Deep Work: The Rarest Skill (Part 1)

HSK 3 · 365 characters · Deep Work

Two designers, one deadline — and the rare skill that decides who wins.

有yǒu一本yī běn书shū叫jiào《深度shēn dù工作gōng zuò》，作者zuò zhě是shì一位yī wèi美国měi guó作家zuò jiā。There is a book called "Deep Work," written by an American author.这zhè本běn书shū说shuō，世界上shì jiè shàng有yǒu两liǎng种zhǒng工作gōng zuò。The book says there are two kinds of work in the world.第dì一种yī zhǒng是shì浅qiǎn的de工作gōng zuò：回huí消息xiāo xi、发fā邮件yóu jiàn、开会kāi huì。The first kind is shallow work: replying to messages, sending emails, sitting in meetings.这种zhè zhǒng工作gōng zuò很hěn容易róng yì，人人rén rén都dōu会huì做zuò。This kind of work is easy — anyone can do it.

第二dì èr种zhǒng是shì深shēn的de工作gōng zuò：把bǎ全部quán bù注意力zhù yì lì放在fàng zài一件yī jiàn难nán事shì上shàng。The second kind is deep work: putting all your attention on one hard thing.这种zhè zhǒng工作gōng zuò很难hěn nán，也yě越来越yuè lái yuè少见shǎo jiàn。This kind of work is hard, and it is becoming rarer and rarer.为什么wèi shén me少见shǎo jiàn？因为yīn wèi手机shǒu jī总是zǒng shì在zài叫jiào我们wǒ men。Why is it rare? Because our phones are always calling us.作家zuò jiā说shuō：能néng专心zhuān xīn的de人rén，会huì赢得yíng dé未来wèi lái。The author says: the people who can still focus will win the future.我们wǒ men来lái看kàn两个liǎng gè设计师shè jì shī的de故事gù shì。Let's look at the story of two designers.

小马xiǎo mǎ和hé小林xiǎo lín在zài同一tóng yī家jiā公司gōng sī工作gōng zuò。Xiao Ma and Xiao Lin work at the same company.那个nà ge月yuè，他们tā men接到jiē dào了le同样tóng yàng的de任务rèn wu，时间shí jiān是shì两个liǎng gè星期xīng qī。That month they were given the same task, with two weeks to finish.小马xiǎo mǎ想xiǎng让ràng每个人měi ge rén都dōu觉得jué de他tā很快hěn kuài。Xiao Ma wanted everyone to think he was fast.

每měi一条yī tiáo消息xiāo xi，他tā都dōu马上mǎ shàng回huí。He answered every single message instantly.他的tā de一天yī tiān被bèi切成qiē chéng了le几jǐ十shí块kuài，每měi一块yī kuài都dōu很hěn小xiǎo。His day was cut into dozens of pieces, each one tiny.白天bái tiān没méi做完zuò wán的de事shì，只好zhǐ hǎo晚上wǎn shang做zuò。Whatever he didn't finish by day, he had to do at night.两个liǎng gè星期xīng qī以后yǐ hòu，他tā很hěn累lèi，做zuò出来chū lái的de东西dōng xi也yě很hěn一般yī bān。Two weeks later he was exhausted, and what he produced was mediocre.小林xiǎo lín的de做法zuò fǎ完全wán quán不同bù tóng。Xiao Lin's approach was completely different.

他tā跟gēn大家dà jiā说shuō：“这zhè三天sān tiān的de上午shàng wǔ，请qǐng不要bù yào找zhǎo我wǒ。”He told everyone, "For the next three mornings, please don't come looking for me."每天měi tiān早上zǎo shang，他tā关掉guān diào手机shǒu jī，一个人yī gè rén安安静静ān ān jìng jìng地de工作gōng zuò三个sān gè小时xiǎo shí。Every morning he turned off his phone and worked quietly alone for three hours.下午xià wǔ，他tā才cái回huí消息xiāo xi、开会kāi huì。Only in the afternoon did he answer messages and attend meetings.三个sān gè早上zǎo shang以后yǐ hòu，他的tā de设计shè jì做zuò完了wán le，又yòu新xīn又yòu好hǎo。After three mornings, his design was finished — fresh and excellent.老板lǎo bǎn看了kàn le两liǎng个人gè rén的de东西dōng xi，只zhǐ说shuō了le一句话yī jù huà：The boss looked at both of their work and said only one sentence:

“这zhè就是jiù shì专心zhuān xīn和hé不bù专心zhuān xīn的de差别chā bié。”"This is the difference between focus and no focus."会huì回huí消息xiāo xi的de人rén很多hěn duō，能néng专心zhuān xīn的de人rén很少hěn shǎo。Many people can answer messages; few people can focus.少见shǎo jiàn的de能力néng lì，才是cái shì最zuì值钱zhí qián的de能力néng lì。The rare skill is the one that is worth the most.