Deep work. Flow states. We’re awash in the language and concepts of “productivity,” all seemingly calibrated to help us escape digital distraction and answer the question of how to be more effective. But for someone like Esquire editor (and Longreads alum) Kelly Stout, who used to literally fantasize about having more work to do, immersing yourself in self-maximization raises some questions of its own.
The main question of my day, every day, was: How can I get myself into a flow state? I would sometimes overshoot the mark and get myself flowing on flow itself, leaving not much for the actual work. On Newport’s advice in Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, I planned out every minute of my day on a sheet of graph paper, dividing the day into optimistically labeled chunks. The joy I felt when I could actually produce was overwhelming yet relaxing. I felt like a hybrid vehicle at a stop sign: silent, sustainable, efficient, morally correct. But I despaired when, instead of using the designated hours for “deep work,” I used them to look at photos of my dog on my phone from when she was a puppy or write an email about a contract. I felt like a third grader telling the teacher his favorite subject was recess when I filled in “lunch!” at 12:30.
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