15 ms·

Well, maybe sometimes this happens to me.. "I just go check the headlines on my favorite news sites and then I start my productive day.. and I drink this cup o

Well, maybe sometimes this happens to me.. "I just go check the headlines on my favorite news sites and then I start my productive day.. and I drink this cup of coffee." .. 2 hours later. "Just this one headline, then I'm ready." .. 2 hours later. "Damn, where did the day go all of a sudden?" Of course the solution is to first do the work and then read the news.. but that's the rational part of my brain speaking - not the sleepy, non-morning person persona of myself. Of course ToDo lists, interesting tasks, deadline pressure and gamification work. Like pretending to be a character in an RPG - playing the game of my life. And then come up with ideas on how to level, quest and progress with the tasks/projects I have. Questlog: You have leveld up. You are now a level 14 code conjurer. You have completed the quest: Subjugate the data.. And then come up with fun side-quests (rewards) that I can only unlock at specific levels or after a particular quest is completed - like building a project RPG gamification tracker utility. On the other hand, I am very productive once the day is over and I sit in front of the screen at night in the natural light of my computer screen, so there is that.

sp332 8y ago
I think habits are probably stronger when we're sleepy and have less "executive function". When you're awake, make plans to disrupt your sleepy self. Set a timer or block your news sites or something. Because trying to break a habit when you're sleepy is going to be tough.
el_benhameen 8y ago
I've started going for a long walk before I start working, and I've since found it much easier to dive into work before "just checking out this one article". I think it's because I feel like I've already had a part of my day devoted to something that's just for me, so I don't feel like my day is belongs to someone else's goals from the get go. That, and I'm more awake, which makes it easier to think about complex tasks.
padobson 8y ago
Self discipline definitely has a momentum effect. My most productive days are the ones that start at 5am with a run, followed by a shower, meditation, and writing up a list of things I want to accomplish that day. Then I start working with my noise cancelling headphones and my flow-state playlist. It's very deliberate from start to finish. My least productive days are the ones where I roll out of bed randomly, when the sun has been up for a while, and sit down at my desk still in my pajamas. HN or YouTube tend to be my first tasks of the day, and sometimes I don't get to any others. These types of days seem to be something that's happening to me, rather than something I'm choosing. I struggle with depression, and I find the second kind of day is a feedback loop of anxiety and procrastination. The first kind of day is a virtuous cycle of productivity and serenity. That 5am alarm is the best way I know to set the whole thing in motion.
- manigandham 8y ago
  Yes, routine is key. The discipline actually pays off and removes a lot of decision making since you're already on a schedule, and the momentum of getting things done keeps you wanting to get more things done.
- pc86 8y ago
  I definitely find that my days that start off productive typically end productive as well. The days where I "ease into it" or "warm up for the day" I blink, it's 8:30pm, and I haven't done a single worthwhile thing except maybe a load of dishes or something. The flip side is the more productive my day is, typically the more tired I am, and the more likely I am to be moving slowly the next morning.
- criddell 8y ago
  What's on your flow state playlist?
  - adamcw 8y ago
    I would also like to echo this question, always interested in what people listen to while working.
    - jen729w 8y ago
      I work from home, sitting next to my partner, and this is responsible for ~80% of our work. No particular order. Late Night Tales Presents Sasha: Scene Delete [0] Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk: Passage [1] Jon Hopkins: Opalescent [2] HVOB & Winston Marshall: Silk [3] Anything at all by HVOB. HVOB is the golden stuff. All of Tycho's albums Any of Tycho's Burning Man mixes on SoundCloud [8] Kiasmos: Blurred [4] Vermont: II [5] Bonobo: Migration [6] (or any other Bonobo) Tosca: No Hassle [7] (or any other Tosca) --- [0]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/late-night-tales-presents-sasha-scene-delete/1078653620 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/late-night-tales-presents-... [1]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/passage/1177124625 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/passage/1177124625 [2]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/opalescent/305037953 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/opalescent/305037953 [3]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/hvob/564007861 https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/hvob/564007861 [4]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/blurred/1266258851 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/blurred/1266258851 [5]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/ii/1174877374 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/ii/1174877374 [6]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/migration/1172028049 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/migration/1172028049 [7]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/no-hassle-bonus-track-version/311016273 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/no-hassle-bonus-track-vers... [8]: https://soundcloud.com/tycho/ingress-burning-man-sunrise-set-2017 https://soundcloud.com/tycho/ingress-burning-man-sunrise-set...
taylorjacobson 8y ago
Agreed. In my experience, the core challenge with most tasks is just that we don't spend enough time working on them. I can easily ignore a bot nagging me, and eventually just turn it off. The best solution for me is real-time accountability that forces me to sit down and commit to a real person what I'm about to do RIGHT NOW. I made an app for this called Focusmate (https://www.focusmate.com https://www.focusmate.com). It's a bit like a study buddy, except for anyone and any task, and much more effective IMO. PS. My quiz results: "Oops. Sorry, we can't seem to find what the problem is." (https://imgur.com/a/A2qhoGQ https://imgur.com/a/A2qhoGQ)
- jakebaker 8y ago
  Just wanted to say -- Focusmate is amazing. I've used it a ton. I don't know how, but it helps me get into the zone almost immediately. The idea of working with a stranger on the screen seems weird when you first hear about it, but it's amazing how the impact is almost magical.
windows_tips 8y ago
The solution is to make checking headlines part of your work.
- tonyedgecombe 8y ago
  With a time limit? Like I’m going to spend 30 minutes keeping up with important news about my industry.
  - windows_tips 8y ago
    If you think that is an appropriate limit.
    - tonyedgecombe 8y ago
      No, I just plucked a figure out of my backside.
76 8y ago
Just out of curiosity, what's your favorite news site, that has so many interesting articles?
JetSpiegel 8y ago
> Like pretending to be a character in an RPG - playing the game of my life. I also play all the side quests first in RPGs!
SomethingStars 8y ago
I made a policy that I visit any news sites only once a day (usually in the morning). When I catch up and when I start seeing stories I already saw yesterday, I stop and don't come back until tomorrow.

