Deep Work Worksheet Overview
Deep work is time you spend on one demanding task with no distractions. Computer science professor Cal Newport described the idea in his 2016 book Deep Work. He contrasts it with shallow work, like email and small admin tasks, which can leave you feeling busy all day and still behind.
This free deep work PDF is our own exercise for trying the idea, and it does not reproduce the book. It helps you sort your tasks, choose a focus rhythm that fits your life, and plan focus blocks for the week. It ends with a simple shutdown routine to help you rest in the evening.
In this worksheet, we’ll:
- Explain the difference between deep work and shallow work
- Share what research says about switching between tasks
- Walk you through four rhythms for making time to focus
- Give you a weekly planner for your focus blocks
- Help you build a shutdown routine for the end of your workday
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Newport, C. (2016). Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. Grand Central Publishing.
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Leroy, S. (2009). Why is it so hard to do my work? The challenge of attention residue when switching between work tasks. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 109(2), 168-181.
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Masicampo, E. J., & Baumeister, R. F. (2011). Consider it done! Plan making can eliminate the cognitive effects of unfulfilled goals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 667-683.
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