Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma

#221

Post by macrotim » Wed, Feb 18, 2015, 6:06 PM UTC

It seems that most commenters jumped in with a solution but I would ask, what are your goals?

Lets say that your goals are to discover a wide range of topics and gain breadth. Then you seem to be on the right track. But if your goals are to master and deep learn specific topics (e.g. algorithms), then you may need to change your current habits, a much harder problem (and yet more meaningful to solve).

In either case, goal setting will help. If you are naturally curious and want breadth, then be honest and set a goal to measure yourself: "By end of this month, I want to explain 10-12 new ideas in less than 2-3 sentences." Your goals must be measurable. For more on goal setting, checkout Brian Tracy's 12 Steps.

Advice often ends at goal setting but it's only the beginning. Your daily routine is critical to advance your goals. Try out apps for task management or even paper/pencil like Cal Newport suggests [1]. I had to learn to develop a regular ping to keep myself honest: "Is what I'm doing at this moment advancing me towards my goals?" And to be honest, replying to this thread is not so I'm going to sign out here. Good luck buddy.

[1] http://calnewport.com/blog/2013/12/21/deep-habits-the-import...

Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma

#222

Post by GoldenMonkey » Thu, Feb 19, 2015, 9:37 PM UTC

thinkling wrote: post #149

buzzcut wrote: post #86

Start spending some time reading Cal Newport's blog. You still have the problem of deciding which things are important to you, but just immersing yourself in how he approaches focus and deep habits, about how he prioritizes his work, will send you in the right direction. If you time block your available time as he does, you're forced to make choices--there is only so much time available, obviously--and the discipline…

I use the iOS app Kan-Do to budget my time to different projects/activities and work on them pomodoro-style (i.e. in timed chunks). Lets me set goals of time spent for the week and track where I've spent my time and how much. (You don't have to do everything in 30 min chunks as you go, you can also manually record other blocks of time spent.)

Using pomodoros as well. Vitamin-R on the mac, to start the pomodoro. Have used the pomodoro method in the past, but just this year took it seriously. Using it everyday and for all tasks. It has helped me focus on the high-value tasks and especially the tasks I want to procrastinate on.

Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma

#223

Post by cerivera » Mon, Feb 23, 2015, 5:04 AM UTC

I have the exact same problem. Frustrated with how little progress I made in 2014, in January I sat down and thought about things I'd be happy to accomplish in a year. Which skills will make my 2015 a success? The two things I chose were non tech related: writing and meditation. These two tasks are my absolute priority this year since meditation will help with stress and anxiety, and writing will help with learning other new skills in the future.

With this in mind, it's easy to push away any new hobbies/subjects that would normally interfere.

Re: Ask HN: The “I want to do everything but end up doing nothing” dilemma

#224

Post by YorkianTones » Mon, Feb 23, 2015, 5:24 PM UTC

throwaway987651 wrote: post #175

acjohnson55 wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like you're suffering from some ennui. I wouldn't get too caught up in worrying whether it's a disorder or something. It will probably pass. I suggest making a pivot. Put that idealism to use and join up with a cause. You might find it gives you a sense of purpose you're missing. For example, I was bored with engineering and decided to do Teach For America 7 years ago. It turned out to be a very difficult e…

Thank you, your post-fact thoughts are really (cough) thought provoking, in a good way. And making a pivot: absolutely. I'd like to get in touch with what I believe in or am passionate about first rather than just jump, but may have to! Having a wife and starting a family in the next couple of years complicates things more than some other commenters, but we are discussing it already. Just got to do something. Thanks…

Also consider reading Alasdair MacIntyre's "After Virtue" if you're interested in philosophy (it takes effort, but rewards the reader). It characterizes modern society as emotivist. When you say:

I'm overwhelmed by the volume of information, but even more so by the volume of opinions. Take even a simple long-running one, what to believe religiously. I can hear one side, then the other, then another... and each in turn (usually) makes sense. There's not enough info to say one is right, but which is right?? Because each believes their point is right, and yet if I held a different position all would criticise me. I can't resolve that dichotomy.

You are describing emotivism.

As an antidote to emotivism, MacIntyre suggests we rekindle an Aristotelian account of the virtues and cultivate them through practices. For example, cultivate those attributes (virtues) which aid in rigorous pursuit of mastery in a discipline (practice). Herein lies meaning and the good life for man.