY

OBLIGATION OF
REDUCES

THIS TYPE. THIS TIME.

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #3
QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #3
QUIT SOCIAL MEDIA

APPLY THE LAW OF

DON’T USE THE

THE VITAL FEW TO

INTERNET TO

YOUR INTERNET
ENTERTAIN

HABITS YOURSELF

80 PERCENT OF A GIVEN EFFECT

IS DUE TO JUST 20 PERCENT OF

THE POSSIBLE CAUSES.

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #4
DRAIN THE SHALLOWS

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #4
DRAIN THE SHALLOWS

#1 SCHEDULE EVERY #2 QUANTIFY THE

MINUTE OF YOUR DEPTH OF EVERY

DAY _ INCLUDING ACTIVITY

DOWN TIME

TREAT YOUR

TIME WITH

RESPECT

krishnakiran.com
 RULE #4
DRAIN THE SHALLOWS

PRACTICAL TIPS

#1 MEASURE YOUR RATIO OF DEEP WORK : SHALLOW

WORK. INCREASE % OF YOUR DEEP WORK.

#2 IF YOU ARE DOING MORE THAN 50% SHALLOW WORK.

REDESIGN YOUR WORK.
GET HELP FROM YOUR BOSS.

#3 RESPECT YOUR DOWN-TIME.

FINISH YOUR WORK BY FIVE THIRTY.

#4 BECOME HARD TO REACH DURING YOUR DEEP WORK.

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