Deep Work Is a Discipline, Not a Luxury

Six lessons from my book-writing retreat – no cabin required.

If you don’t prioritize your time, someone else will

Remember when I said I was heading off on a solo writing retreat in the mountains of North Carolina? I didn't just return with a full manuscript. I came back with hard-earned lessons about the value of deep work.

Some of you asked what it was like to take such an intentional break. Others admitted you'd love to do something like that – if only. That got me thinking: We treat deep work like a luxury. It's not. It's a healthy practice. One that we all must reclaim.

Sometimes, the best lessons are a reminder of what we already know. The retreat didn't teach me revolutionary techniques, but it did force me to be honest about bad habits I'd been ignoring and boundaries I'd been letting slip.

You don't need a cabin. You need commitment.

Here are six lessons – personal, practical, and yes, sometimes painful – that came out of that mountain air.

1. Manage Your Time, or Someone Else Will

One Sunday morning, I woke up, blocked my calendar, booked a …