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Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

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Re: Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

#71

Post by mixedCase »

afarrell wrote: post #57
mixedCase wrote: post #16

Well this is the latest trick I'm pulling on myself, and I can say it does help, but due to its nature YMMW: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/go-fucking-work/hi...

I find https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/momentum/laookkfkn... and https://freedom.to/ to be better. The red is harsh and makes you feel ashamed, which makes you want to escape into the world of reading about the Great Boston Molasses Flood.

GFW messages actually have a white background. The shame part is correct though, that's its purpose :).

Shame is one of the most powerful tools to get us to change behavior, which is why it's so naturally ingrained in our brains. But again some people find it too harsh to the point they work less and/or may even have so little self-discipline that they'd disable the add-on; so my "YMMV" message stands :).

Re: Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

#72

Post by ArkyBeagle »

afarrell wrote: post #65
ArkyBeagle wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that if they don't do it, I can't say they really want it. I can see being obsessed with something like that, but that seems separate somehow.

Can you say that they "desire" it then? How about saying that they "believe it would make them happier"?

I think they're doing it wrong if that desire makes them miserable.

Re: Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

#73

Post by ddavidn »

Sorry I can't shed much light on how to get through this. I'm stuck in the middle of it as well, ending my weekend being frustrated and angry that I wasted it. I don't believe that lack of enthusiasm is necessarily at play here. However, I used to be very good at this, putting in several hours of work and several hours of learning/projects over the weekend. Things that I believe (but haven't tested) helped me then: Feeling accomplished during the week, not sleeping in on Saturday, optimizing my home work environment for productivity, and setting very small/realistic goals.

To that last point, I believe both of us could benefit from the "GTD" (David Allen) approach. In particular, utilize the "Clarify" step to write out 1-3 small things you want to do each day. Instead of setting yourself up to "build a small thing" or "learn a subject," split the day's tasks into easy stuff like "init git repo" or "read first chapter of intro to Go."

But, if your week burns you out (my main motivation for a lack of will on the weekends) you may be better off resting. Schedule your downtime in addition to your learning/project time. Give yourself time before and after your project to zone out and click links aimlessly. And, if it suits you, get a buddy to be accountable with. Someone who's going to ask you on Sunday evening if you've taken at least one step toward your goal. Hope this comment helps.

Re: Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

#74

Post by reflexive »

rabidrat wrote: post #62
reflexive wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Why is it that some lack the discipline to just do things that they want to do? If I find myself unable to do the things I want to do, I have to ask: do I really want to do these things, or do I just want to want to do them? Let's say I'm convinced I need to learn a new programming language / library, and study to interview for a new job. But is this new language or new job really the thing that's missing in my lif…

And then some of us look back over two decades of half-finished projects, and think, "Wow, many of these Xes were really cool, I wish I had just sucked it up and finished a few of the Xes, even though at the time all I wanted to do is start yet another project like Y". The real issue is that some humans have a harder time integrating their short-term and long-term desires.

It's always possible to revisit a decades-old project and pick up where you left off. If you don't have the time or motivation to finish it today, you can hardly blame your past self for making the same decision.

Leaving your abandoned project in a somewhat "working state" can go a long way to facilitate this.

Re: Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

#76

Post by afarrell »

ArkyBeagle wrote: post #72
afarrell wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you say that they "desire" it then? How about saying that they "believe it would make them happier"?

I think they're doing it wrong if that desire makes them miserable.

Many people live in ways that they find frustrating.
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