Cal Newport’s book Deep Work highlights the importance of working with intense focus, free from distractions. Newport defines "deep work" as engaging in focused professional activities that challenge your abilities and produce high-value results. These efforts not only enhance your skills but are also hard to replicate, making them critical for personal and professional growth.

Newport contrasts this with “shallow work” — tasks performed while distracted that don't contribute significantly to your development or create lasting value. Shallow work can diminish your overall productivity, while deep work allows you to produce higher-quality results and learn new skills more effectively.

By prioritizing deep work hours and organizing your schedule around uninterrupted periods of focus, you can significantly improve productivity » and achieve meaningful progress in your professional life.