Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#1

Post by FreeHugs » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 11:58 AM UTC

I'm a nerd. I know tons of technologies in and out. And I am creative. I come up with new ideas all the time. And I start new projects all the time. They all have potential. But I do so many of them that none really gets enough attention to grow.

What can I do?

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#2

Post by VariableStar » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:11 PM UTC

Suggestion: pick up one of your projects and dedicate your self entirely to it until it shows whether it is worth your efforts or not.

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#3

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:11 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#4

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:13 PM UTC

VariableStar wrote: post #2

Suggestion: pick up one of your projects and dedicate your self entirely to it until it shows whether it is worth your efforts or not.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#5

Post by mitchellmorrow » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:22 PM UTC

I finished this book a few months ago. It has a few practical tips for improving focus! Recommend checking it out.

https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/...

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#6

Post by paulcole » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:28 PM UTC

Embrace it! It’s more fun to keep having a bunch of ideas that might have potential than to see one of them through and maybe discover it doesn’t.

I mean you know what you have to do if you really want to: give one idea the attention to grow. Choose to do that and commit yourself to it. Or don’t.

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#7

Post by jsemrau » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:29 PM UTC

Jira + https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YClta_Erq6U

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#8

Post by dutchbrit » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:29 PM UTC

I have found that working with multiple people with different skillsets on a project can help - I currently work with another programmer and a designer, both with the same mindset. We keep each other motivated! I previously tried working on projects myself because I wanted 100% control, but never ended up completing many, and the ones I completed MVPs for lost my interest shortly after.

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#9

Post by rglullis » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:33 PM UTC

Embrace it.

Instead of thinking that you are wasting potential on the big ideas, think of it as your portfolio of small bets (credits to Daniel Vassalo). Instead of exposing yourself to risk of "one big idea" for the expectation of "one big payoff", you can think of yourself as your own VC investor, with the most important distinction that you will be choosing how to invest your most precious resource: your time.

Take the projects that you see potential but lost interest and put them on microacquire [0]. This will both free your mind for other projects and give you a sense of accomplishment.

[0]: https://microacquire.com/

Re: Ask HN: How do I develop focus?

#10

Post by nathias » Mon, Apr 04, 2022, 12:34 PM UTC

You are using focus very metaphorically as a focus in life, not the cognitive faculty. Just select the one that best aligns with your goals and finish it, you can keep churning new projects all the time, just don't confuse ideas/sketches with projects and projects with businesses.