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Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

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Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#121

Post by lsc »

lisper wrote: post #10
lsc wrote: post #3

several strategies that have worked for me: 1. get yourself checked out for ADD. I'm not saying this is the problem, but it's easy to check for, and if it is the problem, there are drugs that can at least temporarily make the problem just go away. Now if this is something you've never experienced until just now, it's probably not ADD. But if you've had these sorts of problems on and off forever, (I know for me, my pe…

> it's easy to check for Really? That's news to me. How do they check? > Move into management +1. The tech world needs more managers who actually know tech.

>How do they check?

It's an interview process. But really, as far as I can tell, the check is "do the drugs make you hyper or do they make you focused" The only definition of ADD that I've heard that differs appreciably from simply being lazy sometimes is that people with ADD respond differently to stimulants. Jack up my nervous system enough and I'll actually lay down for a nap.

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#122

Post by alanl »

RBerenguel wrote: post #5

When was the last time you disconnected from programming? Holidays? Have you taken a halt and re-started? If you are getting nowhere, try to get two weeks off. If you can manage, a month. And keep away from programming for that time. You will crave coding after 2 weeks :D

I agree, I always take one long holiday a year. 3 weeks when possible.

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#123

Post by blntechie »

aboodman wrote: post #59

I used to have something like this problem, and it turned out to be very simple: hunger. I had a bad habit of not eating when I was deeply into something (or deeply stressed), and my body would simply run out of fuel. I think there is something weird about my physiology that causes me to not notice hunger as much as others. So I wouldn't feel super hungry, but I'd get this spacey, apathetic, faded feeling and have tr…

This thing looked like it was written by me minus the beautiful, loving girl! :-) I was so energetic once but for past 1 year i feel not so. I believe it's the hunger. I don't feel it and I'm too shameful to tell I forgot to eat. I'm writing this with only a small meal in the past 24 hrs. I have to change.

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#124

Post by araneae »

mason55 wrote: post #118
araneae wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On the other hand, if you hate working out and working, and you have a limited amount of willpower, you might end up spending all of your willpower working out.

If there is literally no physical activity you enjoy and no job you enjoy then you are probably suffering from some kind of depression.

And here I thought I was just lazy.

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#125

Post by JoeAltmaier »

varjag wrote: post #37

I think it's a common pattern, only perhaps the magnitude is worse in your case. I observed it on myself as well on other programmers back when doing a project management stint. What helps me personally is having a notepad where I jolt down TODO items, to the most atomic level if possible. To give an idea what's on it here now: - probe for activity on the I2C bus - find the SIGCHLD problem - remove rectangle in the l…

Its organized, efficient, and it works. And its masking the problem. You don't really want to do any of that - you want to be doing something meaningful and important.

So yes you can train yourself to be a wonderful cog in somebody else's machine. But consider the other advice here: find a better project. You have never actually been in charge of your career until you took a job that paid Less, because the project was better.

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#127

Post by dytrivedi »

bluethunder wrote: post #43

I think this could be one of the 2 things: 1. There is something else which is pre-occupying your subconscious mind. Probably something which you are trying to sideline as not a big deal, but subconsciously it is a big deal. Find out what that is and take care of it head-on. This will fix itself after that. 2. You might not see yourself being 'successfull' in this job over a longer term. For example, you want to do a…

#1 is very true. This is beyond usual thinking and logic, but what's deep inside your subconscious plays a major role in your current state. I've ignored examining it for quite a while and BOOM! - I was unproductive, procrastinating, not able to concentrate, and what not. You'll be quite amazed by the fact that how irrelevant a thing could be lying in your subconscious. I suggest examining your life in great details and find out what's going wrong. And then immediately fix it!

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#128

Post by jonhendry »

lisper wrote: post #10
lsc wrote: post #3

several strategies that have worked for me: 1. get yourself checked out for ADD. I'm not saying this is the problem, but it's easy to check for, and if it is the problem, there are drugs that can at least temporarily make the problem just go away. Now if this is something you've never experienced until just now, it's probably not ADD. But if you've had these sorts of problems on and off forever, (I know for me, my pe…

> it's easy to check for Really? That's news to me. How do they check? > Move into management +1. The tech world needs more managers who actually know tech.

There is something called the TOVA test, Test Of Variance of Attention, or something like that.

It's like a very boring 10 minute video game. You click a button when a certain stimulus is presented on screen, but not when a different stimulus is presented. It measures your reaction times and your errors (click when you shouldn't, don't click when you should). Then the program does some statistical comparisons and prints out a report.

At least, that's what was done in 1993. Could be different now.

Combine that with a history. I imagine it's a lot easier to diagnose in adults, because so much more data is available. And the doctor doesn't have the pressure of diagnosing ADHD for a little kid whose parents are worried he'll get less out of school. As an adult, that damage is already done. ;^)

Re: Ask HN: Underperforming, feeling stuck

#130

Post by metamemetics »

araneae wrote: post #119
plurinshael wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True. But you're probably exerting yourself too hard if a workout session taxes you that much (or you have it built up in your mind so you'll hate it no matter what). Remember Worf's exercise of holding 13-pound weights straight in front of him? To do that, you don't even start with weights, you just hold your arms out. There's no shame (literally none, this is actually the secret of developing an exercise mentality/…

I think you underestimate how much I hate exercise.

A lot of people just hate things associated with exercise, like going to the gym with a bunch of people, or running around their neighborhood. You can always start by doing bodyweight exercises like pushups, pullups, crunches, and yoga. If you still hate it, you could do what many Americans working menial jobs do and get high beforehand.
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