How to get yourself to do things (2015) • Hacker News Board

Re: How to get yourself to do things (2015)

#81

Post by larrywright » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 2:26 PM UTC

lostcolony wrote: post #3

pmoriarty wrote: post #2

At one point I spent a couple of days watching dozens of videos on procrastination, and this video [1] by Tim Pychyl was by far the best. I strongly recommend it. It's ostensibly focused on helping grad students with procrastination, but the tips and techniques he gives in the talk can be applied by anyone. [1] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhFQA998WiA

I'll get around to watching it at some point. :P

It’s become a running joke in my house, but I bought a book about 20 years ago called “The NOW Habit”, all about beating procrastination. I still haven’t read it.

Re: How to get yourself to do things (2015)

#82

Post by zigzaggy » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 3:38 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #11

zigzaggy wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel this pain deep inside my brain. My head is like a million points moving in several directions at once, all the time. In fact, I just set up another appointment where I am going in full throttle for whatever medication I can get. I am completely exhausted trying to keep these points all lined up in a straight line.

You might want to take a serious look at your nutrition. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances can cause all sorts of very serious issues, including mental issues. Taking long walks in nature (as in 2 or more hours long) can help, as can unplugging from the internet and other media, and meditation. Many of us hyper-stimulated, and are in a pavlovian loop of jumping from one source of instant gratification to another…

These are great tips. I do miss my days spent outdoors (took a few years off to run a flower planting crew at a landscaping company and run some long distance races).

As for nutrition, I do think I'm doing well there. Other than a sugar fix at night, I eat pretty good/healthy/whole food.

Unplugging is probably my short term answer. I'm also going through the stresses of resigning from my day job and ramping up my side work, so that's a source of intensity too.

Re: How to get yourself to do things (2015)

#83

Post by zigzaggy » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 3:39 PM UTC

ArcturianDeath wrote: post #79

zigzaggy wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel this pain deep inside my brain. My head is like a million points moving in several directions at once, all the time. In fact, I just set up another appointment where I am going in full throttle for whatever medication I can get. I am completely exhausted trying to keep these points all lined up in a straight line.

"pain"

Psychological pain is real pain, wouldn't you agree? Isn't it all "in our heads" either way?

Re: How to get yourself to do things (2015)

#84

Post by armchairhacker » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 4:57 PM UTC

tarruda wrote: post #78

armchairhacker wrote: post #46

The 10 minute rule: if you want to do something, really force yourself to do it, but only for 10 minutes. If you want to build a daily habit, commit yourself every day no matter how you feel, but only for at least 10 minutes. More generally, if you have a bunch of tasks, commit yourself to at least one. Don't necessarily push yourself to do everything but force yourself, no matter how hard, to do at least one. If it'…

Any chance you're related to Griffin Johnsen the Armchair Historian? Really nice YouTube channel, and I really admire that guy's productivity.

Never heard of him. But I just checked out the channel and it's pretty impressive, honestly I might subscribe.

Re: How to get yourself to do things (2015)

#85

Post by VRay » Tue, Jun 15, 2021, 6:36 PM UTC

legitster wrote: post #35

Looking back, it's very easy for me to blame the US education system, which seems to make it very easy for slightly intelligent people to avoid a lot of work. I feel like I learned really bad work habits early on and am cursed with a flawed brain now. I almost envy countries that focus on almost militaristic rote practice. For some of my foreign educated colleagues, there is little in the way between wanting to accom…

I've seen what the Korean/Japanese education system does to kids, though, and I don't want any part of that. Kids go from being bright-eyed and bushy-tailed to completely burned out by the time they're 13 or so

Re: How to get yourself to do things (2015)

#86

Post by chevill » Thu, Jun 17, 2021, 2:46 AM UTC

nerfhammer wrote: post #36

Andrex wrote: post #34

Since we're all sharing, the concept of tracking progress by the day as popularized (but not created) by Jerry Seinfeld[1] has helped me quite a bit. What also helped is realizing there isn't a silver bullet or magic pill that will get me to do the work: the work has to be done, and I have to do it at some point. I started a few spreadsheets for things I'd like to log: amount of piano practice per day (aim for 30m),…

FWIW Seinfeld seems to deny that he ever had anything to do with this idea https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ujvrg/jerry_seinfeld...

I think you're misinterpreting him. All he's saying is that its ridiculous that he simply crosses something off on a calendar and people are acting like he created a brilliant productivity system.

He finds it hilarious presumably because people have been crossing things off on calendars probably since calendars and writing implements both existed at the same time.