The tools and technologies around us evolve quickly. Our capacity for focus, however, hasn’t kept pace. As AI and automation accelerate and our digital world grows ever noisier, attention has become our most precious commodity. That’s why we’re revisiting UX Designer Brett Kana’s reflections on deep work, Transforming From Manager to Maker, first published four years ago and still strikingly relevant today. Here’s a distilled refresher on timeless strategies for preserving your focus.
Relearning how to focus
Four years ago, UX Designer Brett Kana transitioned from managing projects to designing digital experiences, a more generative role that calls for deeper stretches of focus and creativity. In adapting to this change, he turned to the ideas in Cal Newport’s Deep Work, which argues that focus is a skill worth protecting in an era of constant connectivity. The insights Brett uncovered then remain just as applicable now, perhaps even more so in a time when AI tools can generate, iterate, and optimize faster than ever. What they can’t do is think deeply, make intuitive leaps, or see patterns the way a focused human mind can.
Below are some of the enduring strategies Brett found most effective for cultivating deep work. We invite you to try these time-tested habits and let the deep work begin.
1. Train your attention muscle
We lose focus not just at work, but everywhere. The first step is to practice resisting distraction in small, everyday ways.
Try this:
- Leave your phone in your pocket in the grocery line or during short breaks.
- Notice the urge to check it – and let it pass.
- Over time, you’ll build the same “resistance muscle” that helps you stay in flow during focused work sessions.
When you do sit down for focused work, use that same awareness: if a Slack ping or email lands, resist the instant reaction to check it. Finish your thought, mark a good stopping point, then respond. Most messages really can wait ten minutes.
2. Block time intentionally
Focus doesn’t happen by accident, it needs room to exist. Schedule deep work blocks into your day, even if they’re short.
Helpful tactics:
- Divide your day into 15-30 minute increments and label them as deep or shallow work.
- Keep a “later” list of shallow tasks that pop up while you’re focused (like quick lookups or follow-ups).
- Be realistic about your attention span. Start small – perhaps a 45-minute block – and build from there.
Most of all, stay adaptable. When your day gets disrupted (as it will), re-plan based on what time remains rather than abandoning your structure. Remember: deep work isn’t about rigidity—it’s about intention.
3. Design your environment for focus
Your surroundings can make or break your ability to concentrate.
Experiment with:
- Rules of engagement: Close browsers and apps you don’t need. Keep your phone out of view.
- Sensory simplicity: Use noise-cancelling headphones and instrumental music to minimize distractions.
- A change of scene: If you’re stuck, move to a quieter space – a different room, library, or café. Even small shifts can help your brain re-engage.
And occasionally, go big: Newport calls this the “grand gesture” when you invest time or effort (like booking a day away from the office) to signal to yourself that deep focus matters.
4. Create accountability and closure
Deep work flourishes under gentle pressure and ends best with deliberate closure.
Steps to follow:
- Commit publicly. Tell a teammate or manager what you’ll deliver by the end of your deep work session. Visible commitments make focus more purposeful.
- End with intention. Before logging off, jot down what you accomplished and where to pick up next. It clears your mind and helps you truly disconnect.
- Set deliberate shutdown rituals. Closing your laptop helps prevent mental “spillover” and strengthens your ability to recharge between sessions.
5. Balance deep and shallow work
Not all shallow work is bad. Collaboration, coordination, and quick communication keep teams functioning. The goal isn’t to eliminate it, but to contain it so it doesn’t erode your ability to go deep.
Consider these strategies:
- Cluster meetings, emails, and quick tasks into predictable blocks, leaving larger stretches of the day clear for uninterrupted creation.
- Protect uninterrupted blocks the way you would protect a client meeting or deadline.
6. Use rest strategically
Deep work requires recovery. Intentional rest helps your subconscious solve problems that your conscious mind can’t.
Ways to reset:
- Go for a walk or play with your dog after intense focus sessions.
- Cook, run, or do something physical.
- Step away from screens before bed and let ideas connect in the background.
As Newport notes, our best insights often appear when we stop trying to find them.
Attention is your edge
Today, AI tools can draft, summarize, and even ideate—but they can’t replace human focus, taste, or discernment. The capacity to do deep work is what allows you to make meaning from information, not just generate it faster.
By deliberately protecting your attention, you build a kind of craftsmanship that no algorithm can automate. In a time when tools are racing ahead, deep work remains the quiet, timeless skill that sets real creators apart.
Learn more
- Transforming From Manager to Maker: Lessons learned for balancing deep and shallow work in a distraction-filled world, by Brett Kana
- Goal Setting Techniques That Actually Work: How to create high quality goals to transform you and your organization, by Kevin Ferguson
- Contact us for support in transforming your organization
