Deep Work on the Rise • Hacker News Board

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#11

Post by kderbyma » Sun, Mar 07, 2021, 4:34 PM UTC

I found this but didn't really associate it with my sleep patterns. I found it was the general routine which affected my energy levels. I used to time little 20 minute coffee breaks / walks to coincide with the lows and allow me to reinvigorate with new surroundings and sometimes you run into people you know.

If I missed my walks I was always scattered and it didn't matter if I tried to go again later because everything was out of rhythm because I didn't get the new boost at the right time. I think that lunch time is most people's separator (hell the article says afternoon peak and morning peak suggesting they cradle the noon) but they take it for granted because they try to slave to the clock. rather than slaving to the clock they should strive to be most productive and useful which includes their mental state as well

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#12

Post by zach_garwood » Sun, Mar 07, 2021, 6:36 PM UTC

I did contract work for Rise Science several years ago, and they never paid me for my work. Hopefully, they've managed to iron out all the issues they were having with Celery in the intervening years.

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#13

Post by fergonco » Sun, Mar 07, 2021, 7:24 PM UTC

codq wrote: post #4

Unfortunately, with a 9-month old roaming the apartment, I haven't been able to enter a 'Deep Work' state in months. Child-care isn't an option due to COVID, and since I work freelance while my wife has a full-time job, I've been the de facto Mr. Mom, squeezing in work whenever I have a free 10-30-minute block—which isn't often. By the time he goes to bed, I'm fried from taking care of him all day, and entering into…

WARN: You'll teach your kid by example. If you are stressed and unhappy because of those unsatisfactory squeezed 30 minutes they will notice. And you'll realize a year later that they were noticing.

I didn't understand what a kid was until she (4yo) corrected the flawed logic of something I just said. Then I realized that all those sacrifices (career included) were worth it.

It gets better once you can use kindergartens... BTW, old parents are not an easy solution in covid times. They are population at risk.

I hope some of this is useful to you. Now I have to prepare some milk to the kid that is dancing around my desk.

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#14

Post by zarkov99 » Mon, Mar 08, 2021, 12:46 AM UTC

jokoon wrote: post #9

I might be weird, but every time I hear about productivity, it annoys me. People cannot be labeled as productive. A company, a process, a group, but not individuals. This paranoia about procrastination and laziness has an awful impact on how we live. Motivation is complicated. Please watch the rsa animate video on motivation.

I don't understand how you can say this. Is it not your experience that in almost any work context there will be a few individuals who will produce far more valuable work in far less time than others? It certainly is mine.

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#15

Post by zarkov99 » Mon, Mar 08, 2021, 12:50 AM UTC

codq wrote: post #4

Unfortunately, with a 9-month old roaming the apartment, I haven't been able to enter a 'Deep Work' state in months. Child-care isn't an option due to COVID, and since I work freelance while my wife has a full-time job, I've been the de facto Mr. Mom, squeezing in work whenever I have a free 10-30-minute block—which isn't often. By the time he goes to bed, I'm fried from taking care of him all day, and entering into…

I feel for you. My wife and I had a hard time in the first months and our kids are much older. I do not think it can be done with infants.

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#16

Post by xiphias2 » Mon, Mar 08, 2021, 2:44 AM UTC

The only way I can focus is eliminating as many ,,shallow’’ tasks as possible (but still do the important ones). One of them would be setting up time trackers and reading self-help books.

If I would be forced to do lots of unimportant things, I’d rather changed job.

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#17

Post by jokoon » Mon, Mar 08, 2021, 3:45 PM UTC

zarkov99 wrote: post #14

jokoon wrote: post #9

I might be weird, but every time I hear about productivity, it annoys me. People cannot be labeled as productive. A company, a process, a group, but not individuals. This paranoia about procrastination and laziness has an awful impact on how we live. Motivation is complicated. Please watch the rsa animate video on motivation.

I don't understand how you can say this. Is it not your experience that in almost any work context there will be a few individuals who will produce far more valuable work in far less time than others? It certainly is mine.

So what?

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#18

Post by zarkov99 » Mon, Mar 08, 2021, 10:01 PM UTC

jokoon wrote: post #17

zarkov99 wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand how you can say this. Is it not your experience that in almost any work context there will be a few individuals who will produce far more valuable work in far less time than others? It certainly is mine.

So what?

So an appropriate and useful label for those individuals is "productive".

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#19

Post by jokoon » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 6:44 AM UTC

zarkov99 wrote: post #18

jokoon wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So what?

So an appropriate and useful label for those individuals is "productive".

You're not really trying to see my point.

So they're productive, then what? A lot of people can't find meaning in their work. How can society create productive people?

That's why I have a problem with the "productive" word.

There is an inequality in productivity, isn't that a bit problematic?

Re: Deep Work on the Rise

#20

Post by zarkov99 » Wed, Mar 10, 2021, 7:14 PM UTC

jokoon wrote: post #19

zarkov99 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So an appropriate and useful label for those individuals is "productive".

You're not really trying to see my point. So they're productive, then what? A lot of people can't find meaning in their work. How can society create productive people? That's why I have a problem with the "productive" word. There is an inequality in productivity, isn't that a bit problematic?

I am trying to see your point, though obviously I failed, and to be honest, I still do not fully understand where you are coming from. I do not see a problem with inequality. Its unavoidable. In fact, I am very happy that there are people out there more productive than me in some field, perhaps I will have something to offer to them by being more productive than them in some other field, and we can trade for mutual benefit.