Ask HN: How do you stay disciplined in the long run?

We all have different skills, we can be good at programming or at graphic design or at music composition or at communication. Having these skills give you advantage, but you have to remember that at some point you didn't have those skill, those were cultivated. If you treat finishing things as a skill that has to be cultivated, where you suck at first, but with enough practice you get better and better, then you get into a mindset that will allow you to be more and more disciplined. So start small, take smaller projects, as small as possible. Make sure you finish them, slowly increase the difficulty level, you will get there.

[1] https://makegames.tumblr.com/post/1136623767/finishing-a-gam...

That book says it clearly: you don't rise to your motivations, you stoop to the level of your systems and processes. The book also taught me how the habits you create stem from the person you identify as. For example, a person who is "a runner" will run every morning. They'll do it without questioning they're a runner. They'll have self-doubt for sure, but different doubts, and they'll keep running.

Both those things rang true to me. I've always wanted to be a runner, but honestly I've never identified as one, so I don't consistently run.

I highly recommend the book, it's a great perspective. I don't think it'll ring true for everyone, but the perspective it offers is great for everyone.

1. Stop going on HN and Reddit. If you spend a lot of time reading about what other people do, you won't do it. If HN and Reddit helps you progress, spend 30 minutes a day on it.

1a. Start small and simple and build from there. If things are getting too complicated, scale back. Always scale back. It reduces frustration and anxiety as well as builds confidence.

2. Set a schedule. Take you phone calendar and put a block of time to work on X and set a reminder. This primes your brain to have a plan and an expectation.

3. Schedule short time blocks, 30 minutes to an hour. You only have a limited amount of time in a day and trying to do something for long stretches of time will a) take away time to focus on other things you want to do b) will have a diminishing return effect.

4. Establish a routine. Set those blocks in 3 and do it on a schedule. Try and do that task in those time blocks for a couple weeks. The most important thing is the routine. You can increase those time blocks only when you're comfortable meeting that routine.

5. If you miss a day, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT and just catch the next go around. Things come up in our lives that we don't expect and we either can't do it or don't want to. But don't make yourself feel like a failure if you do. The point is consistency.

6. Finally, TAKE THOSE SMALL VICTORIES! I know its difficult, you'll doubt yourself, but please... take them. When I wrote my first "Hello World" program, I took the time to realize how awesome it was and how simple it was! DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE MILLIONS THAT CAN DO IT TOO!

It will take a long time. But the beauty is, you'll get better at the above steps and be able to execute faster so it doesn't feel long anymore.