Deep Work To Stand Out In My Field
There’s a book by Cal Newport called deep work.
I haven’t read it yet, but I’m applying ideas from what I’ve heard about it.
(My priorities right now don’t allow me to read a 200 plus page book).
From what I understand, it’s about:
Learning to do long periods of distraction-free work…i.e. no checking social media or emails.
Why am I doing this?
Because I want to be highly competent at what I do (and continue to get better and better)…
I want to be “so good they can’t ignore me”.
I want to stand out from the competition because it’s safe to assume that:
1. Most people won’t read that much, and even if they do they might read the wrong books or sources…
2. Most people won’t take action on what they learn…
3. Most people who take action don’t read
4. Most people who are frequent internet users are slaves to these apps and have a lower ability to focus their attention…
So what can I do accelerate my progress to in copywriting and direct response marketing?
Number one, assume my competition is, paradoxically, doing the above (even though many aren’t) and do what is hard and others likely won’t do such as…
1. Write every day
2. Read copywriting everyday
3. Read things outside of copywriting everyday
4. Re-read important copywriting books everyday
5. Study pieces of modern and classic copy
6. Hand copy classic and modern copy
7. Read about business in general to have a better holistic understanding of it
8. Set time for writing, studying and reading with zero distractions.
My new experiment for November is to have the first five hours of my days to involve no
· Whatsapp checking
· Social media visits
· Random, non-work-related web use
I’ve seen how those impulses would nag me…
“Search x thing on YouTube…Search y thing on Google…Let’s read my Whatsapp ‘quickly’”…
Interesting stuff.
Some people use web blockers but I’m disciplined enough to not to need that…
Even with my phone…
What helps me is turning it down or putting it behind my laptop, out of site, out of mind.
My current goal is to have this process 6 days a week.
6 days a week of a 5hr morning time block of intense work and study.
Until next time
Thomas Lekhanya
P.S. A variable that affects the quality and ability to focus in my mornings is the quality of my sleep…I struggled to write email copy this morning due to tossing and turning last night…Better sleep is a work in progress. Tonight I’ll persistently narrow my thoughts to one thought over and over again to try bore my mind into sleep….I tend to get excited with ideas at night…
