Hack your motivation
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Hack your motivation
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Re: Hack your motivation
#2A really nice read. I'd also suggest treating one's life as a debugging session once in a while… A few choice `printf` insertions and re-running can sometimes make a world of difference. :)
Re: Hack your motivation
#3The last point is particularly useful, and quite reminiscent of what 'The Now Habit'[1][2] advocates. Some weeks I get so completely burned out, I have to force myself to do nothing but 'veg out' by watching endless netflix shows through the weekend without thinking about anything else. It's hard to allow it at first because it feels like a ludicrous waste of time, but it becomes surprisingly refreshing by the end of it.
[1] http://www.amazon.com/The-Now-Habit-Overcoming-Procrastinati...
[2] Here's a good video series that summarizes it's key points: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Si3Gb1WSg
Re: Hack your motivation
#4One thing which I can highly recommend to anyone with motivation problems and help beat the procrastination is pomodoro technique [1]. When I'm stuck or can't make the first move to get into the work mood, I just hit the pomodoro timer. Somehow the ticking clock gives me boost and puts me into hours of productive work. Always! It's the only technique which works 100% in my case. Try it out for yourself.
Re: Hack your motivation
#5A really nice read. I'd also suggest treating one's life as a debugging session once in a while… A few choice `printf` insertions and re-running can sometimes make a world of difference. :)
Can you give more details and maybe examples of this?
Re: Hack your motivation
#6[deleted]
Re: Hack your motivation
#7I also like to leave a very small task undone from the previous day to help me get jump-started the next day. So if I'm finishing programming a function and the last line needs to return something, I'll just not write that last line and put a //TODO instead. The next day it helps me get in the groove of writing code after the long break.
Re: Hack your motivation
#8Is there any good advice on overcoming procrastination due to social anxiety? Things like phone calls, dealing with unknown people, etc. I have a fear that I am not very knowledgeable about something (like law, or buying some stuff or service) and that others will cheat me, and it causes me problems. Interestingly, if I schedule a meeting, I am willing to handle it, but if I won't, I will try to postpone a lot. And even if I gain more experience in one area, it will then creep again in in another.
Re: Hack your motivation
#9Also check out The Motivation Hacker by Nick Winter. That book is awesome and Nick talks about going from being too nervous to order at Taco Bell to being asked to speak at various tech and hacker conventions.
Re: Hack your motivation
#10I also like to leave a very small task undone from the previous day to help me get jump-started the next day. So if I'm finishing programming a function and the last line needs to return something, I'll just not write that last line and put a //TODO instead. The next day it helps me get in the groove of writing code after the long break.
I've heard this phrased as always stop after some sudden progress that makes you eager to do more - as opposed to stopping when you're stuck and giving up:
if you're stuck, then when you think of the task it will be in your mind as a bete noire, as opposed to stopping where you've just made some progress and are eager to continue - then it will always be in your mind as something great to return to and make more progress.