Deep Work vs. Busy Work

How to tell the difference between the two

Like most people’s experiences with being in flow, I can remember mine from childhood. Ever since I was tiny, my parents saw that I liked to make things. They encouraged me to paint, sculpt, and doodle. I found that whenever I wanted to drop into a flow state - all I had to do was grab a pen or a brush. It always seemed like a kind of superpower, that I could drown out the world and be buoyed along for hours absorbed in a really fun task. Unlike many adults, I’ve been extremely fortunate to never have lost access to that same flow state as I grew up.

There’s a lot of writing extolling the feeling of being in flow, a state that you’re likely to be in if you’re engaged in deep work. If you’re familiar with the work of Cal Newport, Mihaly Csikszentmihaly and others, you know about the immense benefits of spending more of your time in deep work rather than busy work. When you’re working on something you love doing, you’re more likely to be working in a flow state.

But what about other things that maybe don't light your fire but are super important? If you’re a solopreneur, or simply a functioning grown-up, you’re likely to have to do quite a lot of important things that aren’t your passion. (Hello, adulting…) Are you doing deep work then?

When I started asking myself this question, I realized that the only surefire way of understanding whether I had done deep work or not, was how I felt afterwards:

Deep Work:

1. Feel tired and happy or satisfied after.
2. Sometimes more energized.
3. Feels like “I did something worthwhile, or valuable.”
4. Helps with a sense of self worth.
5. I’m learning new things or being challenged.
6. Feels like I could continue for a long time.

Busy Work:

1. Feel depleted after, like I’m wasting life away.
2. Feels like “I did nothing even though I worked hard.”
3. Neutral for self worth, mainly.
4. Boring or just frustrating.
5. Waiting to finish already, draining.

It was helpful to realize that deep work wasn’t just about having a really fun task at hand, and that I could actually be in flow states when doing more mundane jobs.

For example, even though it isn’t my favorite thing (and I’d make a pretty terrible accountant) I can still feel great about spending 2-3 hours of deep work organizing all my tax documents for the year. Because for those few hours, I put my mind to it, focused, and achieved something necessary, valuable and tangible.

Looking for more Groovy content? Check these out:

1. Why Don’t We Value Being Time Rich?
2. Five Minute Book Review: The Power Of Ritual
3. Or, if you’re a solopreneur looking to get sh*t done and have a good time while you’re at it ➡️ groove.ooo