The Deep Work Magic
The what, why, how of it - a personal account of how deep work made me more productive as a multi-tasking business owner
Let me introduce you to (some of) my inner thoughts from a few years ago…
“My to-do list never ends. When will I go for that spa break”
“I just rushed through that, and it turned out terrible. Ah, I am so not good at this”
“I really don’t want to do this, but I have to. Let me push it to be tomorrow’s problem”
Overwhelmed was a common feeling for me - always behind on what I needed to get done, and procrastination was becoming a problem. I never had issues with focusing as a child, but as I grew older, my span of responsibilities had expanded. And trying to do ‘everything’ during my waking hours became a chore instead of actually living.
That’s when I decided to try Deep Work. had heard of it before, and honestly, it sounded like one of those productivity hacks that only worked for people with no distractions, endless time, and a personal assistant handling their life admin.
But I was wrong.
Deep Work wasn’t just about focusing for long stretches. It was about shifting how I structured my time, setting boundaries, and being intentional about what really mattered. I started small:
Blocking 90-minute chunks of uninterrupted focus time
Turning off notifications (yes, even email and social media)
Creating a “shutdown ritual” at the end of the day to avoid mental spillover of stress, thoughts, and to-do lists into my sleep
Within weeks, I felt like I was getting more done in less time. As a consultant who works with businesses to help them get more done with less, this was a huge moment of self realisation. My to-do list shrunk, the mental clutter easers, and this was the real kicker - I felt more in control of my life.
If you’re struggling to keep on top of things, whether you’re a business owner, parent, career-driven individual, or all the above, Deep Work might be worth trying. Start with just one focus session (even if it’s just 45 minutes) a day, and see the difference. Based on what I’ve tried and tested, I’d recommend taking a few more steps alongside doing this:
Define your most important work. Not all tasks are equal - focus on those that generate the most value, require deep thinking, and can’t be automated / delegated / eliminated from your life
Schedule it like a meeting, and more importantly make people, even your family if you’re working from home like me, aware of it. It should be non-negotiable and ideally non-movable.
Create a ritual to get started. My pre-deep work ritual looks like this: close all irrelevant tabs, phone on silent and far away, get my cup of tea ready, play my fav instrumental music, set a timer and dive in
Batch similar tasks together - all emails in one session, all deep work in another, meetings and calls in one part of the day. The last one was an absolute game changer for me!
Review what worked vs not, because everyone’s different. The first few weeks will feel uncomfortable and you’ll slowly find your rhythm. Every Friday, I usually take 15mins to mentally review what worked and didn’t in being productive that week. Then, I make a mental note of small adjustments to make next week - no self blaming, no feeling of overwhelm, just a simple process of testing & learning
Hope this brought some insight, freshness, and motivation to your Friday! If you’re a Deep Work veteran, do share what’s worked (and not) for you. I’m curious to hear your take on it! And if you’ve never tried it before, give it a shot next week and let me know how it goes.
PS: I’ll be taking a break from writing next week, as we’re travelling to Norway to try and catch the Northern Lights - wish me luck! Will see you all the Friday after next :)
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