91: Making Time for Deep, Focused Work with Jake Kahana

We live in a world of distractions. Between the endless buzzes and notifications, and the biological desire for dopamine, it’s almost impossible to expect anyone to concentrate and stay focused for more than 20 minutes. Yet that is exactly what is needed if we want to do deep, meaningful work. Jake Kahana believes that we can live a healthier life and do our best work by creating  structures and environments that combat digital distraction. He is a cofounder of Caveday, a company established to maximize productivity for individuals and corporations through facilitated focus sessions and deep work training. As a founding US faculty member with The School of Life, Jake teaches workshops in emotional intelligence for corporate teams. He speaks at conferences and companies around the world on creating a relationship to our work that is healthy so that our other relationships can thrive. Jake and I talk about the challenges of dealing with so many distractions, shallow work, good habits, the difference between productivity and accomplishment, creating a distraction-free environment to do deep work, and how to minimize disruptions and create deep work spaces as a team, even if you’re virtual.   Read the related blog article: Master the Lost Art of Concentration by Working Inside the Cave   Join the Modern Manager community (www.mamieks.com/join) to a 10-day free trial of Cave Day. If you work for a nonprofit or government agency, email me at [email protected] for 20% off any membership level.   Subscribe to my newsletter to get episodes, articles and free mini-guides delivered to your inbox.    Help me write my new book! I’m researching what makes a manager great to work for. Share your story and experience at www.managerialgreatness.com Help spread the word, too! Share the link with friends and colleagues.    I want to work directly with you! Learn more about my one-on-one coaching services or complete this intake form to see if coaching is the right next step for you. (www.mamieks.com/coaching)   KEY TAKEAWAYS We touch our devices up to 5,000 times per day. It’s become habitual. But it’s OK to be bored. It’s OK to let your mind wander.  We spend too much time doing shallow work like checking email, slack, or quick tasks that make us feel like we’re being productive, but ultimately don’t make progress toward goals. Shallow work feels good in the moment but very unsatisfying at the end of a day, week, or month because nothing important has been accomplished