How do you choose which Deep Work activity you do?

I create a schedule of all the things that need to be done in a given day (or week or whatever) and how long it will take to do them. Then I create a daily/hourly schedule of what I will do.

I have two projects that I am currently researching and starting and I work on whichever of the two I feel more compelled to work on. If you are not sure what you want to work on you could start with the question: what have I always wanted to learn? Or, is there anything missing from my life? And see where the deep work leads you. Good luck!

I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot because I read Cal Newport’s book in January. He talks at length about knowledge workers. But he neglects entirely hand work. What is deep work for a creative? Is it sketching, Adobe Illustrator, or sanding a block of wood. The digit/digital problem seems crucial to me. But I’m not clear how to balance the two modes of work. And this app, for example: is it just another contributor to digital attention pollution? Things I’ve been thinking about in my deep work.
I’m an Industrial Design MFA student.

I choose a work where focus is needed, a slice of project-based activity or the reading of a document I need to understand deeply.

Time and Task, if I have a job that takes 30 minutes I aim for the 25 rather than the 45, as you will fill a gap, but suprise yourself as to how much you get done in a focused mode.

I always have work related documentation, preparation and reading to do to improve my clinical skills as a Speech Pathologist.

I tend to choose the one task that I really don't want to start because it scares me. This way I'm forced to take it on, and feel better by the end because I have come a long way from the starting point of the task. 😃

I usually like to do something that may be a bit tedious or painstaking and put on an album I really like or have been meaning to try and just churn out the work. It flies by and I almost always finish the album :-). Also instrumentals/focus playlists on Spotify are helpful when I can’t be distracted by lyrics.