I suggest working with a good business or life coach. Look for ones that focus on getting things done. They will help you stay accountable, motivate you and chew you out when you need to be.
Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
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Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#92Earlier quoted context omitted.
Thanks for the links. Right now I'm in the position where finishing college has been a 7 year ordeal and I still don't 'know what I'm going to do'. Started off in CS but it required way more singular focus than I am capable of (was at CMU), so I switched to creative writing, which allows a lot more flexibility in terms of what I decide to put on a page, but not particularly clear career paths... I have what I think a…
I had no idea what to do starting college, then I dropped out. I went back later (long story) - ended up taking a logic course in philosophy program - aced it, and routed myself in to a philosophy degree. What the hell do you do with a philosophy degree? Get a programming job of course! (which is what I managed).
I was basically doing the drop out thing while I was in college. I would take 4 courses a semester, focus on whichever one piqued my interest, and then fail or drop out of the other 3. Wasted a lot of money.
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#93Dude, you don't have ADD. You aren't bipolar. You're a normal young man -- or at least within the range of normal for young men. Forget therapists. Forget drugs. Forget everything you've been told, and join the Army. Seriously. Trust me. Yes, yes, I know that you don't know me. But you're describing me in this post, and a lot of guys I knew back when I was in: Smart guys, but bored. Can't concentrate in class. Can't…
I can say that without question the Marines changed my brother for the better. Much, much better. From lost and aimless to driven and motivated.
I assume he still has all of his limbs?
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#94Hi Damnit,
Just wanted to say that I exhibit much the same set of phenomena that you do. I don't ever finish anything I start, I always look for something new, I ride the wave of exhilaration that comes from sinking my teeth into some serious new intellectual problem, coding 18 hour days, and then give up entirely a week later and endlessly refresh HN. I quit jobs and relationships etc. all the time, and then strike up new ones which seem to be destined to last forever.
The difference is that it doesn't bother me so much. I'm quite happy with my life as it is. I think that the need for "production" and "accomplishing goals" etc. is largely a cultural artifact. It's not really important. I think it'd be incredibly boring to be doing the same job for a whole two years.
It stopped bothering me roughly around the time I started exercising (martial arts) and meditating (zazen), so perhaps that has something to do with it. But that's also the time I graduated from school, so maybe it was the newfound freedom that made me happier. Note that I didn't change one bit - I still am a start-only person. It's just that I'm comfortable with it now.
I think you should just enjoy it, if you can.
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#95Oh god, you are me! I haven't been able to identify these troubles I've been having my whole as a problem. At least now I know it's not normal and I should do something about it. Thank you very much posting this.
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#96Hi Damnit, Just wanted to say that I exhibit much the same set of phenomena that you do. I don't ever finish anything I start, I always look for something new, I ride the wave of exhilaration that comes from sinking my teeth into some serious new intellectual problem, coding 18 hour days, and then give up entirely a week later and endlessly refresh HN. I quit jobs and relationships etc. all the time, and then strike…
Thanks for taking time to comment. How did you work your struggles with discipline? ie. I have tried meditation/yoga/working out many times only to relapse and give up week or month later.
This pattern has repeated so many times in the last 5 years I have reached a point I don't want to try anything new because of the fear/knowledge that it won't stick.
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#97I've struggled with trying to make a success of my company too and my family is far away and I've had thoughts similar to yours. But I always came back to the fact that I can always do something different. I can drop everything and go back to where I grew up and just take an ordinary job. Remember that there is nothing more important than your life and desire to succeed at a startup or in corporate America or anythin…
Remember that there is nothing more important than your life and desire to succeed at a startup or in corporate America or anything else is just conditioning and not necessarily important at all.
That's something I cannot come to terms with. I really want to succeed. I know I can succeed if I just became disciplined and focused.
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#98Dude, you don't have ADD. You aren't bipolar. You're a normal young man -- or at least within the range of normal for young men. Forget therapists. Forget drugs. Forget everything you've been told, and join the Army. Seriously. Trust me. Yes, yes, I know that you don't know me. But you're describing me in this post, and a lot of guys I knew back when I was in: Smart guys, but bored. Can't concentrate in class. Can't…
There is no "one fits all" solution. Even if Army has worked for you, it doesn't mean it'll work for everybody else.
For instance, Army would be the worse recommandation you could give to hypersensitive folks, who are paying their exceptionnal creativity with almost perpetual depression. They are invaluable assets to the society if they manage to find the right channels to express themselves. The training of an infantry man seems a wasteful pathway to this kind of personnality.
Army has also the tendency to reveal great men only under great circumstances, when bureaucracy is eventually bypassed because of the dramatic scale of the events, and everything has to be rethinked. Napoleon arised during the French Revolution era, Churchill and De Gaulle during World War 2, but they would never have without the right context.
My cousin went to Irak and he doesn't think about it as a worthwile cause today. He left the ranks as soon as he could, and he is glad to be back in the civil life where he finds the opportunities to grow as a human being much more interesting, at least in our current times.
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#99Dude, you don't have ADD. You aren't bipolar. You're a normal young man -- or at least within the range of normal for young men. Forget therapists. Forget drugs. Forget everything you've been told, and join the Army. Seriously. Trust me. Yes, yes, I know that you don't know me. But you're describing me in this post, and a lot of guys I knew back when I was in: Smart guys, but bored. Can't concentrate in class. Can't…
Dude, you don't have ADD. You aren't bipolar. [..] join the Army [..] you'll probably be doing more good for the world than any ten Peace Corps volunteers. Yes yes, I saw that Collateral murder video. Wikleaks is a bunch of liars. Another perfect diagnosis, Drill Sergeant Schoeneman.
When I want to hear your opinion, I'll tell you what it is :) Holy crap, I'm reading your "Beginning Ruby" book right now. How random is that?
Re: Ask HN: Lack of self-discipline driving me hopeless. Tips?
#100Dude, you don't have ADD. You aren't bipolar. You're a normal young man -- or at least within the range of normal for young men. Forget therapists. Forget drugs. Forget everything you've been told, and join the Army. Seriously. Trust me. Yes, yes, I know that you don't know me. But you're describing me in this post, and a lot of guys I knew back when I was in: Smart guys, but bored. Can't concentrate in class. Can't…
I can say that without question the Marines changed my brother for the better. Much, much better. From lost and aimless to driven and motivated.
Good for him. If you get a chance thank him for his service for me.