Deep Work
- “what is deep work”
- “deep work vs shallow work”
- “how to do deep work”
- “cal newport deep work”
01 · Side by side
Side by side
Comparison sheet
| Aspect | Deep work | Shallow work |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitively demanding | Yes | No |
| Easy to replicate | No | Yes |
| Feels productive | Sometimes | Always |
| Can be done distracted | No | Usually |
| Training needed | Substantial | Minimal |
| Replicable | Hardly | By anyone |
| Immediate feedback | No | Yes |
| Expands by default | No | Yes |
02 · Which one you meant
Which one did you mean?
In shortReaders who land here meaning Deep Work rather than Shallow work are usually searching for phrases like “what is deep work”, “deep work vs shallow work”, “how to do deep work”.
Shallow Work
- “what is shallow work”
- “shallow work examples”
- “how to reduce shallow work”
- “is email shallow work”
03 · Which came first
Which came first
In shortDeep work. 21 November 2012 — Newport's blog post 'Knowledge Workers are Bad at Working (and Here's What to Do About It…)' sets out the deep and shallow split.
- 21 November 2012
Deep Work. Newport's blog post 'Knowledge Workers are Bad at Working (and Here's What to Do About It…)' sets out the deep and shallow split.
- 21 November 2012
Shallow Work. Cal Newport publishes the deep and shallow distinction, observing that a veteran knowledge worker will spend most of the day answering email.
04 · The mix-up
Where the confusion comes from
The mix-up“Shallow work feels bad, which is why we avoid it.”
What's true
The opposite. Shallow work FEELS PRODUCTIVE because it is easy, socially engaging and generates visible completions — which is precisely why it crowds out deep work rather than being pushed aside by it.
05 · Read either one