Ask HN: Weekend wasted again

I've watched most Pando Monthly interviews, most Foundation interviews (Kevin Rose), much of Y Cominator's youtube account - after having missed Startup School '16 live I messaged them asking to upload. Not sure if that was why but shortly after they started releasing SS videos for the first time in 2 years (though they've only eeked out 3 videos so far). I actually fell asleep listening to the Startup Radio podcast last night - I'm listening to it currently - and I'm reading novel. And this is just the flavor of the week. None of this is changing the fact that my productivity is close to zero.

The elimination of perceived bad habits just creates a vacuum waiting to be filled by a different vice. It's a pretty common concept of replacing bad habits with good and I think it's smart to take a holistic approach; mixing career related goals with personal ones, and probably going a little heavier on the personal ones.

An alternative would be to go so hard on the career goals that they begin to give you personal fulfillment, but I don't think that's easily attained.

First take a look at this from a few days ago: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12734671 on a book: Deep Work. Basically just some of the tactics ADHD people have been using for ages.

The whole world seems to have developed some mild sub clinical ADD thanks to social and phones. So first off don't be surprised you're struggling.

Understand that web browsing and social are variable reward machines. Click a link and you have another new snippet to read, or video to see. Each one gives you a reward and a small dopamine boost. Now compare with preparing for interview, or thinking about a side project. Where's the rewards? Later. Maybe not even today! It's a luxury cheesecake vs diet fruit portion question.

Look at the pomodoro technique and break tasks up with small rewards. 25 mins productive, 5 mins social (if you can stop at the next beep). Get a cheap $5 kitchen timer to sit next to you. If your willpower is lacking, add a browser extension to set limits on social cheesecake sites. If the phone is main distraction add an app to silence notifications, or remove the strongest distractions - the social ones!

Same goes for desktop on your laptop - remove the candy, set it up for productivity. Maybe separate logins - one for productivity, one that permits you near the fun stuff. :p

For god's sake don't keep todo lists and such on your phone. Turn phone off, use a notebook, post it or pad, or text file on the laptop! Otherwise you're now holding the crack, and hoping not to be tempted. Just 5 minutes, I can handle it...

Accept that your attention will wander, and get used to checking in and trying to bring it back. That timer helps. If you struggle add another timer to beep every few minutes - as a checkin. Don't get depressed if you trip up. Forgive yourself, and try again - you're building a new habit, and that will take time and many mistakes.

Last, lots of exercise, fluids, healthy eating and breaks away from keyboard will keep you fresh.

Pause on that word: decision. We all have impulses, wishes, desires, etc. But you're only ever going to progress when you stop, think about what you want, be realistic with if you can actually achieve that with everything else going in your life - then DECIDE that you are going to do it.

Once you've decided, that is when you follow through every time (if you've done the first steps correctly). Then it's basically autopilot and you don't ever feel like procrastinating. I dunno - works for me.