Always set a clear intention before working deeply
It’s the best way to make progress on what’s actually important.
Why it matters
Learning to work distraction-free is only part of the solution for getting things done. Productivity is about accomplishing what you intended to. So if you don’t know what to focus on, everything becomes a distraction.
"Focus is a force multiplier on work. Almost everyone I’ve ever met would be well-served by spending more time thinking about what to focus on. It is much more important to work on the right thing than it is to work many hours. Most people waste most of their time on stuff that doesn’t matter." - Sam Altman
What most people get wrong
People don’t spend enough time planning what to focus on before starting their focused work.
- They begin without a clear plan and end up working on whatever enters their awareness (and because of this, they get easily distracted).
- They procrastinate because they only have a vague idea of where to begin.
- When their session ends, they don't know if their time was spent well.
- They do this over and over again, and even though they're working 'deeply', they don't feel like they're making progress over time. Because they’re not. Because they continuously work on stuff that doesn’t matter.
The benefits
Spend just five minutes planning what to work on before you begin and you'll multiply your efforts dramatically.
Intention must precede attention. They go hand in hand. Intention gives you the power to choose something meaningful to focus on, and focusing your attention on it gets it done. Without intention, your attention can be deeply focused but on the wrong thing.
By setting intentions you'll:
- Accomplish what you need to.
- Be able to focus more deeply more often.
- Remember more of what you were focused on.
- Experience less guilt and doubt knowing you worked on what you planned to.
- Waste less time on unimportant things.
- Be less distracted.
- Have greater mental clarity, reduced stress, and fewer feelings of overwhelm.
- Experience more purpose behind your work.
How to do it
Choosing what to focus on means spending time deciding (1) what you want to do, and (2) when and how you'll do it.
- Decide what you're going to work on during your session. I like to do four 30-minute work blocks with a 10-minute break between each block (so four ‘cycles’ per deep work session). Before I start, I write down what I intend to work on overall. Maybe it's website copy. Or a new deck. I don't go into great detail. One sentence or two will do. TIP: If possible, it's best to work on one type of problem for your entire session rather than choose unrelated tasks for each cycle. Your brain will have to do less switching and prepping.
- Write down what you're going to work on during the first cycle. This is where you get more specific. For the next 30 minutes, what will you work on and how will you know it's done? Just saying 'Work on website copy' isn't helpful enough. 'Complete draft copy for About page’ is better.
- When working deeply, you want to hold two things in your attentional space: (1) What you intend to accomplish, and (2) what you're currently doing. Being constantly aware of your intention helps keep the work on track. It’s ideal to have your intention visible as you work (on a whiteboard or sheet of paper beside you).
- Write down the very first step you need to do to start. This helps create that first bit of momentum. Example: ‘Open the Google Doc and review what I’ve written so far’. It might seem obvious during the first cycle, but by the time you're on your fourth and your brain has slowed, this guidance will be appreciated. You don't have to think, you just have to do.
- When you're finished the work block, note down if you got done what you set out to do. If not, why not? You'll review this once your session is complete.
- Repeat the process for the next block before stepping away for your break. Write down exactly what you're to work on and what the first step is to starting it.
- Review. At the end of your entire session, note whether you got done what you set out to do. Write down how you can improve next time.
Keep in mind
You may find that your estimates were off. When I first started this method I found that what I planned to do for 30 minutes only took me 15 because I was so laser-focused. But sometimes it goes the other way. What you thought would only take 30 minutes ends up taking the whole session because you ran into some unexpected difficulties.
This is ok. The more you set intentions, the better you'll get at estimating — and you'll find this becomes such a valuable skill you can use throughout your day and life.
In short: Focus on process not perfection when working deeply.
The bottom line
When we invest our limited attention more intelligently and intentionally, we’re able to focus more deeply and think more clearly - and this is key to a productive, creative, and happy work and home life.
