So I have not read this book yet, but am looking to do so.

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692

This concept reminded me of both what some of the older pros have taught and advocated on this board in the past. They often advocate that when thinking through FAR isolate yourself, break the problem down, break the FAR parts down, understand each completely, then arrive at your position due to depth of thought and understanding.

The book also mentions first principle reasoning (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_principle) which can be kind of confusing for some. Elon Musk articulates it in a more practical way by describing it as "a way to boil things down to a fundamental truth" (

For contracting officers, is this even possible to do anymore? There seems to be a premium on exchanging ideas and "crowd-sourcing" acquisitions rather than providing significant depth of thought to ensure understanding and thereby proposing solutions for acquisitions. Are others experiencing something different?

I used to tell students that to work on a problem they should "go to a quiet corner" ot "find a quiet corner" and think things through. It works for me. I'm intrigued by the notion of "deep work." I like the phrase, and I ordered the book today.

Jon:

Great podcast! Amazon should deliver the book today. And I signed up for Brian Johnson's Optimal Living Program. Thank you.

I hope this doesn't come across as self-advertising, but read this: http://www.wifcon.com/discussion/index.php?/blog/2/entry-3019-think-maybe/

OK...by older pros I was referring to you (as well as some of the others).

One piece that fits with Deep Thought (as well as your THINK! Blog post and over all approach) was this West Point lecture that someone on this discussion board noted. I have read and re-read this piece on more than one occasion. The author ties leadership, thinking and solitude in with Conrad's Heart of Darkness to deliver what I think is one of the best lectures I have read.

https://theamericanscholar.org/solitude-and-leadership/

Here are a few quotes from the speech:

"We have a crisis of leadership in this country, in every institution. Not just in government."

"What we don’t have, in other words, are thinkers. People who can think for themselves. People who can formulate a new direction: for the country, for a corporation or a college, for the Army—a new way of doing things, a new way of looking at things. People, in other words, with vision."

"That’s the first half of the lecture: the idea that true leadership means being able to think for yourself and act on your convictions. But how do you learn to do that? How do you learn to think?

"Thinking means concentrating on one thing long enough to develop an idea about it. Not learning other people’s ideas, or memorizing a body of information, however much those may sometimes be useful. Developing your own ideas. In short, thinking for yourself. You simply cannot do that in bursts..."

"Concentrating, focusing. You can just as easily consider this lecture to be about concentration as about solitude."

"So solitude can mean introspection, it can mean the concentration of focused work, and it can mean sustained reading."

"I started by noting that solitude and leadership would seem to be contradictory things. But it seems to me that solitude is the very essence of leadership. The position of the leader is ultimately an intensely solitary, even intensely lonely one."

"I and my bosom must debate awhile,

And then I would no other company."

The video was informational and intriguing. It complimented other tools like the four quadrant time management grid/matrix, and time blocks.

It was timely for me because I've been running a trial on standard work (routine time blocks) similar to what in the video was called rhythmic and journalistic 'routines'.

So far, having the team close the section, to customers (no visits, emails or phone calls), for administration time has proved effective.

Thanks for posting...