Deep work requires saying no to shallow urgency.

Urgency is a poor guide to importance, but it is far more persuasive. Shallow work announces itself with deadlines and notifications, while deep work waits patiently and never asks for anything. So the shallow keeps winning, not because you value it more, but because it is the only one applying pressure.

The skill worth practising is the small no, delivered early and without a long explanation. Try letting one thing sit for a few hours rather than answering it instantly. Almost nothing suffers, and you get the morning back.