21–30 of 166 posts
All these procrastination articles are obviously finding their target audience here on HN!
I think all the developers out there who are actually doing work aren't here to upvote other topics.
No, really, I'm waiting for an O(n^4) algorithm to finish processing a full HD frame to confirm that it works before I put in the effort of building a GPU version.
To say it is ADHD is to suggest it is neurological e.g. some chemical imbalance in the brain, but if it’s really an emotional response then saying you have ADHD is more like pointing out the symptom rather than the cause here.
"I find it extraordinarily difficult to just... relax. Sit on a bench and watch the clouds. [...] But even if I'm in that perfect scenario where there's nothing to do... my brain will just fill the void with absurd daydreams and rabbithole trains of thought. " This is the case for many (all?) people. I've found that you need to intentionally train your ability to not let your mind do this. I recommend this book for s…
As soon as I sit around and get bored, my brain will make up absurd daydreams and stories. Usually they are pretty funny, so afterwards I feel relaxed and happy. Isn't that the whole point of taking a break?
Dare I say it: I don't like context switches and would prefer first come first serve, until completion. The real world, however, is unforgiving on which scheduler I can choose.
What worked for me: (1) getting more sleep - counterintuitive, as one gets less time to be productive, but I find that sleep deprivation affects my mood, attention, and executive function big time (2) writing it down and drawing up my day hour by hour. Even if I do not follow the plan to the tee - it helps me visualize the day and find large chunk of times that are best for getting into the zone (3) batching up small but mundane tasks and sticking them into the short available chunks of time that would not be good for deep work, then focus on this list of tasks and racing to compete as many of them as possible, using the short rush of pleasure of completing one task as a burst of energy for the next one and create momentum.
"I find it extraordinarily difficult to just... relax. Sit on a bench and watch the clouds. [...] But even if I'm in that perfect scenario where there's nothing to do... my brain will just fill the void with absurd daydreams and rabbithole trains of thought. " This is the case for many (all?) people. I've found that you need to intentionally train your ability to not let your mind do this. I recommend this book for s…
So, it doesn't just take intentionality, as most people can clip off daydreaming or rabbithole trains of thought with minimal friction, but for many of us with ADHD the act of attempting to break the "distraction cycle" can essentially have the opposite effect, or just left turn us into another avenue of distraction. I know for myself, there's an anxiety that builds when actively (we can't passively quiet our brains) attempting to quiet my brain; as the doubt builds as you find it more and more difficult to step away from your racing brain and into the now. This becomes a self defeating cycle which is difficult to steer out of when attempting something like meditation.
The post linked within this post was really illuminating for me: https://gekk.info/articles/adhd.html The section on why notecards and todo lists have never worked for him (and for me) was particularly salient: "The problem with "systems" is that they are authorities. They have to be. If you decide "I'll prioritize things with a stack of notecards" then you are telling yourself the following: "The notecards replace m…
This section spoke to me in the same way, as each time I a new system up (or an old one back up) it works until I have to deal with an emergency day, where even the act of updating the list goes out the window. And then, the next day it's "hey, I made it through yesterday, I don't need that system today." and then it's done... until my emergency is "holy hell, I have no clue what's on my plate for the day/week/month, I need to fix that." where I'll pick up my go to old system (kanban style Trello board) and repeat the cycle anew.
My feeling is that anyone w/o an A average going into college should have a first term class in time/study strategies, and register for no more than 4 classes (outside Loafers 101). Many people much brighter than I crashed and burned early in college and our vaunted centers of learning had nothing for them.
The post linked within this post was really illuminating for me: https://gekk.info/articles/adhd.html The section on why notecards and todo lists have never worked for him (and for me) was particularly salient: "The problem with "systems" is that they are authorities. They have to be. If you decide "I'll prioritize things with a stack of notecards" then you are telling yourself the following: "The notecards replace m…