91–100 of 110 posts
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Plus it's easier to do than yoga.
Yes, and you can combine it with other purposes (travel). I intentionally get off the bus at an earlier stop so I can walk through a quiet neighborhood to my apartment.
* Eat healthy.
* Expose yourself to a lot of sunlight.
* Use F.lux and wear blue light blocking safety glasses after sunset to prevent melatonin secretion suppression.
* Meet people at least every other day.
* Get a treadmill and a standing desk ($300 + $300).
* Get a sitting ball ($20).
* Have two monitors connected to your computer so that you can quickly switch between treadmill and sitting ball.
* Always have a notepad and a pen on your desk to be able to quickly postpone thoughts and tasks.
* Never write down TODOs that take less than 3 mintues, do them right away.
* Only do one thing at a time.
White noise and Pomodoro. That said, I think learning how to start quickly be productive through consistency beats the hell out of chasing the zone. An hour, or even 20 minutes a day, every day or damn near it as opposed to multi-hour binges when the stars align.
- habit
- music (headphones)
- get started
One thing that really helped me is to just "go through the motions" a few times when I sit down. I will literally compile/run a few times only changing a comment or adding a blank line and then removing it. Not only does it help my laptop "warm up" and swap in the pages it needs to compile quickly, it helps me get into the edit/compile/test cycle.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've heard this guy on NPR and other radio programs promoting his book. While I find the subject fascinating I get distracted by his marketing buzzspeak and branding. Specifically that he dubs his concept "Flow" when it's been more commonly known as "in the zone" for decades. I could come to no reasoning other than his need for a new brandable term. Not a big deal I guess, but overall undermined the work to me. Havin…
I don't know if the term flow came before in the zone , but it has been in use for decades. Csikszentmihalyi published a book called Beyond Boredom and Anxiety: Experiencing Flow in Work and Play in 1975.
Tennis players speak reverently of the mystical atmospheric condition known as ‘The Zone’ Passing shots chip away at the lines, first serves pop in and mistakes simply don't materialize.
The next citation is from 1990, and refers to the more general creative sense.
Performers, surgeons, or creative artists..find that most important parts of their lives occur when they are ‘in the zone’.
Source is the New Age Journal. Notice how it is no longer capitalised.
I'd highly recommend that you research "Flow": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) . There's a great book by Csíkszentmihályi on the topic also called "Flow". Basically Csíkszentmihályi figured out what the "zone" actually is, what stimulates it and how it leads to productivity and happiness.
I've heard this guy on NPR and other radio programs promoting his book. While I find the subject fascinating I get distracted by his marketing buzzspeak and branding. Specifically that he dubs his concept "Flow" when it's been more commonly known as "in the zone" for decades. I could come to no reasoning other than his need for a new brandable term. Not a big deal I guess, but overall undermined the work to me. Havin…
This is so important and comes up so often that I now have a boilerplate answer from: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=191275 and also #49 here: http://v25media.s3.amazonaws.com/edw519_mod.pdf * The single most important thing I do to "achieve laser focus and concentration" is to work in such a way that I don't need "laser focus and concentration" to get my work done. This has to be done the night before. I alway…
Just open up the editor and start coding. Pick something off that list, and hammer away at it. It may suck, but just keep going, re-write it, pick something else on your todo list, but keep going. The secret is: There is no "zone", there's hard work, and perseverance. The "zone" is just a figment of your imagination.
In my experience, the secret is highly correlated to the preparation that I do before the work even begins . What this means is practicing a daily combination of correct eating, rigorous exercise and quality sleep. With these elements in harmony and alignment, I am able to bring it. I recommend a morning yoga routine [1]. This will clear the mind, revitalize the body and set the ground-work and tempo for a fantastic…
I often go to group yoga lessons (90 min., in the evening), but an hour and a half is a bit much for the mornings ;)
Thanks!
We have all experience the zone but if you over do it you will go Manic and then burn out. Your goal should be consistent, sustainable productivity and not mania.