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Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

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Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#121

Post by ex-leper »

spit2wind wrote: post #79
raspberry1337 wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Consistently doing 3x5 heavy squats, deadlifts, and presses just three days per week As an armchair gymmer, this routine lacks pull exercises for back musculature. Add row pulls or pullups!

What about the deadlifts they mention? (Or maybe that wasn't present in their response at the time you wrote yours)

Deadlifts will hit most of the posterior chain, but to really grow thickness in the upper and mid back you'd need to add in heavy rows and/or pull-ups as OP mentioned.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#122

Post by thenaturalist »

conception wrote: post #118
thenaturalist wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. What you describe in an ADHD context might be called "hyperfocus": It's a period of intense focus which you are able to maintain and enjoy cause it stimulates your brain. But, critically, you are not able to maintain this hyperfocus for longer periods on a single topic as the stimulus of novelty flattens out and you become bored and understimulated and this quickly leads to procastination or switching to somethi…

What it’s the period when it becomes a disease as what you describe is basically how humans generally work?

This pattern alone is absolutely not enough to suspect it's ADHD. Several other factors need to be present.

In general during diagnosis (I can attest to Germany), it must be credibly shown that multiple symptopms have been present both during child as well as adult age.

Typical patterns are several aborted apprenticeships or studies, inability to hold steady employment over several years, problems with romantic relationships or long lasting friendships.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#123

Post by grepLeigh »

herdyderdy wrote: post #112
thenaturalist wrote: post #93

Hi there, This might be an off beat chance, but have you had a history of or ever looked into the topic of adult ADHD? Changing several jobs, jumping between hobbies or projects is textbook ADHD, especially if you don't feel like you can get out of it and describe it as a "huge live hurdle". That is the same for me. Got diagnosed at 30 two months ago. If you have a suspicion you might have it, I highly recommend doin…

Is ADHD really tied to switching hobbies and jobs frequently? I suffer from this too, but I always thought ADHD was the inability to focus in the short term. I can have great focus on daily tasks if I’m interested in them, but my problem is I lose the interest so frequently that I can’t seem to make the leap beyond intermediate competency in a hobby or career direction.

ADHD is the inability to regulate attention. There are a couple ways this presents:

1) Hyperfocus for hours at a time, often forgetting about physical needs like food/drink/bathroom.

2) Extreme trouble getting started on a task (inability to overcome inertia) and constant distraction once started.

3) Switching hobbies, jobs, roles, spouses, etc because the initial stimulation of something new is more rewarding than old interests.

ADHD's symptoms are caused by a deficiency in reward dopamine systems. The "craving" for dopamine is stronger in ADHD brains, which is why impulsive/risky behaviors are common in people with ADHD.

Talk to a medical professional if that resonates. Therapy is also helpful, since the behaviors associated with ADHD can lead to built-up shame / self-doubt.

Medication helps (for me, it was like putting on glasses for the first time), but re-modeling behavior and self-image were equally important for me.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#124

Post by ARandomerDude »

netchkin wrote: post #120

How do you find what you're really good at? I don't know. Here's what I did. I started doing a thing I considered intriguing. I tried figuring out how to tell if I'm making a good progress. In the beginning, I was terrible at it. After some time, I was still terrible, but there were I had some "data" about making progress. Only after years did I become good. And yet, the more years I put in, the more ways of being te…

This is it. You'll always be bad at something until you've gotten enough practice. Piano is only enjoyable after enough days of laborious exercises. Then one day you're good at it and it's fun. Everything worth doing is the same way.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#125

Post by yrgulation »

pr07ecH70r wrote: post #113
thenaturalist wrote: post #93

Hi there, This might be an off beat chance, but have you had a history of or ever looked into the topic of adult ADHD? Changing several jobs, jumping between hobbies or projects is textbook ADHD, especially if you don't feel like you can get out of it and describe it as a "huge live hurdle". That is the same for me. Got diagnosed at 30 two months ago. If you have a suspicion you might have it, I highly recommend doin…

Actually never crossed my mind it could be a sickness-related. I just thought it as a sort of "too many possibilities saturation" or too quick loss of interest. So I decided to ask like-minded people like you here, at least from the same more or less background. Will make the online test, though...

