“If you don’t produce, you won’t thrive—no matter how skilled or talented you are.” — Cal Newport, Deep Work

More generally, tasks that require little concentration seem to be best done in batches if possible, while tasks that require a lot of concentration seem to be best done individually, with as few distractions as one can manage.

Type I: Reflective Work

“Professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skills and are hard to replicate.” — (Newport 2016)

• ≈ deep work ≈ real work ≈ high-value work ≈ heavy work
• Things we can do to progress our life
• e.g., focused tasks, “important but not urgent” tasks, strategic planning, creative problem-solving, learning a new skill, writing, coding, designing, conducting research
• Better done in “single-tasking (單工)” mode
• Requires significant mental energy and deliberate preparation (e.g., blocking off uninterrupted time, setting clear goals for the session)
• The output is often compound — small sessions of reflective work accumulate into significant progress over time

Type II: Reactive Work

“Non cognitively demanding logistical-style tasks often performed while distracted. These efforts tend to not create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate.” — (Newport 2016)

• ≈ shallow work ≈ fake/pseudo work ≈ low-value work ≈ light work
• Things we have to do to maintain our life (i.e., status quo)
• e.g., administrative, logistical, and maintenance tasks, checking messages&emails, household chores, meal preparation, paying bills, filing taxes, scheduling meetings, filling out forms, expense reporting, browsing social media, etc. ¹
• Better done in “multi-tasking (多工)” mode ²
• Can often be batched, delegated, automated, or eliminated entirely

The Maintenance Day

It’s crucial to schedule time for both types of work to keep life in order. Think of it like managing a boat: admin tasks are like bailing out water that’s piling up — essential for keeping the boat afloat but not propelling it forward. On the other hand, focused tasks are like rowing, actively moving you toward your goals and desired direction. The art of productive living lies in allocating enough energy to reactive work to keep the boat afloat, while reserving most of your finite cognitive energy for reflective work that moves you forward.