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Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

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Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#51

Post by lazyasciiart »

smoe wrote: post #36
eckza wrote: post #12

I feel like while all of these productivity "hacks" and systems (like Pomodoro) may have some merit, they're completely unnecessary. It's really not too hard to: * Work. * If you lose focus, be mindful of the fact that your attention is wandering, and focus on your work again. This part takes some discipline. Discipline takes time to develop. Be patient. * If you feel that you cannot focus on your work, get up and wa…

I tried pomodoro for the focus effect, but I keep using it for a different reason. To avoid the "just one more tweak" trap I sometimes fall into. When the timer is up I decide whether the task is done or not. The latter means I commit another complete block to it, otherwise I move on to the next one. This also works great for non tech things like making music. But don't know if this is "officially" part of the method…

Huh, that sounds like a really useful idea, I'll have to give it a try!

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#52

Post by derefr »

eckza wrote: post #12

I feel like while all of these productivity "hacks" and systems (like Pomodoro) may have some merit, they're completely unnecessary. It's really not too hard to: * Work. * If you lose focus, be mindful of the fact that your attention is wandering, and focus on your work again. This part takes some discipline. Discipline takes time to develop. Be patient. * If you feel that you cannot focus on your work, get up and wa…

You are, essentially, a person with 20/20 vision saying “what’s the point of glasses?”

The point is that not everyone has the capacity to be even 10% productive without help, let alone 100% productive. Just like some people are still nearsighted even after all the vision correction possible, some people still have trouble focusing even after taking ADHD medication or whatever else.

If such people want to have any chance of doing a single thing with their lives, they need to fight their own brain the way one would fight a war: with strategy, bait and traps and feints, and a hard-eyed evaluation of which battles are worth fighting. That is, essentially, what these “productivity life-hacks” are a euphemism for.

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#53

Post by [deleted] »

derefr wrote: post #52
eckza wrote: post #12

I feel like while all of these productivity "hacks" and systems (like Pomodoro) may have some merit, they're completely unnecessary. It's really not too hard to: * Work. * If you lose focus, be mindful of the fact that your attention is wandering, and focus on your work again. This part takes some discipline. Discipline takes time to develop. Be patient. * If you feel that you cannot focus on your work, get up and wa…

You are, essentially, a person with 20/20 vision saying “what’s the point of glasses?” The point is that not everyone has the capacity to be even 10% productive without help, let alone 100% productive. Just like some people are still nearsighted even after all the vision correction possible, some people still have trouble focusing even after taking ADHD medication or whatever else. If such people want to have any cha…

[deleted]

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#55

Post by SyneRyder »

Moru wrote: post #16

I'm curious how work and breaks are set up in other countries. In Sweden we have a long tradition of 2 hour work, short coffee break, 2 hour work. Lunchbreak 30-60 minutes, repeat. The long break has to be latest after five hours and is not counted towards working time. You are allowed to leave the workplace. The shorter breaks is included in your work time but has no forced length other than it has to be adapted to…

>Taking a coffee break is almost mandatory, even the boss will look funny at you if you skip it. This is where you talk about the day, plans ahead and other things connected to work or life in general.

Do those count as 'fika' coffee breaks, then? That's one of my favorite ideas from Swedish culture, even if I don't fully grok (understand) it yet. It feels like fika at work is a reminder that work isn't the end goal, it's the time you spend with others that is valuable.

https://sweden.se/culture-traditions/fika/

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#56

Post by mr_spothawk »

ClassyJacket wrote: post #38
Swizec wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Taking a coffee break is almost mandatory, even the boss will look funny at you if you skip it. This is where you talk about the day, plans ahead and other things connected to work or life in general. While of course drinking that all important coffee which is also almost mandatory. In my experience Americans took this concept and turned it into the brutally utilitarian daily standup. Chop chop no chitchat get to w…

I'm in Melbourne, Australia where we pride ourselves on the ridiculous number of coffee shops on every block. So I know what you mean. American coffee from their TV shows has always looked revolting to me... black, stagnating in a pot all day, with cold, unsteamed milk poured in at the last second, or some powdered artificial whitener. I wish I didn't get a terrible, irritable downer later in the day from caffeine. T…

the worst thing about living overseas was not being able to find brewed coffee. everywhere you go, they'll call it an americano, but it's not American... it's garbage and it tastes like demonpiss.

also, I'm with you on the artificial creamer... what sort of terrible bastard came up with that?

that said, I really enjoy powdered coconut creamer.

(side note: nationalist fervor for coffee is also an American thing... I'm sorry, they teach it in Boy Scouts, it's just who we are)

/s :

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#57

Post by mr_spothawk »

moltar wrote: post #35
alkonaut wrote: post #31

Isn’t the word “Web” in the title completely unnecessary? I couldn’t see anything in the article that was specific for web development compared to any other kind of software developer! Or is “web developer” used almost as a synonym for “software developer” now, as a way of disambiguating from e.g. a “brand developer” or “property developer”?

Ya I was super confused by that too. Scrolled up and down to see if I missed web specific suggestions.

it's "web" because the recommended app only works on chromebooks

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#58

Post by mr_spothawk »

sdrothrock wrote: post #48
pmarreck wrote: post #6

Shameless plug for https://www.rescuetime.com/ which is probably the single greatest productivity/focus-encouraging tool I've ever encountered... and all it really does is give you transparency into your own habits

> transparency into your own habits Truth. This is why counting calories works for dieting, too; most people aren't aware of how their perceptions differ from reality. There's a huge difference between "I check HN a couple times a day when I bored" and "wow, Rescuetime says I spent 2 hours and 38 minutes of my workday on HN."

2.5 hours of subsidized web surfing... not bad!

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#59

Post by mr_spothawk »

douglaswlance wrote: post #11

I have all notifications off permanently except for texts and calls. If something is really urgent, people know how to get ahold of me. 99.9999% of the time, tasks are async, and don't require immediate attention.

I set my iPhone to 24/7 DND

it took a bit for my friends to get used to it. come to think of it, I haven't heard from them in a while.

Re: Build a Focus System for Better Work/Life Balance as a Web Developer

#60

Post by mr_spothawk »

wainstead wrote: post #50

> As far as what you should listen to, I’d recommend something without vocals. I highly recommend "Drone Zone" on http://soma.fm "Deep Space One" and "Space Station Soma" work too.

"Music for Programming" podcast is pretty solid.

http://www.musicforprogramming.net

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