Try to always build new stuff (instead of bugfixing) given an option and continuously move on to solve new and latest problems within or outside the company.
Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
11–20 of 45 posts
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#12Here are the things that make the job less exhausting and more fun for me:
1. Knowing why I'm doing something.
2. Knowing what I'm going to do before doing it.
3. Having a plan before I start working on something.
4. Make sure the project you're working on has some structure and if you're working in a team, make sure everyone is on the same page.
Thinking about how your career should progress in the future also should make you enjoy work more, this is so it doesn't feel like what you're doing today is going to be what you're going to do forever, personally, not having that vision makes me depressed.
I personally believe most of the mental drain of knowledge work comes from the ambiguity and the fatigue that comes from not having good plans which in turn cause more mistakes, longer work hours and more stress.
Some people also talk about injecting new things into your work which is good, but I also think "mastery" is very fun and rewarding, mastering your test suite framework, your editor, your chosen programming language.
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#13In the same boat plus coding in work is not exactly exciting, which is fine. I used holiday and vacation to do my own "pinball" projects (interesting side projects). I also tried to create mini pinball projects in work, such as small scripts to automate things or larger, slightly over complicated scripts to achieve larger targets.
What do you mean by pinball projects?
Interesting side projects. I took the reference from "The soul of the new machine" book.
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#14Take a look at https://www.optimalwork.com/
I have only completed the free trial and listened to some of the podcast so far, but some of the ideas like “reframing” are game changing.
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#15Align yourself with a project that's important to the business.
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#16Regular exercise. Make your priority be health not work. Fit everything around that. Every day the goal is to get an hour of exercise in and hopefully some work. In my case the work actually improves.
Family and kids makes this more challenging but with clear communication and scheduling my partner and I can both make it work... with the odd chaotic off-cycle.
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#17I've just started to do a worse job and using the time and energy savings on things that are fun. I've been learning a lot of guitar (for the first time in years) during the work day with this method. I may even have a little band soon.
More tips and tricks here: https://www.openculture.com/2022/01/read-the-cias-simple-sab...
The manual made my day.
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#18Try to inject something new into what you're doing. It might be mundane and repetitive but try to figure out something new which you can inject as a learning experience.
Write it in Lisp and don't tell the boss! I wonder if anyone has ever gotten this to work. I sure hope so.
This is a great idea. I've often written small chunks of code in my favorite other language (scheme). I find this very satisfying.
Of course, I only do this after finishing the original task. Sometimes, it's possible to work up prototypes in your favorite other language before starting the main task. This often leads to better code (i.e. less code).
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#19If your employer has a volunteering program, participate.
If your employer does not have a volunteering program, consider starting one.
(or find an employer that does)
Re: Ask HN: Tricks to enjoy your job more?
#20I write a todo list in blue pen on a legal pad and cross it out with red pen. So satisfying. I also curate pleasurable pens for this process.