Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#1

Post by dnohr » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 12:56 AM UTC

Some days I'm really fighting with getting "into the mood" of super productivity and other days it's just no problem at all.

I'm very result oriented so for me it's definitely the results that matter to make me feel good.

How about you? Do you use ambient sounds or a special type of coffee to get you going super productive?

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#2

Post by teaneedz » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 1:18 AM UTC

For me, I drink tea. Sometimes I just need a change in scenery - I'll jump on the bike, explore a different route, treat myself to something special and dig in to whatever project is on my plate. As long as I have WiFi, I'm good. I find the local library conducive to finding the right mental state.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#3

Post by dmfdmf » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 2:03 AM UTC

I think routine is important. If you launch the same routine before sitting down to get to work then you can use the routine to get rolling even if you don't actually feel like. Also, the mind is inherently lazy. (Unfortunately "lazy" is the closest word we have, but it does not capture the emotion/state of dismotivation). In any case, you have to consciously choose to focus and ignore any self-generated distractions (I should check my email again) or false fatigue that will fade in 5 minutes once you start working.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#4

Post by 1_player » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 3:46 AM UTC

I have a very hard time getting in the flow and really productive. It's mostly a matter of starting, when I've started I get in the zone.

Let me stress this again: the hardest part is getting started.

Also necessary, for me at least:

1. Caffeine

2. Music - no vocals, steady rhythm. My preferred kind of music is psytrance/techno during the day, ambient electronic during the night. The steady rhythm is to my brain like the clock to the CPU.

3. Diet - I've started being serious about understanding the cause of my lethargy and not feeling up to doing anything most of the time, and after ~30 days of a clean albeit strict diet (I'm cutting out _all_ possible allergens) I'm feeling more productive than I've been my whole adult life. Probably placebo, probably unrelated. But it's been a long time I wasn't hacking in the middle of the night like these past few days.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#5

Post by sova » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 6:10 AM UTC

Na man you need to go on more walks.

Coding doesn't happen at a kiosk.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#6

Post by sova » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 6:11 AM UTC

addendum: yerba maté

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#7

Post by jimsojim » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 6:43 AM UTC

For productivity, I try to practice intense focus. I use small hacks/tips to keep me from getting distracted- such as, closing all the tabs. Chiefly, I just try to build this mental image of myself of being someone with exceptional focus. It helps me keep going (or just get started for the day). Basically, self-reinforcement. And, whenever I feel out of mood or jaded I just take a break, goof around, listen to minimalist electronic music (deadmau5 style^^). This helps me relax and refocus my brain on my stuff.

So tldr: Practice Focus and make sure you're goofing around/having fun when you're jaded/not in the mood. With practice you'd be able to have a good control over your mood and emotional state.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#8

Post by benlaud » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 8:52 AM UTC

I would pick a very small sub-project. Just for jun and it should be very small. May be just write an article to explain something. It make me feel achieved something and get into mood.

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#9

Post by soulbadguy » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 11:26 AM UTC

1_player wrote: post #4

I have a very hard time getting in the flow and really productive. It's mostly a matter of starting, when I've started I get in the zone. Let me stress this again: the hardest part is getting started. Also necessary, for me at least: 1. Caffeine 2. Music - no vocals, steady rhythm. My preferred kind of music is psytrance/techno during the day, ambient electronic during the night. The steady rhythm is to my brain like…

Do you mind elaborating on your diet ? Did you followed a particular book or something ?

Re: Ask HN: How do you get into the mood of productivity?

#10

Post by Vendan » Sun, Aug 02, 2015, 1:47 PM UTC

Personally, I tend to "start" working, then all of a sudden stop to do something else. It's not on purpose or anything, it just happens. I've started "stopping" myself when it happens, and trying to identify why I don't feel like working, and built up a profile of things that I seem to want in order to work. For me, it's:

- Dual monitors - Good music - Actual mouse

For the longest time, I was just never able to work on a laptop, until I realized that the problem was screen real estate and an actual mouse.