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Write every day

mlafeldt.github.io

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Re: Write every day

#31

Post by orbifold »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

Well, the competitive nature of humans is both a curse and a blessing, in the end few if any of the things we do will have any long term impact on humanity, most of those will be desctructive, like depleting the resources of the planet or destroying the environment. If you set yourself the goal to have a meaningful impact, then lots of those "achievements" become meaningless.

Re: Write every day

#32

Post by antirez »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

> I wish there was an easy way to avoid feeling guilty when you see other people's achievements.

I've a very easy solution: you are the only meter. What matters is for you to try to be better to the yesterday's version of you. As long as you try to do this, without stressing, but in a constant way, you'll enjoy the results in the long run.

Re: Write every day

#33

Post by wiremine »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

I second this: reading all this can create a sense of guilt.

I think for myself, the key is knowing that the guy who biked across India wasn't writing a novel. Or at least, he wasn't biking across India, writing a novel, and maintaining a 40+ hour job and raising a family.

I'm a husband, father of two kids, am involved in my church, and own a house with a yard. So, "contributing to open source" and "writing every day" or "learning a new skill" is #5 on my list. Probably further down the list if I think about it.

That said, I think it is possible to do _one_ of those things well on a regular basis. Right now I'm learning a new programming language. Before that I was reading a number of books.

Bottom line: it starts with knowing your own personal bandwidth limits, and knowing your prioritizes. Then backfill with the rest.

Re: Write every day

#34

Post by jimiwen »

how many types of writings is suitable in a day? that is suitable for one's cognition and creativityness?

Tweets: 30 Evernote: 5 Diary: 1 Book: 1/1000?

Re: Write every day

#35

Post by UweSchmidt »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

There is no end, and no answer to that question.

Therefore I'll give you one anyway: Work on that game if you still like it, and otherwise do some truly fun and relaxing and "unproductive", far away from any computer.

Re: Write every day

#36

Post by [deleted] »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

[deleted]

Re: Write every day

#37

Post by stygiansonic »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

You do not have to needlessly compare yourself to others all the time in this manner. Doing so invites an unfair comparison where you see all your flaws and only the strong points of others who appear greater than yourself.

Instead, you should focus on comparing yourself to yourself. Have you improved since you last checked up on yourself? That's really what matters.

Now, of course, looking only at yourself in a vacuum is impossible - but the opposite of constant comparison to others is detrimental if it leads to feelings like this.

Re: Write every day

#38

Post by unicornporn »

KhalilK wrote: post #12

I have been using http://750words.com/ for quite some time now. Writing first thing in the morning is easier to get accustomed to.

I'd do that if I had any inspiration in the morning. But I find myself completely empty when I've just woken up. I feel that I lack emotions and input to write anything good.

Re: Write every day

#39

Post by wjk »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

Everyone is different. Most people don't feel the need to be productive and improve every hour of every day.

My co-workers are all nice and fun people, I enjoy working my 7-8 hours a day. But when i get home I don't want to keep working, learning new work-related skills and such, I haven't contributed to open source projects since I started where I'm working now.

I couldn't be more happy about how separate my work and non-work life is, I have a ton of fun with my own hobbies during my free time and have no stress whatsoever. If you are very ambitious and have large goals, of course you do have to work hard for it though. That goes without saying.

Re: Write every day

#40

Post by Rainymood »

shubhamjain wrote: post #27

Code everyday, contribute to open source, write n words everyday, read books everyday, exercise, learn new skills, market yourself, socialize, travel. Is there an end? I am surrounded by so many productive activities and each one within my reach that each time I am not doing it, it feels I am frittering away very valuable time. In fact, even when I am doing it like reading a book, I feel working on my mini-game could…

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

― Ernest Hemingway

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