Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World

Newport introduces the Eudaimonia Machine, which is a building designed by architect David Dewane. Eudaimonia is a Greek term that describes “a state in which you’re achieving your full human potential” (95). Essentially, the building is a basic rectangle with five different chambers, each one dedicated to resemble various stages of entering into deep work. The only way to access the fifth section of the building where deep work takes place is by walking through the previous chambers.

Before delving into a discussion of six strategies for making deep work habitual, Newport addresses a primary concern. He cites research performed by psychologists Wilhelm Hofmann and Roy Baumeister that suggests that willpower is finite. Newport equates willpower with muscle fatigue. At some point, like a muscle, a person’s will can tire. He warns against a superficial approach to committing to deep work—overcoming the superficial activities of modern life, such as avoiding the Internet or shutting off the television, is not enough. One must make deep work a much more detailed practice.

Newport’s first recommendation is to develop a personal reason for wanting to make deep work habitual. One person’s rationale might be different from another’s; therefore, it is vital for a person to develop their own reason.