How to Organize Your Mac for Deep Work

Deep work is easier to start when the setup is already done. The trouble is that most Macs are organized around everything you might need, not the one thing you are about to do.

Here is a simple way to change that.

Start with the task, not the tools

Write down the one thing you want to make progress on. A draft, a feature, a design review. Be specific enough that you would know when the session was over.

List only what the task needs

Next to the task, list the apps, websites, and folders you will actually touch. Most sessions need fewer than you think. Four or five is a good target.

• The one app where the work happens
• A notes or writing app, if you capture ideas as you go
• One or two reference sites
• The folder that holds the files

Anything that does not make the list can stay closed.

Save it as a workspace

Once you have a list you trust, save it as a workspace in FlowDock. The next session starts with one click instead of a round of opening things one by one.

The free plan allows up to five resources in each workspace. That limit happens to fit this approach well.

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Keep a separate workspace per mode

A deep writing session and a day of email and admin are different modes. Give each its own workspace so you are not carrying one into the other.

Revisit it now and then

If you keep reaching for something that is not in the workspace, add it. If something is never used, remove it. A good workspace gets a little smaller and sharper over time.