Daily Stoic Entry #24: Am I Doing Deep Work?

January 24th 2022

Follow along with my personal daily stoic journal, unfiltered, unedited (except for some spelling mistakes).

Morning Reflection:

Not enough. I'm easily distracted from most tasks. Is that because the tasks are of little interest to me? Or is it because I've become so easily distracted and mentally weak due to bad habits? I figure it's a bit of both. The day has yet to start so let's see if I can find at least a few minutes to an hour to get into a solid deep work state. A flow state.

Evening Reflection:

What does it truly take for you to to commit to a few hours of deep work per day? Why is it this hard? Simply a distracted mind can't be the only cause. It's an avoidance of work that matters to you. The more important the work seems the less likely you dare to commit. Think of ways to let go of mental blocks and bullshit, just start small. A few baby steps at a time, you can work out and get in shape just fine, so why is this harder than focusing in the gym? Also be mindful of your feelings of guilt in this matter. It doesn't help you. Don't guilt yourself into having to be productive all the time. No, this is more about that responsibility for your work. Because ultimately by cultivating the ability to focus you will set yourself apart more easily anyway, plus things get done quicker.

Title prompts are taken from The Daily Stoic Journal by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.