Productivity in the digital age.

In an era when we are constantly bombarded with e-mails, texts and tweets, Cal Newport offers a refreshing, indeed almost radical approach to productivity. As an underlying principle of life, he advocates Deep Work: the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. And what is this? Newport believes that it will increasingly become rare in future but at the same time evermore valuable a skill for individuals who are able to master it economically.

The central thesis of Newport's plan is a simple binary: deep work or shallow work. Deep work is the kind of effort which turns out high-quality results that makes a real difference while happening faster. It can be something like writing an important essay, solving a tricky technical problem or making a strategic business judgment. Anyhow, this sort of work requires one to concentrate intensely and practice creative problem solving.

On the other hand, shallow work comprises tasks done in a state of low attention—replying to numerous e-mails or attending useless meetings or conferences.

Not content merely with explaining the problem, Newport provides a solution. He demands that people make time in their daily schedules, free blocks of time that are between 1/2hr and 4hrs long when they can work deeply. That means turning off all notifications and saying no to birthdays, weddings or business trips one way tickets.

It's not about putting your nose to the grindstone—it's about working clever, about strategic decisions as to where you spend your main resource of attention and effort.

And it's this that is perhaps the most controversial of all Newport's points. In Digital Minimalism, he insists that social media isn't—and shouldn't be seen as being—a given fact of modern existence. Instead, one should only adopt tools if they have obvious purpose and if they are greatly beneficial compared to their costs such as time wasted or added confusion. It's a call to be mindful with one's attention as well as with one's labour.

Above all, Newport stresses that deep work is a skill which can be cultivated rather than an innate gift. This is both promising news and a challenge: it means that anyone can become more effective in their work, but only by applying themselves to changing habits and mindsets.

To sum up, Cal Newport's fight for productivity is not about doing more things—it's about doing the right things with more concentration and speed. By embracing deep work whilst resisting distraction, individuals can take back their time, increase their impact to enjoy greater satisfaction in their efforts. In a world that always asks for more and more, sometimes less really is more—especially when you do it deeply.