I love Cal Newport and the concept of Deep Work. I've always viewed it solely within the context of the work I have to get done.
However, over the last week I started realising that the same principles can be applied to the times when you specifically are NOT trying to get work done, but simply living an experience.
I'll share a couple of examples form last weekend.
I went camping with Amélie, our eldest, as part of a Father/Daughter camping trip with her school. It really isn't my kind of thing, but she was keen to go.
As soon as I picked her up from school, this trip was all we were doing, and all we had to get done. We had uninterrupted conversation on the drive down to the campsite, followed by no conversations, as I did not know where she was. I knew she was within the confines of the campsite, playing with her friends, but I did not see her at all for extended periods. I suspect she was completely engrossed in the games and conversations with her friends.
Neither of us spent any time thinking about work or school or planning anything outside of this experience.
On Saturday we left the campsite, came home and collected Sophie and Olivia. We were taking A and O to their first stadium gig, watching Imagine Dragons.
I know the music fairly well, and enjoy it, but it was not the highlight of the evening.
All the joy I felt in that experience was seeing A and O 100% consumed by their experience, singing (shouting) and dancing through the whole show.
There were no distractions and no interruptions. Simply 100% focus on the experience we were all sharing. Making memories.
On reflection, this all felt very much like what Cal Newport describes as Deep Work, but I can assure you, no work was being done.
However, over the last week I started realising that the same principles can be applied to the times when you specifically are NOT trying to get work done, but simply living an experience.
I'll share a couple of examples form last weekend.
I went camping with Amélie, our eldest, as part of a Father/Daughter camping trip with her school. It really isn't my kind of thing, but she was keen to go.
As soon as I picked her up from school, this trip was all we were doing, and all we had to get done. We had uninterrupted conversation on the drive down to the campsite, followed by no conversations, as I did not know where she was. I knew she was within the confines of the campsite, playing with her friends, but I did not see her at all for extended periods. I suspect she was completely engrossed in the games and conversations with her friends.
Neither of us spent any time thinking about work or school or planning anything outside of this experience.
On Saturday we left the campsite, came home and collected Sophie and Olivia. We were taking A and O to their first stadium gig, watching Imagine Dragons.
I know the music fairly well, and enjoy it, but it was not the highlight of the evening.
All the joy I felt in that experience was seeing A and O 100% consumed by their experience, singing (shouting) and dancing through the whole show.
There were no distractions and no interruptions. Simply 100% focus on the experience we were all sharing. Making memories.
On reflection, this all felt very much like what Cal Newport describes as Deep Work, but I can assure you, no work was being done.