Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

A receipt printer cured my procrastination

laurieherault.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

281–290 of 634 posts

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#281

Post by entrepy123 »

meganlanziello wrote: post #254

I did my version of this way: 1) 3x5 cards printed on a printer dedicated to this task 2) Command line routine where I can: a) Enter tasks b) Be able to update card by putting in the card number assigned to the task (which also includes a date). c) Be able to reprint a card if needed d) Be able to view the card on the screen (obviously). Written in bash. This is not to be clear to do things that are procrastination b…

What kind of printer prints 3x5" (or larger) index cards well?

IME most printers struggle with printing thicker cardstock, or non-normal sizes, e.g. trouble with keeping that size paper straight or with bending/feeding.

Is it just a normal-sized printer, or are there special index-card printers?

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#282

Post by munificent »

cluckindan wrote: post #222
raincole wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you do drugs? If not then you're already 'starving' yourself of the purest form of pleasure (which is a good thing, don't get me wrong). I don't think taking one step further is that sad.

That’s insanely stereotypical. There is no ”drugs” that is ”the purest form of pleasure”. Instead, there are many thousands of different substances which can elicit, heighten, prolong or enable pleasure; some illegal, some legal, some included in your favourite meals and snacks. Even vanilla is a ”drug” which enhances pleasurable feelings. (Vanillin and ethylvanillin are monoamine oxidase inhibitors and consuming the…

> There is no ”drugs” that is ”the purest form of pleasure”.

Having had fentanyl for a couple of surgical procedures, I am inclined to disagree. No one should feel that happy after having their colon inflated like a balloon or chunks of metal screwed into their bones.

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#283

Post by chairmansteve »

al_borland wrote: post #95
jvanderbot wrote: post #65

> Why can I focus for hours on a game but procrastinate when writing an email? OK I got a bit triggered by this sentence. Not at TFA, but sharing my own experience: Games are fun . And I don't mean Type 1 vs Type 2 fun and the email is somehow type 2 fun. I mean that the stimulation / "hit" from a game is just higher than 90-99%% of work tasks (writing a new CLI or optimizer excluded!!). We pile on much stimulation t…

> I'm sure phones are just as stimulating for some. This is one of my big objections do 2FA. My work has been pushing it hard, and from a security perspective, I get it. However, it’s all via an Authenticator app on the phone. We can no longer set down our phones and simply work. To start working, and periodically throughout the day, we are now forced to pickup our phones to authenticate. This invites the chance to s…

You can use the Freedom app.

url freedom.to

Or just disable notifications. The iphone has a do not disturb mode that can be scheduled.

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#284

Post by laurieherault »

cout wrote: post #211

I learned how to gamify work tasks from my mom. She worked as a librarian in the seventies. Tasks like restacking books was not fun, so she turned it into a game. Her coworkers, on the other hand, drew out the boring tasks as long as possible. When it came time to pick someone for advancement, they chose my mom, because she was more productive at the menial tasks. I also use post-it notes, but if I used them for ever…

That is why I use a ticket printer, to make sure I can start fresh every day without having to spend dozens of minutes creating my post-its by hand.

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#285

Post by directevolve »

For me, the keys are:

Break down tasks into micro-tasks. Doesn’t have to be written down.

Get my body involved. Take handwritten notes when reading.

Create micro-deadlines. Have short meetings with colleagues to share progress.

Inject mini-rewards. Do one 20-minute task. Then watch one music video on YouTube.

I could see room for a productivity app that smoothed out this workflow.

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#286

Post by mike_ivanov »

My mom carries with her a physical notebook in which one full page is one day. The left side of the spread is for the task list, the right side contains notes/comments. When a task is done it gets crossed over. When the day is over, she manually copies important leftovers to the next day. The other (flip) side of the notebook is for longer running projects, similar approach. Naturally, she has to replace the notebook a few times a year. She says the secret sauce is the tedium of copying the leftovers, that's how she finds the balance between over- and under-planning.

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#287

Post by laurieherault »

bradley13 wrote: post #239

Interesting system. There is also a simpler idea, that works well for some people: at the end of each day, leave something simple and easy undone. Use it as a starting point for your work the next day. Doing that simple task gives you the initial momentum to start work the next day.

Very good tip

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#288

Post by meganlanziello »

entrepy123 wrote: post #281
meganlanziello wrote: post #254

I did my version of this way: 1) 3x5 cards printed on a printer dedicated to this task 2) Command line routine where I can: a) Enter tasks b) Be able to update card by putting in the card number assigned to the task (which also includes a date). c) Be able to reprint a card if needed d) Be able to view the card on the screen (obviously). Written in bash. This is not to be clear to do things that are procrastination b…

What kind of printer prints 3x5" (or larger) index cards well? IME most printers struggle with printing thicker cardstock, or non-normal sizes, e.g. trouble with keeping that size paper straight or with bending/feeding. Is it just a normal-sized printer, or are there special index-card printers?

Brother HL-6200DW (or similar variation). Before that I used another brother printer. When I researched (noting this was years ago) that was the only one that it would work with (may be others now). I had tried on various HP printers but they didn't work. Now you have to be careful how many cards you stack in the manual hopper also it works but not super robust.

Re: A receipt printer cured my procrastination

#290

Post by entrepy123 »

whalee wrote: post #7

Cool idea! I would note there are some known health hazards in handling thermal-paper receipts(BPA/BPS)[1] with your bare hands if you do so often. I don't know much beyond this, I would look into it. [1] https://www.pca.state.mn.us/business-with-us/bpa-and-bps-in-...

Yes, safety of thermal paper is the first issue that comes to mind.

Secondly, IME thermal print can fade to nothing after 1-10 years. So these are specifically for short-ish-term use. Not for labeling something that is supposed to last a long time.

Post reply on HN