The Productivity Skill No One Talks About Enough

Welcome to The 1% Better Productivity Letter, your weekly dose of simple, actionable strategies to work smarter, boost focus, and build a productive life that fits you.

Today at a glance:

• How struggling with focus made me question if something was wrong with me.
• Why deep work is still the most underrated productivity skill.
• The real difference between shallow work and focused work.

I've Always Been the Distracted One

For me, the hardest part of productivity has always been focus.

I’ve always been that agitated, constantly-on-the-move kind of person - doing ten things at once, jumping from one idea to another, overstimulated by literally everything around me. At some point, I even started wondering if I should get checked for ADHD because it honestly felt like I couldn’t stay focused on anything for more than ten minutes.

Now, I haven’t gotten tested, and I won’t pretend to know what that experience is truly like, but if you’re someone who’s navigating life with ADHD and still getting things done… you’re a hero in my eyes. I don’t have the solution, but I just wanted to acknowledge how much strength that takes.

When I decided to go all in on this productivity journey by reading studies, books, listening to podcasts, watching every productivity video YouTube threw at me, the first thing I wanted to fix was, of course, my focus. After I managed to shift my mindset and train myself to notice the good rather than obsess over the bad (like we talked about last week), the next obvious step was to take action. And I knew improving my ability to focus was step one.

I wasn’t too shocked to find there’s no magic strategy or shortcut.

The solution was boring and brutal: sit at my desk, pick one thing, and work on it without distractions.

That’s it. Just... deep work. But of course, it wasn’t just that simple. When your brain’s been wired for constant distraction your whole life, you can’t just switch it off overnight.

I had so many failed attempts. Like, so many. But the few moments when I did manage to enter a deep work state? They were game-changers.

I saw what was possible: that I could get half a day’s work done in just 90 focused minutes, and then still have time to relax, watch a Netflix show, or actually enjoy my evening without guilt. That was wild to me.

I read somewhere recently that focus is like a muscle - it needs to be trained. And honestly, that’s exactly how it’s felt for me. It’s still not as strong as I’d like it to be, but it’s definitely getting more toned with time, effort, and a whole lot of repetition.

Focus is such a layered thing, it’s about discipline, consistency, motivation, and being intentional with your time. But from everything I’ve learned and everyone I’ve spoken to, one thing is clear: deep work is the simplest, most powerful tool to build it. And the most satisfying one too.

From Idea to Action

When I first heard about deep work, it sounded a bit dramatic, like something a monk does in a silent retreat, surrounded by candles and a hundred unread books. But it’s not like that at all. Well, not unless you want it to be.

The concept of deep work was introduced by Cal Newport in his book Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. He defines it as the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task, basically, doing work that pushes your brain to its limits, in full focus, without checking your phone every five minutes or getting lost in your inbox.

It’s the opposite of what he calls shallow work, which is basically all the tasks that make us feel productive, but don’t really move the needle: replying to emails, quick meetings, scrolling for “inspiration” (you know what I mean), hopping from one tab to another. It’s work that’s easy to replicate, but doesn’t require much thought.

Now, deep work isn’t one-size-fits-all, and that’s what I loved most when I started learning about it.

In his book, Cal Newport explains that there are four different ways people can approach deep work, depending on their schedule, lifestyle, and how much control they have over their time. This made it all feel more human and flexible to me.

1. Monastic

This is the most extreme version. You eliminate or significantly reduce all shallow obligations and dedicate yourself almost entirely to deep work. Think of a novelist who moves to a cabin in the woods to write, or a scientist who disappears into a lab for months. There are no meetings, no inbox checks, no constant context-switching - just full-on immersion.
Not gonna lie, this sounds like a dream sometimes… but definitely not realistic for most of us, especially if you have a 9–5 or kids or just... life. Still, it’s inspiring to know that this level of focus exists and that some people thrive in it.

2. Bimodal

This one is more doable. You split your time between deep work and everything else, but in bigger blocks. So maybe you reserve two days a week for total focus and spend the other days on meetings, admin work, or shallow tasks.
Some creators or researchers use this model to batch their energy, for example, writing or recording content in focused bursts and leaving the rest of the week for outreach, content editing, or community work. It still requires clear boundaries, but it gives more flexibility than the monastic style.

3. Journalistic

This is the “sneaky” one. You fit deep work in whenever and wherever you can, like a journalist writing a story between interviews or while waiting at the airport. It demands the ability to drop into focus mode quickly, which not everyone finds easy (me included), but it’s a great option if your days are unpredictable.
It takes practice, but it’s also a skill that can be trained. It’s not about waiting for the perfect moment, it’s about creating little pockets of focus when life gives you gaps.

4. Rhythmic

This is the one I use and love. It’s all about consistency, creating a daily or weekly rhythm where deep work becomes a habit. Maybe it’s 90 minutes every morning before emails, or two blocks during the week where you do content planning or strategic thinking.
This one works for me because I split my time between my full-time job and my side project - Eazy Productivity, so being intentional about when I do deep work for each one is the only way I stay sane and make progress. I literally add it to my calendar like a meeting with myself, because if I don’t, it just won’t happen.

Want to give it a try? Here’s your tiny challenge this week:

Pick just one task that matters to you, something that would genuinely move the needle forward, and block one 60-90 minute session in your calendar for it. Phone on silent, tabs closed, full focus. No multitasking. Just you and that one task.

It doesn’t matter if you finish it, just notice how different your brain feels after being fully in it for a while.

And if you try it, tell me how it went! Reply to this email or DM me on Instagram because I’d love to hear about your deep work win (or struggle, because that’s real too).

Recommendation Zone

If there’s one book that completely changed the way I approach focus and productivity, it’s Deep Work by Cal Newport.

To be honest, I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard, I thought it was just another productivity book with some time-blocking tips. But it’s so much more than that.

What I love most about it is that it doesn’t talk about focus as something you “should” have, it shows you why it matters in the first place and how it’s becoming a superpower in a world full of distractions. It explains how we’ve trained our brains to constantly switch tasks and how this destroys not just our focus, but also our ability to do meaningful work, and then it gives you tools to slowly rebuild that muscle again.

It’s also where I first discovered the four types of deep work I talked about earlier, and it helped me find a structure that actually works for my own lifestyle.

So if you feel like you’ve lost the ability to concentrate or want to train your brain to work better and calmer, this is a solid place to start.

Highly recommend you give it a try if you’re curious to go deeper into this topic, even if you’re not a big “productivity person,” it might still shift something inside you. It definitely did for me.

🎉 The Productivity Accelerator is Here!

After months of work, my signature course is finally live, and it’s everything I hoped it would be (and more!).
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or like you’re always busy but rarely productive… this is for you.

The Productivity Accelerator is a focused, action-driven course that helps you:
✅ Get more done in less time
✅ Defeat time drains and distractions
✅ Build unshakable focus and discipline
✅ Finally follow through on your goals, without burnout

You’ll also get a workbook to apply what you learn, plus 4 powerful bonuses to help you stay on track long after you finish the course.

⚡ It’s available now at a special launch price (but only for a limited time).

👉 Click here to check out the course and enrol​
Make this the moment you finally take control of your time.

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Remember: productivity does not mean busyness!

Loredana xx