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Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#111

Post by dplavery92 »

chubot wrote: post #107
Haul4ss wrote: post #3

I'm convinced that almost nobody is good at the whole cycle of creating/maintaining something. Some people are great at coming up with new ideas but quickly bore with the implementation. Some people can relentlessly improve on an existing thing but can't come up with the initial idea. Some people are great stewards of an established program but don't thrive in the chaos of rapid iteration. I think instead of trying t…

I tend to agree, but there are major exceptions in open source software: - Guido van Rossum wrote the first line of Python in 1989 or so (started) - He released the first version on Useset pretty quickly ("finished" the MVP) - He worked on himself for four years or so (maintaining, improving) - Then other people started contributing for 25 years or so (leading) So I would say he's able to do all 3 things, plus lead t…

And perhaps these are the exceptions that prove the rule, being that they are such remarkable cases.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#112

Post by taheca »

chubot wrote: post #107
Haul4ss wrote: post #3

I'm convinced that almost nobody is good at the whole cycle of creating/maintaining something. Some people are great at coming up with new ideas but quickly bore with the implementation. Some people can relentlessly improve on an existing thing but can't come up with the initial idea. Some people are great stewards of an established program but don't thrive in the chaos of rapid iteration. I think instead of trying t…

I tend to agree, but there are major exceptions in open source software: - Guido van Rossum wrote the first line of Python in 1989 or so (started) - He released the first version on Useset pretty quickly ("finished" the MVP) - He worked on himself for four years or so (maintaining, improving) - Then other people started contributing for 25 years or so (leading) So I would say he's able to do all 3 things, plus lead t…

He also is not a manager at Dropbox. He is the highest level IC there and has no desire to lead a team.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#113

Post by dontbenebby »

Using HN isn't bad. Just use a stopwatch and timer on your phone.

The human brain wasn't meant to do deep work (like programming) for hours and hours.

So what I do is set a stopwatch on my phone. if it's been 30-45 min and my mind is wandering, I spend 5-10 minutes on HN, Reddit, etc then go back to work.

(The stopwatch is because if you're nearly done with something an alarm can zap you out of it, whereas it's not jarring to get interrupted from browsing /r/aww. Plus you can use the "lap" function to monitor both the length of a sprint + total working time for the day)

I have found can accomplish much more deep work this way than if I wait until I feel I couldn't write one single more line of code.

I also maintain a list of "projects" - things I'd find fun to do. I break the projects into steps, and estimate how long they'd take.

So when I have downtime or free time, I can pull up a project and work a bit, note my progress. This helps with not feeling like I'm flailing around from one thing to the next without finishing anything.

All of these moving parts come together to create a flow that allows me to work on side projects to expand my knowledge without feeling stressed or burdened.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#115

Post by misiti3780 »

I recently found this quote pretty good:

"“I had started to make an email program before in, probably, 1996,” he explains. “I had this idea I wanted to build web-based email. I worked on it for a couple of weeks and then got bored. One of the lessons I learned from that was just in terms of my own psychology, that it was important that I always have a working product. The first thing I do on day one is build something useful, then just keep improving it.”"

- Paul Buchheit on creating gmail

http://time.com/43263/gmail-10th-anniversary/

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#116

Post by daRealDodo »

Quoting one of my favourite authors, Stephen Covey: “Begin with the end in mind”.

Instead of forcing yourself to finish, better ask: why do you want to do this project? What’s in it for you? Money? Online portfolio? Better employability? How does your work align with your core principles and values? Are you making a tool for saving developer time? Protecting innocent lives? Earning personal profits? All are valid options as long as your core principles are in alignment with what it is what you set out to achieve. Through time, the connection between you as a person and the work you set out to achieve inevitably becomes blurry. However, if a solid foundation of values and principles was made during the inception of the project, you will find it easier to resync your thoughts and realign yourself with your goal after burnout, fatigue or setbacks. Conversely, If your foundation is not solid, you will find it easy to convince yourself that time and effort is better spent somewhere else.

Make a clear vision of where you are, where you want to get and how this project is the key to your success.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#117

Post by twodave »

Accountability really can't be understated. I attribute a lot of my success professionally to having a family to support (I consider this to be passive accountability). Some things I have a passion for (music, the outdoors, grilling, etc.) and I have no problem keeping up with those things.

The few things that have really been snares for me in life, I've only been able to make progress with through intentionally building accountable relationships. It takes a lot of faith and trust to let someone into your private thoughts at times, but that for me has made those relationships all the more important to me.

So I guess the answer is "you can't". Everyone needs help. Those who don't seem to or claim not to are probably people you don't want to copy.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#118

Post by ohaideredevs »

clevernamehere wrote: post #90
ohaideredevs wrote: post #5

This is tangentially related, but I think every person has a tolerance threshold that develops early for life standards. Fitness and money are easiest examples. For some, being fat is disguisting and unimaginable, so they will do everything possible to stay thinner. For some that threshold is having an actual six pack, and once you lose it, you go into emergency "at whatever cost" mode. That's def the case for me wit…

"For some that threshold is having an actual six pack, and once you lose it, you go into emergency "at whatever cost" mode." It is easy to say " i want a six pack." It's much harder to say "i want to eat a very strict diet, prioritize sleep and working out, avoid stress where possible and severely limit alcohol consumption to 1-2 drinks per week or less". But to say the former is to also say the latter IMO

Sure, I am not even considering that it might mean something other than the latter.

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#119

Post by ttoinou »

Haul4ss wrote: post #3

I'm convinced that almost nobody is good at the whole cycle of creating/maintaining something. Some people are great at coming up with new ideas but quickly bore with the implementation. Some people can relentlessly improve on an existing thing but can't come up with the initial idea. Some people are great stewards of an established program but don't thrive in the chaos of rapid iteration. I think instead of trying t…

Agreed. But how do you pass over a product once you created it and it's working ?

Re: Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

#120

Post by zwkrt »

Anthony Bourdain has a lovely quote on this topic:

"I understand there's a guy inside me who wants to lay in bed, smoke weed all day, and watch cartoons and old movies. My whole life is a series of stratagems to avoid, and outwit, that guy"

The real trick for me is to remove things in my life that are temptations to fail, and to realize that I am always a fallable person.

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