sp332 8y ago

I think habits are probably stronger when we're sleepy and have less "executive function". When you're awake, make plans to disrupt your sleepy self. Set a timer or block your news sites or something. Because trying to break a habit when you're sleepy is going to be tough.

el_benhameen 8y ago

I've started going for a long walk before I start working, and I've since found it much easier to dive into work before "just checking out this one article". I think it's because I feel like I've already had a part of my day devoted to something that's just for me, so I don't feel like my day is belongs to someone else's goals from the get go. That, and I'm more awake, which makes it easier to think about complex tasks.

padobson 8y ago

Self discipline definitely has a momentum effect. My most productive days are the ones that start at 5am with a run, followed by a shower, meditation, and writing up a list of things I want to accomplish that day. Then I start working with my noise cancelling headphones and my flow-state playlist. It's very deliberate from start to finish. My least productive days are the ones where I roll out of bed randomly, when the sun has been up for a while, and sit down at my desk still in my pajamas. HN or YouTube tend to be my first tasks of the day, and sometimes I don't get to any others. These types of days seem to be something that's happening to me, rather than something I'm choosing. I struggle with depression, and I find the second kind of day is a feedback loop of anxiety and procrastination. The first kind of day is a virtuous cycle of productivity and serenity. That 5am alarm is the best way I know to set the whole thing in motion.

manigandham 8y ago
Yes, routine is key. The discipline actually pays off and removes a lot of decision making since you're already on a schedule, and the momentum of getting things done keeps you wanting to get more things done.
pc86 8y ago
I definitely find that my days that start off productive typically end productive as well. The days where I "ease into it" or "warm up for the day" I blink, it's 8:30pm, and I haven't done a single worthwhile thing except maybe a load of dishes or something. The flip side is the more productive my day is, typically the more tired I am, and the more likely I am to be moving slowly the next morning.
criddell 8y ago
What's on your flow state playlist?
- adamcw 8y ago
  I would also like to echo this question, always interested in what people listen to while working.
  - jen729w 8y ago
    I work from home, sitting next to my partner, and this is responsible for ~80% of our work. No particular order. Late Night Tales Presents Sasha: Scene Delete [0] Ulrich Schnauss & Jonas Munk: Passage [1] Jon Hopkins: Opalescent [2] HVOB & Winston Marshall: Silk [3] Anything at all by HVOB. HVOB is the golden stuff. All of Tycho's albums Any of Tycho's Burning Man mixes on SoundCloud [8] Kiasmos: Blurred [4] Vermont: II [5] Bonobo: Migration [6] (or any other Bonobo) Tosca: No Hassle [7] (or any other Tosca) --- [0]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/late-night-tales-presents-sasha-scene-delete/1078653620 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/late-night-tales-presents-... [1]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/passage/1177124625 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/passage/1177124625 [2]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/opalescent/305037953 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/opalescent/305037953 [3]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/hvob/564007861 https://itunes.apple.com/au/artist/hvob/564007861 [4]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/blurred/1266258851 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/blurred/1266258851 [5]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/ii/1174877374 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/ii/1174877374 [6]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/migration/1172028049 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/migration/1172028049 [7]: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/no-hassle-bonus-track-version/311016273 https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/no-hassle-bonus-track-vers... [8]: https://soundcloud.com/tycho/ingress-burning-man-sunrise-set-2017 https://soundcloud.com/tycho/ingress-burning-man-sunrise-set...

taylorjacobson 8y ago

Agreed. In my experience, the core challenge with most tasks is just that we don't spend enough time working on them. I can easily ignore a bot nagging me, and eventually just turn it off. The best solution for me is real-time accountability that forces me to sit down and commit to a real person what I'm about to do RIGHT NOW. I made an app for this called Focusmate (https://www.focusmate.com https://www.focusmate.com). It's a bit like a study buddy, except for anyone and any task, and much more effective IMO. PS. My quiz results: "Oops. Sorry, we can't seem to find what the problem is." (https://imgur.com/a/A2qhoGQ https://imgur.com/a/A2qhoGQ)

jakebaker 8y ago
Just wanted to say -- Focusmate is amazing. I've used it a ton. I don't know how, but it helps me get into the zone almost immediately. The idea of working with a stranger on the screen seems weird when you first hear about it, but it's amazing how the impact is almost magical.

windows_tips 8y ago

The solution is to make checking headlines part of your work.

tonyedgecombe 8y ago
With a time limit? Like I’m going to spend 30 minutes keeping up with important news about my industry.
- windows_tips 8y ago
  If you think that is an appropriate limit.
  - tonyedgecombe 8y ago
    No, I just plucked a figure out of my backside.

76 8y ago

Just out of curiosity, what's your favorite news site, that has so many interesting articles?

JetSpiegel 8y ago

> Like pretending to be a character in an RPG - playing the game of my life. I also play all the side quests first in RPGs!

SomethingStars 8y ago

I made a policy that I visit any news sites only once a day (usually in the morning). When I catch up and when I start seeing stories I already saw yesterday, I stop and don't come back until tomorrow.