001: Isaac Newton's Deep Work Secrets

In today's fast-changing, technology-driven world, the ability to stay focused on one task for long periods of time is becoming more and more important.

With so many distractions, the ability to focus has become a rare skill that is in high demand in the workforce.

Welcome to the first-ever edition of The Founder's Balance, a daily newsletter on slow productivity, effective working, and optimization for Startup founders & Remote Leaders.

Today's theme is Deep work and how it can be used to make groundbreaking discoveries, just like Isaac Newton.

Isaac Newton was a brilliant scientist and mathematician with groundbreaking discoveries. However, many people don't know that Newton's success was largely due to his ability to focus deeply on his work.

He would often spend hours, sometimes days, locked away in his laboratory, experimenting and making calculations.

This deep work allowed him to make discoveries that changed the course of science and paved the way for modern physics and mathematics.

One story that illustrates this is how he developed his theory of gravitation.

Newton was sitting under an apple tree when an apple fell from the tree and hit him on the head.

This event sparked his curiosity so deep that he began to ponder the forces that keep the planets in orbit around the sun.

We have all heard of this story. But what we haven’t heard or is widely popular is the next part

He spent the next two decades locked away in his laboratory doing what he was best known for - conducting experiments and making calculations.

2 Decades - That's 20 years of his life

Let that sink in.

How many of us have the patience & focus to dedicate even 2 years to an endeavour, let alone 20?

It is this deep work that allowed him to make the groundbreaking discovery that the same force that causes an apple to fall to the ground is the same force that keeps the planets in orbit around the sun.

Another instance that highlights his deep work & focus is when he was working on his theories of optics.

He locked himself in his room for months and studied the behaviour of light, experimenting with prisms and mirrors.

This deep work resulted in his invention of the reflecting telescope and his discovery of the spectrum of colours that make up white light

Now, how can we as Remote workers and Leaders get better at focusing and deep work?

Create a deep work ritual:

Establish a routine that signals to your brain that it's time for deep work.

This could include things like having a cup of coffee, putting on noise-cancelling headphones, or even doing a short meditation to clear your mind.

Set aside time each day for deep work: Schedule time in your calendar for deep work and make sure to block out any distractions during that time.

Use the "Eisenhower Matrix":

Prioritize your tasks based on their urgency and importance. This will help you focus on the most important tasks first and avoid distractions.

Use the Pomodoro Technique:

Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a specific task without any distractions. Once the timer goes off, take a short break, then repeat the process.

Remove distractions: Before starting deep work, turn off your phone and close any unnecessary tabs on your computer.

Use the "Two-Minute Rule": Start small by committing to working on a task for just two minutes. The idea is that once you start working on a task, it's easy to continue working on it for longer.

Take breaks:

It's important to take breaks during deep work to prevent burnout and to allow your brain to rest.

Take a walk:

Sometimes a change of scenery can help you focus.

Take a short walk outside, or even just walk around your workspace, to refresh your mind and come back to your task with renewed energy.

Take power naps:

Short naps can help to refresh your mind and improve your focus. Try taking a 20-minute nap during the day to improve your productivity.

Keep a deep work journal:

Use a notebook to document your deep work sessions.

Write down what you accomplished, what you struggled with, and any insights you gained.

There are no losses - Just measuring 'The Gap & The Gain' as Dr Benjamin Hardy would suggest

This will help you track your progress and identify areas for improvement.

It may seem simple tips to you - because they are. It is always the simple not-so remarkable things done consecutively over a period of time that gets you remarkable results.

Trust me - Just start here

Conclusion:

In today's fast-paced and technology-driven world, the ability to focus is becoming increasingly valuable and is a skill that must be trained and developed.

So, if you want to unlock your potential and make breakthrough discoveries, take inspiration from Isaac Newton and make deep work a priority in your life.

The question I want to leave you with