Ask HN: I lack foresight. How to cope?

Layperson here. If it's affecting your life this badly, then you should probably see a professional (read: psychiatrist) if you're able.

Executive dysfunction can have multiple causes ranging from ADHD to anxiety to dementia. The internet is pretty bad at diagnosing period, let alone based on limited or incomplete information.

I learned to play chess when I was twelve. It really taught me to think ahead. My teacher cut me zero slack and just slaughtered me mercilessly over and over again. Losing at chess repeatedly because you don’t stop to think a move or so ahead is just the right amount of painful to drill the practice into your head. I now cannot fathom failing to think ahead.

Also, drop the caffeine. It leads to scattered thinking.

Slow down, learn to meditate and cut yourself a bit of slack. Being angry with yourself just makes it worse.

If there’s something you can’t afford to forget or get wrong leave yourself a note or a checklist. I use checklists every day. (Because I think ahead but want to make sure I don’t forget)

35 yrld swdev here.

I've dealt with this for as long as I recall, I can focus on the task at hand (if I don't randomly forget what I'm doing in the middle of it) but anything that came before or is coming in the future.. Very slight chance..

I'm not really coping with it though..

My "system" for getting things done in a not idiotic way is very slow, and very verbose and only works if I'm alone and undistracted.

1. List all the things I can remember I need to do (literally, open vim and type them in). 2. Prioritize the list (things that should be done first goes to top)

3. Group the list by things that can be done near each other (in space and time)

4. For each group, I try to imagine myself doing them, seeing if one should come before the next.

5. Get distracted by squirrel and forget about list for a while.

6. Try to imagine carrying objects to and from the tasks, can I carry it all, should I go twice? Do I need the same object for multiple tasks ? Can those tasks be done one after the other before putting away object?

7. Create checklist on my phone with the order.

8. Do the first thing on the list.

9. Forget I have the checklist, do something else

10. Suddenly remember I have the checklist and try doing the first thing again.. oh it was done, check it off and do the next.. Forget objects. It's a mess. Leave keys hanging in door for half the day.

The "simulation" part of my brain works pretty well on code, but it's terrible in almost all other areas, my "plans" are often to literally "go there, and look around until the idea of what to do next pops into my head".

It’s a matter of age, it’ll get better.

I used to go to the airport on wrong days. i used to forget things when grocery shopping even though I had a list in my hands. I can’t seem to remember how many kids my sister has (she has two). And at the same time I can recall a lot of useless crap like the code for the lockbox of an airbnb I have been to in 2015.

Just realizing you’re like this is half the work. Then you’ll just start double checking everything, and when that’s not enough (cause it won’t), then you’ll triple check.

It’s ok, I like to think that it’s a side effect of being a creative person :-)