Slowing Down & Diving In - Deep Work August
We’re nearing the end of August, and for the All The Elements team that means we’re coming to the end of “Deep Work August”. An initiative that we put in place in 2024, to help create more space and time for focused work within our team.
As the month draws to a close, I want to share a little more about the initiative, the impact we’ve noticed and some of my personal learnings from the last few weeks.
What is Deep Work August?
As the name suggests, Deep Work August is a time for the All The Elements team to focus on internal projects - prioritising “Deep Work” over the busy stream of “quick tasks” and calls that fill up our ‘to do’ lists at other times of the year.
The main way we instigate this initiative is through not booking any external calls for the entire duration of the month, something which sounds easy - but we can often find challenging in different ways!
Through establishing this concentrated time it allows us to create space for projects that we struggle to allocate time to, work through and clear larger items from our task lists, and take the time to look at the bigger picture.
Why Dedicate a Month to Focused Work?
We originally trialled Deep Work August in 2024, following a very busy spring! We’d grown our team, delivered our capacity building event The Outdoor Connection, the people of colour gathering The Summit and run community-led programming at Timber Festival. It was a high energy time and we knew that it would be important to create space to recentre before moving into our new financial year.
August is already a time when we have a natural slowing down within our work and we wanted to lean into that seasonality. During summer, many of our community are out delivering events, spending time outdoors themselves or have increased family commitments, which means that they have less capacity to engage with our offerings and makes it the perfect time for us to focus our attention inward.
The first year definitely took some getting used to - I accidentally booked a call in the first week! - but having seen the impact, we knew it was something we wanted to carry forward and hope to implement annually.
The Impact of Deep Work August
One of my favourite things about taking a month to focus on internal projects is that the impact it has extends far beyond August and into the rest of the year. These are just a few of the areas where I’ve noticed an impact.
On delivery
There is no doubt that taking a month to focus on projects helps to move them forward! In particular it’s the projects that are more complex that benefit the most, the kind that it’s harder to jump in and out of between calls.
I also notice that it helps us focus on delivery at other times of the year, knowing that there might be some - less urgent - things that are parked to one side, but that there is dedicated time to pick them up later on.
On thinking big
It’s so easy to get caught up in the doing, and the next task on the list - especially when we have so many events back to back. August allows us to exhale. Making time to celebrate and reflect on the events and offerings we’ve delivered over the last year, as well as looking forward to what's next.
I’m always surprised by the ideas and creativity that comes out of the space. With plans for new ways to support the community, development of our current offerings and new ways to come together.
On burnout
It can be tough to talk about, but so important to mention. One of the reasons I was originally so keen to implement a deep work period was to help avoid a cycle of burnout for our team. We try to operate a people-first organisation, so putting an intentional pause in the calendar allows much needed space and time for everyone.
Alongside focused work, having a no-call-rule also makes it easier to take annual leave, or to be more flexible with how we personally allocate our working hours throughout the week.
Throughout spring, as events slowly ramp up, it’s reassuring to know that there is a calmer period approaching. By the end of August I find myself recharged and remotivated for the year ahead.
Personal Reflections From Deep Work August
I’m always surprised by how much I learn or (re)learn from the simple act of having less phone calls. Here are some of my reflections and reminders from the past month.
It’s okay not to do things right now
That first email where I type “Would it be possible to book this in for September…” always feels so daunting, but realistically I’m usually only asking people for four weeks of grace. So far, people have always been understanding, and oftentimes relieved, grateful for the additional space themselves. It makes me reflect on other areas of work, where I put pressure on myself to achieve deadlines, deliver in a timely way or respond quickly without stopping to consider where these timelines have come from and how many of them are drawn from my own perception.
As a team we talk often about trying to create an anti-urgency culture (an article for another day!). Deep Work August helps me to embody anti-urgency and remember what it means in practice.
Make time for the things that matter
In the rest of the year, my calendar fills up with team calls first, then community calls, partnership meetings and then tasks from my ‘to do’ list in that order. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t have it any other way! Staying connected to the team is an essential part of remote working, community calls are always a highlight of my day and an essential part of our offering, and partnership meetings are the dedicated time we need to connect with the wonderful organisations that support our work, mapping out delivery of some of our biggest projects. But it also has some drawbacks.
August allows me to temporarily shift that order, blocking out chunks of time for projects that I’ve been slowly chipping away at over the year. Finally giving them the attention they deserve. This year, I’ve been reminded of how much I enjoy using ‘time blocking’ in my calendar. The simple method of blocking out a few hours at a time for a task helps me to visualise how much time my ‘to do’ list will actually take! As we move into September, I hope to continue blocking some parts of my week, keeping as much time open for calls as possible - but with a balance for focused time in there too.
There will be more time and more things to do
I don’t know about you, but I am the sort of person who always sees more opportunities than I quite have time to commit to! Maybe it’s just part of this work. I often find myself thinking, “If I just work one extra hour here, or an extra day there… maybe I can squeeze a little more in”.
Taking time over the last month to focus on different projects has helped me to recentre in my own capacity and what’s possible with my time. There are plenty of opportunities out there, and a whole lot of work to be done, but most of them will wait, and the ones that don’t probably weren't meant for me.
Thinking of implementing your own focused work period?
There are many different ways of working, and structuring focused time. Having implemented it within All The Elements, here are a few reflections that it might be useful for you to think about in your own journey.
Plan a time period that works for you.
When first setting up Deep Work August we were guided by the needs of the community and our delivery schedule. With so many of our members away in August, it has historically been a quieter time in the year which made it the obvious choice, providing us with time to pause without compromising the offerings we provide.
Try it and see!
When we first tried Deep Work August we went in with big experiment energy! We didn’t know if it would work, how the team would find it, whether we would need to run any external calls, but we knew there was only one way to find out! If it didn’t work we’d come together, talk through options and try something else. We were prepared to try different durations and frameworks to find the best fit for the work we do, although luckily August seems to be a great fit!
Communicate it clearly
Talk to your team about it well in advance so they have time to prepare, get in any last-minute meetings and think about what their ‘deep work’ schedule might look like. When talking to partners or community members, make sure they have lots of notice too so they are not surprised. Then make sure you are clear when you are contacted. We tell people that August is for Deep Work and we don’t usually do external calls, but if there is an emergency or other reason why we need to speak in August to let us know. We are not going to cut off a community member who really needs us, but we’ve found that 99% of the time, people are able and willing to wait.
Think about the long term.
Something I’m often reminded of during August is that It’s better to go slow than to stop entirely. For All The Elements, building in Deep Work August to our calendars is one of the ways we aim to make this work sustainable in the long term. It’s about asking yourself what you, and your team, need to be thriving in 5,10, or 15 years time.
Do you work seasonally? We’d love to hear from others finding alternative ways of working and thriving as leaders within this space. You can reach out to us at hello@alltheelements.co.
If you’ve enjoyed this article you might also enjoy our newsletter where we share our latest blogs and insights from the All The Elements Team.
ATE Founder Soraya says, “If you are interested in the powerful benefits of Deep Work, you may want to check out Cal Newport’s book of the same name.”
