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CMU grad here, currently working on a PhD. All I can say is, this description doesn't apply to me. I'm definitely of the "work smart, not hard" persuasion. Pers

by rntz 10y ago

CMU grad here, currently working on a PhD. All I can say is, this description doesn't apply to me. I'm definitely of the "work smart, not hard" persuasion. Persistence, I guess I have; but not an unbounded work ethic, or the focus to work on ten things at a time. Persistence for me means finding a new way to attack a problem, not pushing as hard as possible, John Henry style.

Cyph0n 10y ago
PhD student here, and I'm exactly the same. I procrastinate a lot (not good!), but I've been able to get things done. My current goal is to figure the optimal way to minimize procrastination...
- amorphid 10y ago
  I've recently made pretty good gains at minimizing procrastination. First, I simply eliminated working on anything I didn't really need and/or want to do. I don't need to think about doing stuff I don't plan on doing! Second, anything that needed to get done, I scheduled it. For simple tasks, I just created morning and evening blocks of time for home and work. The repetitive stuff I do first, and then I work on one off stuff until I don't feel like doing it anymore. It just gets done in the next block. For example, scanning N tax documents is lame, so I scanned maybe a dozen in one block, and just did the rest the rest in the next block. For important things, I schedule a single purpose appointment, and do my best to just make it happen. Lastly, I bought a wall calendar, and nailed it to... aait for it... my wall. I "x" out every day I feel like I attended to the stuff I said I was gonna do. If I don't feel a "x" has been earned, it is usually for a specific reason, and I try to address that reason. I choose not to care about the "x" streak, days in in a row. I simply use the calendar to gauge whether I'm being as consistent as I'd like to be. I've gone made pretty good gains on transitioning from Professor Procrastinator to Captain Consistent. Will always be a work in progress :)
  - Cyph0n 10y ago
    Thanks for sharing!
    - amorphid 10y ago
      This morning I wrote a note to myself that I didn't earn the "X". I've been trying to wake up at 7a, and go thru a start of day checklist. I want the "X" damn it. Tomorrow, maybe I'll read the checklist. Still, I got way more done this morning before heading into the office than I would have if there was no concept of a plan :)
charlesdm 10y ago
Nothing wrong with that. Life isn't supposed to be all about work. I've made plenty of money working smart, not hard. I enjoy building stuff, but I'd much rather prefer working less than more (and I do). Laziness (in some way or another) can often also drive innovation. That, and I don't believe you can be really productive for more than 3-4 hours straight (even a day, unless you take a long break) anyway on a consistent basis. 20% of the effort often gets you 80% of the way there. At that point you have to decide whether putting in the additional effort is worth it. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

by rntz 10y ago

Cyph0n 10y ago

PhD student here, and I'm exactly the same. I procrastinate a lot (not good!), but I've been able to get things done. My current goal is to figure the optimal way to minimize procrastination...

amorphid 10y ago
I've recently made pretty good gains at minimizing procrastination. First, I simply eliminated working on anything I didn't really need and/or want to do. I don't need to think about doing stuff I don't plan on doing! Second, anything that needed to get done, I scheduled it. For simple tasks, I just created morning and evening blocks of time for home and work. The repetitive stuff I do first, and then I work on one off stuff until I don't feel like doing it anymore. It just gets done in the next block. For example, scanning N tax documents is lame, so I scanned maybe a dozen in one block, and just did the rest the rest in the next block. For important things, I schedule a single purpose appointment, and do my best to just make it happen. Lastly, I bought a wall calendar, and nailed it to... aait for it... my wall. I "x" out every day I feel like I attended to the stuff I said I was gonna do. If I don't feel a "x" has been earned, it is usually for a specific reason, and I try to address that reason. I choose not to care about the "x" streak, days in in a row. I simply use the calendar to gauge whether I'm being as consistent as I'd like to be. I've gone made pretty good gains on transitioning from Professor Procrastinator to Captain Consistent. Will always be a work in progress :)
- Cyph0n 10y ago
  Thanks for sharing!
  - amorphid 10y ago
    This morning I wrote a note to myself that I didn't earn the "X". I've been trying to wake up at 7a, and go thru a start of day checklist. I want the "X" damn it. Tomorrow, maybe I'll read the checklist. Still, I got way more done this morning before heading into the office than I would have if there was no concept of a plan :)

charlesdm 10y ago

Nothing wrong with that. Life isn't supposed to be all about work. I've made plenty of money working smart, not hard. I enjoy building stuff, but I'd much rather prefer working less than more (and I do). Laziness (in some way or another) can often also drive innovation. That, and I don't believe you can be really productive for more than 3-4 hours straight (even a day, unless you take a long break) anyway on a consistent basis. 20% of the effort often gets you 80% of the way there. At that point you have to decide whether putting in the additional effort is worth it. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.