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The Shadow Course: A Simple Technique to Produce Extraordinary Work - Study Hacks - Cal Newport

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  • Full Title: The Shadow Course: A Simple Technique to Produce Extraordinary Work - Study Hacks - Cal Newport
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  • URL: https://www.calnewport.com/blog/2009/05/04/the-shadow-course-a-simple-technique-to-produce-extraordinary-work/

Highlights

  • The autopilot schedule is a set of fixed times and locations for finishing your regular work each week. For example, you might decide to always tackle your history reading assignments Monday morning, from 9 am to 11 am, in the study carrels found on the 6th floor stacks of the main library. The shadow course, described below, is a simple optimization to the autopilot schedule that can generate huge benefits.
  • I recommend that you choose the most exotic possible location for your weekly shadow course time blocks
  • To make things even better, because this time is spread out across an autopilot schedule, these hours all maintain a high intensity of focus — a feat which would be impossible if this time was condensed into a small number of long study session.