> As a CS student / junior engineer
A would suggest you learn the difference between CS and Engineering.
Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
31–40 of 224 posts
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#32[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#33Same problem my friend.
The only difference is that you have a girlfriend, same since almost 12 months. xD
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#34I have wasted almost two years of my life doing so , and i'm finally out of this , there's a thing that might helps , open an editor or get apiece of paper write down what those 4 things , split them to smaller piece of tasks ,(remember to only write the important , you absolutely don't have time to waste on subjects not included in these 4) , i use https://habitrpg.com , it's an excellent tool to gamify your everyday tasks , you should try it and take accomplishing those things as a game . Good luck
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#35I have wasted almost two years of my life doing so , and i'm finally out of this , there's a thing that might helps , open an editor or get apiece of paper write down what those 4 things , split them to smaller piece of tasks ,(remember to only write the important , you absolutely don't have time to waste on subjects not included in these 4) , i use https://habitrpg.com , it's an excellent tool to gamify your everyda…
Off-topic but I'm curious: what phone/tablet/input mechanism are you using that doesn't work well with punctuation after a word?
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#36Been there, done that (over and over again). You don't have time for everything. Therefore, you must choose what to do, but also you must choose what not to do. That is the hard part - choosing what to let go. Once you did that, the rest is (comparatively) easy. Ideally, devote yourself to one subject and immerse yourself in it. Stay focused, refuse to do anything else. You'll have distractions, you'll doubt your cho…
Limiting options is a good strategy. I use a couple of others, which I always think are common sense:
1) Don't study alone. Having a group that is moving in the same direction helps create social pressure, and social pressure makes wonders.
2) Create a finish line and a deadline. They may be fictional, but they must be there. For technical subjects, an applied project is excellent. Say, if you are studying networking, try your hand at writing a protocol analyzer, or a SyncThing client. It must require the theoretical knowledge you are hoping to gain. If you can couple this with strategy (1), some amazing stuff comes out (I always remember fondly a Petri Net state machine compiler I built with four friends in three days flat).
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#37What works for me: admit that you are going to want to do other things. They are going to show up even as side comments in the material you are learning. Keep a list of things you will work on later. Don't sort it, but make a deal with your future self to review the list after you reach "the end" of your current study. "The end" should also be clearly defined, hopefull by some small capstone project. Amorphous goals are never attained, and every topic is endless. Set an achievable goal.
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#38Exercise regularly (perhaps daily),
keep building on consistent good habits you have made - a regular exercise routine will help on several levels,
don't expect to become perfect overnight (or ever),
prioritise what is most important and time-limited (probably for you: direct access to good teachers),
learn what you need in a practical context rather than abstract context: (e.g. learn to start a business by starting a business),
sleep well and sleep plenty,
check your nutrition - especially, is your alcohol and caffeine intake helping or hindering you?
allow yourself some failures. Give up on what isn't working for you and concentrate on what is.
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#39Been there, done that (over and over again). You don't have time for everything. Therefore, you must choose what to do, but also you must choose what not to do. That is the hard part - choosing what to let go. Once you did that, the rest is (comparatively) easy. Ideally, devote yourself to one subject and immerse yourself in it. Stay focused, refuse to do anything else. You'll have distractions, you'll doubt your cho…
Regarding the switching between different subjects or projects, what helped me was to quickly write down TODO notes of actions I should immediately take when picking up the subject again. For example "Finish exercise X", "Watch lecture Y" or "Run unit tests of project Z".
I found my self dive in to the subject much faster when there was no need to think about where to start.
Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma
#40I recommend 2 books: "The War of Art" and "Do The Work", both from Steven Pressfield. In short, this is Resistance. Do The Work.
I second the "War of Art" recommendation. It is one of the most important books I've read in a long time as a far as impact on my life; really kicked my ass and got me into gear.