Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 139 posts

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#81

Post by snikeris »

kentt wrote: post #70
basdevries wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really good advice. I tried blocking some sites but whenever my 'bad side' comes up again, I always find a way to get around the block and visit the site anyway. Any recommendations on blocking a site indefinitely?

I have a weird alternative strategy. First a backstory, when I quit smoking, I tried what you did, making my vice less accessible/desirable using the sort of strategies you'd find in top 10 ways to quit smoking article. After failing at that for the umpteenth time, I did the opposite. I bought my favourite cigarettes, bought some very nice cigars, fresh pipe tobacco and put it all on my desk where I have to study all…

This is a good point. Those moments where you are ambivalent about a course of action are self-defining moments. If you want to quit smoking, you need to become a person who chooses not to smoke when they have the opportunity to. The problem with habit is that you're no longer choosing. By keeping your cigarettes close, you gave yourself many ambivalent moments in which to build the self that you wanted to become.

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#82

Post by titzer »

trevyn wrote: post #71

Something to consider: Trying to hold onto the systems and methods of the past is one way in which people lose relevance as they age. Personally, I embrace the dopamine rush provided by small tangible units of progress, but I make sure that some of these units include refactoring and reworking design decisions, which also provide a tangible sense of progress. (And improves your skills in these areas!) I believe this…

> Something to consider: Trying to hold onto the systems and methods of the past is one way in which people lose relevance as they age.

I'll bite. The older I get, the more I realize how stupid it is to throw out the systems and methods of the past without understanding them first.

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#83

Post by benmarks »

Simplest trick for me (and anecdotally for my peers in the developer world): track your time. Pomodoro technique [1] can give some structure if you're not used to it, with the main benefit (to me) that it forces you to quickly track & dismiss distractions.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#84

Post by thinbeige »

strawcomb wrote: post #16

Some things I'd recommend, off the top of my head: - Do not grab phone/computer etc. and mindlessly browse first thing in the morning. (Or before bed. Or at any time really.) But doing it first thing really starts your day on the wrong foot. - When seeking to relax, do not mindlessly browse the internet/social-media/tv. Read an enjoyable book. This is an order of magnitude more fulfilling and beneficial to you. And g…

I so much agree wih your post. All your advice is right and should help but there is one thing I am wondering:

Why are you on Hacker News?

Reading and in particular commenting which is an instant gratification activity (quick post, many likes paired with non-stop checking of the thread).

Is this not against your advice or is it the end of the work day in your time zone?

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#85

Post by DenisM »

Taking the shortest path is a very beneficial habit in a startup environment. That works for us really well - make a quick and dirty solution, manage expectation that it's not permanent, gather feedback, design and commit to a long term solution, implement it. When you promise a specific solution to a given customer the social obligation will help you stay on track.

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#86

Post by mxschumacher »

j45 wrote: post #80

Some ideas/tactics that might be of interest and have been useful to me or people I know: - Find some short programming tutorials you can follow along on and gradually increase the length. - Starting and stopping your day with the right routines makes a difference. I don't check email and use aquamail to not bug me during those hours. If somethings down I setup a different kind of emergency alert. - Treat your senses…

I recommend: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/xtab/amddgdnlkmoha... to limit the number of tabs

Outstanding to store valuable tabs and get on with your work is one-tab

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/onetab/chphlpgkkbo...

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#87

Post by derwiki »

beat wrote: post #78
strawcomb wrote: post #16

Some things I'd recommend, off the top of my head: - Do not grab phone/computer etc. and mindlessly browse first thing in the morning. (Or before bed. Or at any time really.) But doing it first thing really starts your day on the wrong foot. - When seeking to relax, do not mindlessly browse the internet/social-media/tv. Read an enjoyable book. This is an order of magnitude more fulfilling and beneficial to you. And g…

Along these lines, I switched my book-reading back to paper. It really helps.

From kindle on your phone or physical kindle? I have all the regular problems if I kindle on my phone, but the physical device is single-purpose enough that it's as good as a book to me.

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#88

Post by shoover »

kichuku wrote: post #27

I too second the recommendation for "Deep Work" by Carl Newport ( http://calnewport.com/books/deep-work/ ). This is one book which is a must-read for all the current generation technology workers like us. I started reading this book about two weeks back and I have finished reading 90% of the book. Already I am seeing tremendous improvement in my day-to-day life.

Yep. This book develops a solid basis for why this matters and offers many practical techniques for implementation, including seriously questioning whether each and every online service you visit is truly required to support your work and who you are, and ditching the ones that aren't.

A key tip from the book is to practice building resistance to caving. Set a time limit for the next time you will check. However short that limit needs to be is fine; the key is to build resistance and extend it. The book argues you need to maintain this ability to resist during off hours, too. It's fine to have long sessions of surfing online and do it more often than during work, but continuing to set limits and resist the urge to just grab it and check is important for not losing everything you may have built up during the day or week.

There is a whole section and recurring theme on the finite, depletable nature of willpower and the end to set up a routine to build habits to protect your willpower reserves. It's very tactical.

I found the many examples of real people applying the principles to their personal situations inspirational, such as from the author himself, professor colleagues, Carl Jung, Don Knuth, and various business and tech folks he interviewed.

Re: Ask HN: How does one overcome the need for instant gratification?

#90

Post by radix07 »

maneesh wrote: post #73

Pavlok allows you to add a slight punisher (uncomfortable negative stimulus) when you do activities like load up Facebook/reddit, use your phone, or sit for too long. The whole design is structured around removing instant gratification. Bias: I'm the inventor. http://pavlok.com/break-habit

Think I remember seeing this get roasted on Shark Tank...
Post reply on HN