← Back to Visual Frameworks

#0002 Focus Compounding

Interrupted work vs deep work sessions

Focus Fragmentation vs Deep Work

Same hours invested. Interruptions force you to re-climb. Deep work compounds upward.

Progress made
Progress lost (context switch)
!Interruption
Fragmented Attention
Mastery LevelTime →!!!!!!!!!!!Youpeak
20
net progress
Peak: 32 (lost 12)
Deep Work Blocks
Mastery LevelTime →You
243
net progress
No losses — all progress kept
Deep work delivers 12.2x more progress
The Re-Climbing Tax

Each interruption costs ~60% of your progress. You reached 32, but ended at 20. That's 12 units of wasted climbing—time spent re-learning what you already knew.

The Compound Climb

Uninterrupted sessions compound. Each hour builds on the last. The steps get taller as mastery deepens. Same 20 hours, but every step counts and none are wasted.

Increase interruptions to see how quickly progress erodes. The dashed lines show progress lost to context switching— you're not just pausing, you're sliding backwards.