Business SOT: Deep Work vs. Light Work — Knowing the Difference

 Business SOT: Deep Work vs. Light Work — Knowing the Difference

Why do some tasks leave you completely drained while others barely feel like work at all? The answer is simple: not all tasks are created equal. Productivity isn’t about how much you do — it’s about knowing the weight of each task and balancing them wisely.

The Weight Classes of Work

Over time, I’ve learned to classify my tasks into three weight categories. Once I started using this system, I was able to plan my days with more clarity and less guilt.

Heavy (Deep Work): Intense, high-focus activities that require deep concentration and creative or strategic thinking. For me, this includes journaling, writing legal briefs, preparing for hearings, or building strategy.

Medium: Tasks that require effort but don’t pull the same level of deep focus. For me, that might be reviewing a legal file or checking over work before it goes out.

Light: Supportive, low-intensity tasks that don’t require the same level of concentration. These are things I often outsource, but when I don’t, I sometimes enjoy creating or handling them myself — like light creative projects or simple business tasks. This is also where many people wisely use freelancers through platforms like Fiverr to protect their deep work time.

Why This Matters

The problem comes when we blur the lines between these categories.

If you stack too many heavies in one day, burnout hits.
If you treat mediums like heavies, you’ll waste energy.
If you undervalue light work, you’ll feel guilty — as if you didn’t do “enough.”

That guilt is what traps so many of us. We finish one or two heavy tasks but still feel unproductive because the rest of our day was filled with lighter work. But in truth, those lighter tasks have their place — they keep your systems running and support the heavies.

A Personal Example

I used to beat myself up if I didn’t “do enough” in a day. If I journaled deeply for hours in the morning and then finished a heavy legal writing project, I still felt like I should have kept working until evening.

But the truth was, I had already done two heavies — and that was enough. Once I started assigning weights to my tasks, I could finally release the guilt. Journaling and legal writing filled my “heavy” quota. Medium and light tasks were simply extras.

That small shift gave me permission to rest, to balance, and to be more consistent long-term.

The Freedom of Respecting Weights

Here’s the key: productivity means respecting the weight of your tasks. Not every item on your to-do list is supposed to drain you. Some are heavy, some are light — and that’s exactly how it should be.

When you honor the categories, you start to see progress without pressure. Two heavies a day is enough. Balance them with mediums and lights, and suddenly your schedule feels lighter while your outcomes become stronger.

To protect deep work time, I also recommend using a simple focus timer to help separate heavy work from lighter tasks. This rotating productivity timer is one I recommend for deep work sessions.

Business Strategist’s Note

My productivity used to feel chaotic. I judged myself by hours worked, not by the weight of what I actually accomplished. But once I gave tasks a weight class, everything shifted.

Journaling is always my heavy. Legal writing is heavy too. I don’t stack three heavies in one day anymore, because I know where it leads: exhaustion. Instead, I pair two heavies with lighter work, and that balance keeps me both productive and peaceful.

This system has freed me from guilt and helped me see that productivity isn’t about being busy — it’s about moving the right things forward.

Quick Win Prompt

This week, classify your tasks into heavy, medium, and light. Each day, choose no more than two heavies and fill in the rest with lighter work. Notice how much more balanced and productive your days feel when you stop stacking too many heavies.

Affiliate Disclosure

Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. This means I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to make a purchase through these links. I only recommend tools and resources that align with my values and that I genuinely believe support productivity, balance, and meaningful work.