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Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

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Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#331

Post by ck425 »

yazaddaruvala wrote: post #307
ksaj wrote: post #285

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People with ADHD have a hard time starting and then completing even things they do want to do. Everyone with ADHD has a dozen unfinished recent projects they adore, but will probably never finish. Hyperfocus gets them started, and they go REALLY far with the project, and then it wears out, and the project is neglected thereafter. Even if the person still adores the project and hopes to finish it. Without the hyperfoc…

This also sounds like the 80/20 rule and/or procrastination. 80% of the thing takes 20 % of the time, and then a feeling of diminishing returns blocks us from doing the other 80% of the effort. > the project is neglected thereafter. Even if the person still adores the project and hopes to finish it. I am also curious why this is labeled ADHD. To me this seems to just be “the human condition”. I guess from what I’ve r…

You may be right and indeed there's many psychiatrist who openly say that the definition of ADHD and where you draw the line between having it and not is somewhat arbitrary. But if people are struggling and having this diagnosis and these treatments helps with minimal downside then why not use them?

I recently got diagnosed and it may just be that I'm naturally very distractible and bad at paying attention. But if the diagnosis and meds make my life significantly better at minimal risk/cost then what's the harm?

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#332

Post by reader_mode »

bbkane wrote: post #204
reader_mode wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've seen something similar backfire for a guy I worked with. He had this idea that he would get his shit done Monday-Thursday and have an easy WFH Friday. People ended up doing most work towards end of sprint and Friday would usually be really busy - basically he always had to be present and management would offload priority stuff to him since he was done. So he'd end up busting his ass all week. Eventually he got t…

I'm surprised he didn't just switch his "light day" to Monday or another weekday.

But the end result would have been the same - he wouldn't finish his tasks ahead of time, he wouldn't have spare capacity on Friday - management notices this and thinks he's underperforming

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#333

Post by quickthrower2 »

temporama1 wrote: post #208

Any tips on how to change the timestamp on your Git commits? That way you could get your work done on a Monday and spread the commits out throughout the week. I've looked at this before but there are two timestamps on each commit (can't remember now what each of them denotes) and I could only change one of them.

Just set up a cron job

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#334

Post by meowface »

astrange wrote: post #255
TrackerFF wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

With ADHD, for many it's nigh on impossible to get focused, no mater how high the stakes are - to the point where it seems extremely irresponsible and downright irrational to normal observers. Imagine that almost everything in your life, is the equivalent of starting on a test/exam 2 hours before the deadline, even though you've had a week or two to finish it.

The problem with ADHD is that it applies to everything in your life, not just work. You're equally unable to do chores, hobbies, have fun, or even finish watching a TV series. Actually, they're even harder to do than work because there's no pressure on you to keep up with it.

>You're equally unable to do chores, hobbies, have fun, or even finish watching a TV series.

ADHD does affect everything in my life, but I don't relate to this part. For me, it primarily manifests as there being an immense amount of inertia required to do things I don't want to do. I have no issue doing things I intrinsically want to do.

If it's a TV show, hobby, or fun-having activity that I really like, then I'm perfectly able to do them. If I don't like them, then, yeah, they're probably never getting done, or only getting done in a very pathological way. Procrastinating 3 months of work until the day before the deadline, procrastinating cleaning something for a year until someone has to come over to visit, procrastinating taxes until an hour before midnight on tax day. It's the same story every time.

If it's a hobby or TV show I don't like, then I have no reason to continue it. My ADHD and motivation signal to me what what I actually do and don't want to do during my fleeting period of existence. I feel no guilt about dropping something like that if it can't hold my attention. I only feel guilt when it's something I really should be doing, like work, paperwork, etc., and especially things where I know I'm losing lots of money by not doing it.

There are plenty of things I want to want to do, and those things will never get done. But if I actually want to do something, with no meta-layers, then there's no issue for me.

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#335

Post by dalmo3 »

ksaj wrote: post #282
borski wrote: post #189

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This, exactly. It's not about not wanting to. It's about literally being incapable of changing that, no matter how much you tell yourself and really mean to want to.

One thing I think isn't too clear with the descriptions here - sometimes it is just that hard to start things you want to do with ADHD as well. I consider that a hallmark of the syndrome - you are REALLY interested in something, got a project fully prepared around it, and then it sits there waiting for you to do it. All that time you might research it, but it's a problem of getting started even though it is something…

> I consider that a hallmark of the syndrome - you are REALLY interested in something, got a project fully prepared around it, and then it sits there waiting for you to do it.

While I don't dispute the seriousness of ADHD, having never read about it, I can't help but think that the thing you described as the hallmark of the syndrome is just a really common thing among any functioning human being.

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#336

Post by Graffur »

borski wrote: post #150

Read up a bit on ADHD. That 'hyperfocus' that occurs either with deadlines or on a passion project is a symptom, as is the inability to get excited about projects you simply don't want to do - especially given your otherwise positive reviews and your ability to clear your mind and hyperfocus near a deadline, it's something to consider. I was diagnosed at 33, and it changed my life infinitely for the better. YMMV, and…

This describes me pretty well. What is the test for ADHD and is it just a doctor's opinion if you have it or not?

Also is there any tangible benefits? I don't understand how just knowing provides enough benefit to bother going to a doctor.

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#337

Post by nickd2001 »

Obligatory "Office Space" quote : "It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care". Maybe your workplace is uninspiring? Maybe everywhere you've worked it uninspiring? Many workplaces are inefficient. Not surprising if you can get stuff done in fraction of the time. Have you got kids yet? If not, that might explain your issues. ;) Once you have kids its a much as you can do to get work done, look after kids and be a good parent, and do a few hobbies besides. No time for feeling guilty for not doing enough. ;)

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#338

Post by manmal »

cm2012 wrote: post #178
manmal wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you segment this for presentation purposes, or were there only 3 ranges to choose from? I‘m asking because the latter could also mean that most people work 4h. Deducing [4;8] = 6 would not really work.

Only three stages, the average there could be different than 6.

I see, thanks!

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#339

Post by Graffur »

OP you just sound lazy and to be honest I 100% notice this behavior when my colleagues do it. Do I moan and complain to my manager about them? No. Do I think badly of them? Yes.

You say you're feeling guilty but you also say "I don't really feel bad about it". Which is it?

Re: Ask HN: Feeling guilty for doing the bare minimum at work

#340

Post by Graffur »

yumaikas wrote: post #302
carrolldunham wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're joking right? You move on from a fun activity when it stops being fun you so think you may have a disorder ? I don't want to seem insensitive to genuinely troubled individuals but there seems to be a pattern on HN where every single topic about productivity is now swamped with people claiming that "ADHD" is the cause of not caring about things that aren't worth caring about and not trying hard when you don't n…

I mean, ADHD awareness has gone up a ton in the past year. I definitely agree that "isn't a video game completionist" is hardly a reason, on it's own, to question if one has ADHD, but it could very well be one part of a puzzle if someone has other patterns that line up.

To me that is asking like why don't I go outside and kick a tree. If I don't kick every tree do I have ADHD?

My point being is that there is absolutely no reason to be a video game completionist.

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