Level Up Log

A couple of years ago, I read   Deep Work   by Cal Newport. I remember really enjoying it, but like a lot of books I’ve read, I didn’t actually put much of it into practice. Recently, though, that’s changed. Now that I’m studying again to switch careers and re-skill myself, I’ve been actively trying to implement more of these ideas into my daily routine. On top of that, I watched Ali Abdaal’s YouTube video,   6 Habits to Make 2025 Your Best Year Yet , where he talks about timing focused work sessions and tracking them. Between these two influences, I’ve built a new system to keep myself accountable, stay motivated, and—because I’m training to become a data analyst—have fun looking back on the data I collect. It’s been both eye-opening and humbling to see exactly how much—or how little—I’ve actually been working. Why I Call It Deep Focus Cal Newport calls it   Deep Work , but I’ve decided to refer to it as   Deep Focus . The reason for this is that I don’t just t...

I’ve always been into learning and personal development—whether it’s diving into insightful YouTube videos, reading motivational books, or picking up new ways of thinking from the people around me. The fun and novelty of it all gave me the feeling of progression and expansion. But there was one recurring issue… I'd spend hours exposing myself to all this new information, but not  fully  processing   or   applying   it to my life. I tried jotting down a few notes here and there, but they’d often get buried and forgotten, and before I knew it,  I was onto the next new thing. Over time, I realised all this consumption wasn’t actually moving me forward. Sometimes, I’d come across ideas that were truly fascinating,  inspirational, and  life-changing, but soon enough, I'd forget all about it.  It would feel like nothing had changed—like I never read the book or watched the video at all, and in the end, it just amassed to wasted time. That’s why I’m...