Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
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Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
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Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#2> Yesterday, I finally realized that this method would never, ever work. I was shocked. But it never, ever has. I’ve been after myself on this score for, what, like ten years? Had it ever worked once in that time, I asked myself. No!
I had a similar realisation a few years ago. I used to try to come up with side project ideas by sitting down with a piece of paper and writing down every idea I could think of. Then, I’d decide which of these ideas seemed in the realm of possibility for me with my current skill set. Out of that whittled-down list, I’d then choose the idea that I thought would have the most chance of success.
The problem? I could never remain motivated. It turned out that I had invented a formula for choosing ideas that neither extended my skills nor spoke to my inner curiosity. Things only changed when I asked myself the question “has this ever worked for me in the past? Even once?”
I decided my new philosophy was to work on whatever I was most curious about — even if it seemed way too hard for me, or if everyone else thought it was stupid. I haven’t exactly made millions of dollars from this approach, but I’ve learned more in the past four years (and had more fun doing it) than I did in the previous 10.
It makes me wonder what other things I might be doing out of habit that have never actually worked.
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#3>> Once I get all my work out of the way, maybe I can do something fun or satisfying or just cuz.
That's where I'm struggling recently.
I barely find anything joyful lately. I tried many many "discipline" frameworks, I can commit more than 1 week.
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#4> Yesterday, I finally realized that this method would never, ever work. I was shocked. But it never, ever has. I’ve been after myself on this score for, what, like ten years? Had it ever worked once in that time, I asked myself. No! I had a similar realisation a few years ago. I used to try to come up with side project ideas by sitting down with a piece of paper and writing down every idea I could think of. Then, I’…
In a sense this didn’t work out for you either - financially anyway
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#5This approach works if the stuff you want to get done also is very enjoyable.
Nobody wants to wash the dishes, do maintenance or clean up, but it has to be done.
The question is how does this work for things you want to get done, but it's hard.
Say I want to make some form of rubber duck app, but with an AI voice. The idea is great, I talk my programming ideas and she'd respond back, giving an illusion of listening. However, it's way more work and less immediately enjoyable than a game of Dota 2.
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#6That's an interesting opinion. I struggle with this a lot too. Would love to read some other methods people used and that worked out well.
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#7This approach works if the stuff you want to get done also is very enjoyable. Nobody wants to wash the dishes, do maintenance or clean up, but it has to be done. The question is how does this work for things you want to get done, but it's hard. Say I want to make some form of rubber duck app, but with an AI voice. The idea is great, I talk my programming ideas and she'd respond back, giving an illusion of listening.…
This is polar opposite of my experience. The unenjoyable ones are precisely the tasks that I will never complete unless I am very kind and forgiving to myself. Beating myself bloody with "but it has to get done" is an exercise in hopeless futility.
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#8This approach works if the stuff you want to get done also is very enjoyable. Nobody wants to wash the dishes, do maintenance or clean up, but it has to be done. The question is how does this work for things you want to get done, but it's hard. Say I want to make some form of rubber duck app, but with an AI voice. The idea is great, I talk my programming ideas and she'd respond back, giving an illusion of listening.…
This is polar opposite of my experience. The unenjoyable ones are precisely the tasks that I will never complete unless I am very kind and forgiving to myself. Beating myself bloody with "but it has to get done" is an exercise in hopeless futility.
On a similar note, I get a lot of "chore" tasks done by basically just being impulsive about them: if I have a free 15 minutes before a meeting or after breakfast or whatever and I'm feeling high-energy I'll just pick something off my long household to-do list and do it then. The results aren't all that consistent but everything gets stochastically done eventually.
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#9> Yesterday, I finally realized that this method would never, ever work. I was shocked. But it never, ever has. I’ve been after myself on this score for, what, like ten years? Had it ever worked once in that time, I asked myself. No! I had a similar realisation a few years ago. I used to try to come up with side project ideas by sitting down with a piece of paper and writing down every idea I could think of. Then, I’…
In a sense this didn’t work out for you either - financially anyway
First, finances are most of the time just a roundabout way of trying to be happy. So in a way doing things that make you happy directly instead of doing things hoping to gain money for that activity and then spending that money to hope to gain happiness will never work the same (provided you are not starving).
Second, many people on this platform, me included, got good at the things they do for a living, because they did it for fun (and sometimes still do). Going for the fun project helps you learn faster and better. It might be "the wrong" thing to learn, but who is even able to judge that?
Re: Getting Stuff Done by Not Being Mean to Yourself (2010)
#10This approach works if the stuff you want to get done also is very enjoyable. Nobody wants to wash the dishes, do maintenance or clean up, but it has to be done. The question is how does this work for things you want to get done, but it's hard. Say I want to make some form of rubber duck app, but with an AI voice. The idea is great, I talk my programming ideas and she'd respond back, giving an illusion of listening.…
We are talking about enjoyable projects. Dota 2 might not be a project (unless you plan to become a pro).
Doing something out of passion is a value in itself that should not be ignored. In music this is what often differenciates the true geniuses from those who are just very good: passion. If you have to sit down and practise an instruments for hours a day it totally helps if you are passionate about the instrument. It helps when you care about the music you are playing and how you are playing it. All of that can be reached via discipline as well, but there might be something lacking in the end.
What is the difference between someone playing the same thing for 8 hours out of passion and another one playing the same thing for 8 hours out of discipline? It doesn't feel like work to the former, while it might drain everything out of the latter.