Tag: deep work

Thoughts on: “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” by Cal Newport

~ poorbjorn ~ Leave a comment

Could it be that more we focus on finding and following our passions the more discontent we become with our work? Cal Newport makes an argument that you should throw passion aside and get really good first, then passion will follow!

——

So what makes for an rewarding career? Room for creativity, Impact and Control are some important factors – and how do you attain that? You GIIIT GUUUUD at something rare and valuable!

——

📝 on Deliberate practice: “If you’re not uncomfortable, then you’re probably stuck at an “acceptable level”.

——

📝 on Craftsman mindset: Focuses relentlessly on what value you can offer the world.

——

📝 on Passion mindset: Focus on what the world can offer you.

——

⭐️ TAKEAWAYS:

Make small bets. In the wake of Tim Farris “The 4-hour work week” tons of people quit their job to become bloggers with passive income streams from internet sites. Lifestyle design is cool and all, but many became disillusioned quickly and realize how hard it is to make money online. Make many small bets when you are transitioning into a new area of work instead of only one really big one.. Ask yourself what are people really willing to pay you for? And prove it. Some things will have to remain just a hobby.

——

🔸VERDICT

——

This is the perfect book for someone who just starting his/her career. But for the ones of us that have 15-30 years of work experience have probably already learned these things (maybe even the hard way), and have less to gain from this book. If that’s the case, then then study these books and concepts instead:

——

📖 “Bhagavad Gita” about freedom from outcome.

——

📖 “Mastery” by Robert Greene about being persistent.

——

📖 “Outliers“ by Gladwell about deliberate practice.

——

3/5

 

Get the Book!

 

Check out my reading lists for more great books!

Thoughts on: ”The Shallows” by Nicholas Carr

~ poorbjorn ~ 3 Comments

Maybe you were suppose to do something important right now, but got distracted by a notification. Or you talked yourself into that it might be a good idea to check your social media. It has been 10 minutes, something might have happened?

——————————————

The internet has turned into a network of interruption, with notifications, hyperlinks and multimedia.

——————————————

When reading we skim more and look for key words. Our ability to read long articles has decreased and our ability to concentrate has diminished.

——————————————

The media, rather than the content changes the way we think and act.

We change our brains through the tools we use and our tools numbs the parts they amplify. The GPS in our phones weakens our abilities to map out areas in our mind and I guess I’m not the only one that has notice a quality decrease in my handwriting skills as I write more on computers.

——————————————

Deep reading demands deep concentration and has to be learned. Our intelligence hinges on our ability to transfer information from the short to long term memory and to weave it into conceptional schemas (complex concepts). Being able to focus on one thing for a length of time is important for creating that type of understanding and memory.

——————————————

The book is incredibly interesting and explains a lot of behavioral change I’ve noticed in myself in recent years. It discusses science around how internet browsing changes the way we think and learn. We also get a very enjoyable history of how, throughout time, the introduction of different media have changed the human perspective.

——————————————

“To be everywhere is to be nowhere” -Seneca

——————————————

“It was ones understood that most effective filter of human thought was time” – Emerson

——————————————

5/5

Get the Book!

Check out my reading lists for more great books!

Top Books of the Year – #10

~ poorbjorn ~ 2 Comments

#10 Deep Work by Cal Newport

—-

While “The Shallows: What the Internet is going to our brains” by Nicholas Carr lays out the research on how the internet and technology impairs our ability to concentrate deeply, Cal Newport gives us the blueprint to how to reclaim focus in a time where everything is designed to fight for our attention.

——- WHY THIS BOOK? ———

In a world of constant distractions there is a financial and personal opportunity to get ahead if you can resist it and instead making focus a priority. If that’s not reason enough research also shows that deep work is a proven path to a fulfilling life. This books gives you the receipe to achieve just that!

————— IMPACT —————

I still got notifications turned off on all my apps except text messages. I Tried scheduled “Deep Work”, with great results, but have been slacking off lately.

——— 🤔QUESTIONS🤔——-

What notifications do you allow your life? How do you make sure you get periods of interrupted time for focused work?

Find more over here: Favorite Books of 2017

Thoughts on: ‘Deep Work’ by Cal Newport

~ poorbjorn ~ 2 Comments

A friend mentioned that this book might be of interest to me in a discussion we had about one of my favorite books this year; “The Shallows” by Nicholas Carr.

—————-

While Carrs book is centered around why distractions are bad for us and the science behind it, Cal Newport focuses more on the importance of deep, focused work and on providing practical advice on how to achieve as much of it as humanly possible.

—————-

He argues that the fact that everyone is getting more and more distracted creates a personal and financial opportunity for the people that resist this trend by prioritizing depth. If that’s not reason enough to put effort into deep work, he also points towards evidence that deep work is a proven way towards a fulfilling life.

—————-

📝When you lose focus the mind tends to fixate on what is wrong with your life instead of what’s right. A workday driven from the shallow, from a neurological viewpoint, is likely to be a upsetting and draining day.

—————-

📝 The principle of Least Resistance:

In a business setting, without clear feedback on certain behaviors impact on the bottom line, we will tend towards behaviors that are easiest in the moment.

—————-

📝Flow > Relaxing. Most people get this wrong. Work is easier to enjoy than free time.

—————-

📝 Downtime aids insight. Shut down after work. No mental recitation of conversations, no planning and scheming about the next work day. No late night email checks.

—————-

My recommendation to you is to put “The Shallows” and “Deep Work” on top of the stack of books to read this summer. For me, these have been the most impactful reads this year so far.

—————-

How do you promote deep work in your life?

—————-

5/5

Get the Book!

Check out my reading lists for more great books!