“Work Hard” is Bad Advice (Do This Instead)
How to work smarter, not harder…in 3 easy steps.
I’ve been writing, recording, and editing for years. I also work with creators on a daily basis.
Aside from the nuanced struggles, I learned the hardest thing is just sitting down to do the work. Deep work.
Cal Newport defines deep work as “concentrated, high-quality cognitive activities demanding deep focus, creativity, and problem-solving.”
Basically, hours of undistracted time where you only focus on one thing.
Every day, every week.
So I wanted to share my simple process for making deep work easy, clear, and fun. It helps me get more done in two hours than I used to do in two days.
Step 1: Remove 🪓
Get rid of all distractions.
Phone off and in another room. Notifications silenced. No Apple watch.
I use the BlockSite extension to block all the things I crave. Email, Instagram, YouTube…For me the most important to block is chess.com because I play it every day.
Then I put on noise-canceling headphones, play music on brain.fm, and shut everything else out. I also don’t work near friends or family so I don’t get pulled into conversation.
Step 2: Define 🎯
Get crystal clear on what work needs to be done.
“Most people think they lack motivation when they really lack clarity.”
— James Clear
When our work is unclear, it’s easier to procrastinate. So I quickly answer 3 questions before diving into a blank page:
- What do I want to get done in this work session?
- What do I want the reader/viewer/user to get out of what I’m creating?
- How many minutes do I commit to this?
Step 3: Do 🎬
We removed all distractions. We know exactly what we’re working on. Now we get to work!
I set a timer (I use the Countdown Timer Plus widget on Mac) for the number of minutes I committed to in Step 2.
I start working when the timer starts.
This whole process takes me 2–5 minutes. And it gives me hours of extra productivity time every time I work.
Hope it’s useful for someone.
Now get back to work.