I would be cautious in self diagnosing. Taking pills and self medication is thrown around quite easily around here. One does indeed need to find their own path without blaming mental health as a first resort. I am now seeking a transition from software development to something else and as such i experiment with concepts and ideas quite frequently. I changed jobs for a while until i settled down for what i liked, now its time to find something else. Nothing mental health related in this.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#126

Post by RHSman2 »

thenaturalist wrote: post #93

Hi there, This might be an off beat chance, but have you had a history of or ever looked into the topic of adult ADHD? Changing several jobs, jumping between hobbies or projects is textbook ADHD, especially if you don't feel like you can get out of it and describe it as a "huge live hurdle". That is the same for me. Got diagnosed at 30 two months ago. If you have a suspicion you might have it, I highly recommend doin…

It’s a super power once you get hold of it.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#127

Post by RHSman2 »

I think this highly depends on your age. It’s great to explore! Be curious. I have been lucky enough to be above average at a bunch of things and I take great enjoyment in those things. I also suck at things. What I am good at is the things I have put most time into.

So my theory is: if you like it, do it and do it more.

Also, you don’t actually have to be good at anything. Just be good at being.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#128

Post by RHSman2 »

pr07ecH70r wrote: post #113
thenaturalist wrote: post #93

Hi there, This might be an off beat chance, but have you had a history of or ever looked into the topic of adult ADHD? Changing several jobs, jumping between hobbies or projects is textbook ADHD, especially if you don't feel like you can get out of it and describe it as a "huge live hurdle". That is the same for me. Got diagnosed at 30 two months ago. If you have a suspicion you might have it, I highly recommend doin…

Actually never crossed my mind it could be a sickness-related. I just thought it as a sort of "too many possibilities saturation" or too quick loss of interest. So I decided to ask like-minded people like you here, at least from the same more or less background. Will make the online test, though...

ADHD isn’t a sickness. It’s a thing that an awful lot of people have.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#129

Post by herdyderdy »

thenaturalist wrote: post #115
herdyderdy wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is ADHD really tied to switching hobbies and jobs frequently? I suffer from this too, but I always thought ADHD was the inability to focus in the short term. I can have great focus on daily tasks if I’m interested in them, but my problem is I lose the interest so frequently that I can’t seem to make the leap beyond intermediate competency in a hobby or career direction.

Yes. What you describe in an ADHD context might be called "hyperfocus": It's a period of intense focus which you are able to maintain and enjoy cause it stimulates your brain. But, critically, you are not able to maintain this hyperfocus for longer periods on a single topic as the stimulus of novelty flattens out and you become bored and understimulated and this quickly leads to procastination or switching to somethi…

So you are on stimulants now that seem to help with your long term focus? Is there a concern of tolerance and dependency, like coffee/caffeine, where you'll have to keep upping the dose to get the benefit? Sorry if I'm being nosy but this is rather eye-opening to me and makes me think it might be worth speaking to my doc about this.

Re: Ask HN: How to find what I am really good at?

#130

Post by RHSman2 »

conception wrote: post #118
thenaturalist wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. What you describe in an ADHD context might be called "hyperfocus": It's a period of intense focus which you are able to maintain and enjoy cause it stimulates your brain. But, critically, you are not able to maintain this hyperfocus for longer periods on a single topic as the stimulus of novelty flattens out and you become bored and understimulated and this quickly leads to procastination or switching to somethi…

What it’s the period when it becomes a disease as what you describe is basically how humans generally work?

It’s not a disease. It is the way some people are wired. Just like some people are really boring
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