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Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

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Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#71

Post by kzisme »

cableshaft wrote: post #61
swalsh wrote: post #31

Learning Python! I've been a C#/Windows developer for years. I then switched to Ruby, which for some reason inevitably means you switch to a shiny mac, and then your work paradigm changes revolving around the command line. One day a quick task came up, and I decided to hack it out. The only library I could find was a python library, so that's what I used... and it was so quick to get something. 10 lines later my bori…

Python is so great for getting small tasks done in less than 30 lines of code that would take 5-10 times as much code in most other languages. I wish I had learned it earlier too. Still my favorite language to code without an IDE (C# is pretty great as long as you're in Visual Studio).

I wish visual studio wasn't a requirement sometimes for writing C# - although it makes make it a decent experience.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#72

Post by LizardLarry »

Eating something similar to a keto diet (Mostly eggs, milk, coconut oil). Once you get past the adaptation phase, it's almost impossible to overeat. Starches (on their own) taste bland and the mix of fat and protein has such a saitation value that it's impossible to overeat to any near extent that a modern diet provokes.

Weightlifting but focusing on the work my muscles are actually doing as opposed to seeing a high number go quick. Three warmup sets and a high intensity failure set, with the warmup sets just training you to do the exercise in the proper form before you do it. Because a lot of people cheat the work their muscles are trying to do by crutching on momentum instead of letting their muscles have control of the weight. That would be a thing I wish I could indoctrinate into every every beginner. (DON'T COAST ON MOMENTUM)

Former smoker who has occassional cravings, liquid nicotine has been a life saver. Properly distributed, a giveaway of a three month supply would probably be the most cost-effective humanitarian mission for the homeless in the US.

Ignore most news. A radical acceptance that there's no point in paying attention to the equivalent of amateur illusions. It's a lot of central nervous system parasitics.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#74

Post by thecolorblue »

Learning to use my brain while I ran.

I started out running for exercise. It would take a lot to convince myself to run, and then keep myself from wanting to quit. I got really good at tricking myself or rewarding myself after a run.

At some point, I think it was that I got in better shape, I didn't need that much motivation. I could go for a run and not think about the physical work of it. I could think about whatever, either letting my mind wander, or think through an issue I had run into. It became much more enjoyable.

I wish I had gotten to that point faster.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#75

Post by chriswarbo »

Automated testing.

There's loads of stuff written about dos/don'ts, TDD, etc. but doing some testing is better than none. It's not a silver bullet, and it's possible to get too caught up in tests to the detriment of the system; but you can cross those bridges if/when you get to them.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#77

Post by throw94 »

criddell wrote: post #57
throw94 wrote: post #2

For me, it has been reading books. Although my reading speed is very slow right now (hopefully it will get better with time) but i still manage to read a book every month. So much to learn from them :)

My reading speed is slow and my to-read list is long. I used to force myself to finish every book I started but now I'll happily give up on anything that doesn't grab me fairly quickly. I've also been working on only adding things to my list that I actually want to read and avoiding books that I add only because I want to have read them. Is there a title in particular that triggered your interest in reading?

I started by reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Reading it was such a wonderful experience that I have read 2 more books since then. (Started reading 3 months ago)

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#78

Post by throw94 »

kuhzaam wrote: post #5
throw94 wrote: post #2

For me, it has been reading books. Although my reading speed is very slow right now (hopefully it will get better with time) but i still manage to read a book every month. So much to learn from them :)

What kinds of books have you found yourself reading? Fiction? Non-fiction?

Mostly non-fiction right now as my reading speed is slow and any good fiction book will probably take a lot of time.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#79

Post by grimoald »

bencollier49 wrote: post #22

Hmmm, hate to admit this: Use a Mac for work rather than Linux. The unixness combined with availability of the likes of MS Office, together with the genuinely beautiful interface has really increased my throughput. Secondly: Doing 1.5 hrs exercise daily.

For me, it's using Linux instead of Windows for coding (at least back then when I was learning to coding). It was so much easier to start a quick C++ project using an editor and g++ than fiddling with VisualStudio. Not to mention Python.

Re: Ask HN: What was your “why didn't I start doing this sooner” moment?

#80

Post by imron »

corecoder wrote: post #16
imron wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It quite possibly might have held you back.

Why so?

Language choices available at the time and/or locking in bad habits which made sense as a 10 year old, but not so much as a 19 year old.
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