5 ms·

How to stay focused by eliminating distractions and procrastination

68 points by mace 16y ago

benohear 16y ago
The thing that has really worked for me is disabling all the "procrastination" sites (Hacker News, Reddit, BBC etc) on my work machine and keeping a netbook / ipad in the living room for browsing. This is a light version of the advice that PG gives here http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html, for those of us that actually need an internet connection to work. The other one is a fixed work day. It's a lot easier to allow yourself a "quick check of the news" at 3pm when you say to yourself that you'll be working until 10pm. That's very different when you've only got 3 hours left. Central to all of this is getting started. Normally if you can avoid giving into the craving to dick around and get started with work, within a couple of minutes you will be into it. A trick there is to say "I'll work for ten minutes and then check the news" rather than the other way around. There is also a question of managing brainspace. There I found that the first thing I do in the morning has a huge influence on what preoccupies me for the rest of the day. So I try to resist the temptation to start my day with email or checking the news and make sure my first thoughts are dedicated to productive work.
seles 16y ago
I wonder if it is intentional irony that this post about avoiding distractions has videos embedded, that seem to serve no purpose except to entertain and distract. That being the said the irc one was hilarious...
- nuttendorfer 16y ago
  You are already getting distracted by reading the post, no harm done I guess.
- SkyMarshal 16y ago
  "IRC. Internet Relay Chat. It's how hackers talk when they don't want to be overheard." And here was me thinking they used private IRC servers, PGP, and other, you know, private methods, when they don't want to be overheard. "I'll set up an alarm to alert us if either name [chat handle] enters an IRC channel". That's one hell of an alarm, that scans in real time all the IRC servers and channels out there.
edanm 16y ago
One of the few things that has worked for me is the Pomodoro Technique. If you haven't heard of it, it's very close to what the author is talking about: create a very specific list of tasks, with high granularity, and then concentrate on one task for 25 minutes. Put a mark next to it when you've done 25 minutes, then go rest for 5 minutes. Rinse and repeat. This has all sorts of psychology built-in, like forcing you to stop after 25 minutes, often in mid-task. This makes you more anxious to get back and finish the job. It's also much easier to get yourself to say "ok, I'll just work on this one thing for 25 minutes", rather than "ok, let's get started on this 4-hour-long task." For anyone interested in more information, you can read about the technique and download a (free) ebook about it from www.pomodorotechnique.com. Also, I'm currently working on a small webapp that helps you manage your tasks using the Pomodoro Technique. You can sign up to be notified of the beta at www.pomodoroplanner.com.
- ihodes 16y ago
  That sounds like an excellent app idea. I'll be signing up, for sure. Might I suggest that you check out using something like http://notifo.com/ http://notifo.com/ to send users texts when their timers end?
  - edanm 16y ago
    Thanks! We're actually considering a number of ways of getting the notifications out - I hadn't really considered notifo.com, but it looks like a great solution. I'll definitely be considering it!
- benohear 16y ago
  I found the Pomodoro Technique to be a bit like daily pushups. It really does work, but it requires discipline and/or a routine to keep it up. The problem is that once you've missed a few days for any number of reasons, it requires effort to reinstate, and in my experience that inevitably gets procrastinated.
  - edanm 16y ago
    Yep - that's usually the problem with these types of things. We're working hard on trying to solve that problem with our app, though it's a tough one. I've been thinking along the lines of emailing people reminding them of their tasks, but I don't know if that will be too intrusive (people tend to dislike getting too many mails.)
raphar 16y ago
I found the advice on focusing sound but pretty standard. What I found interesting was that Identified with the author's problems, but still he was able to produce a fine and concrete piece of work. Having played his game, I found his story inspiring. pd: btw, I really loved his game trainyard.
huherto 16y ago
The stay focused chrome extension has worked for me. https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/laankejkbhbdhmip... I would like to have a bit more granularity. Like having several rest periods during the day.
3pt14159 16y ago
I'm going to give it a try. Removed Starcraft 2 from my machine just now; winning 300+ games is enough for now.
- kqr2 16y ago
  A little tongue in cheek, but previously discussed here: Why Startups Should Only Hire Good Starcraft Players http://www.helloko.com/2010/09/why-startups-should-only-hire-good-starcraft-players/ http://www.helloko.com/2010/09/why-startups-should-only-hire...
aeontech 16y ago
This eliminates 90% of distraction: vim /etc/hosts 127.0.0.1 reddit.com 127.0.0.1 facebook.com 127.0.0.1 news.ycombinator.com 127.0.0.1 digg.com 127.0.0.1 reader.google.com 127.0.0.1 stumbleupon.com Add whatever sites you visit that are massive firehoses of information. Sites that just serve bite-size chunks are safe to leave off - you most likely don't visit them much anyway, and even if you do visit, you'll quickly leave because they don't offer that constant stream of content that submerges you and drags you off into the net with that overwhelming "just one more click" reward system. On the mental side, I find that it's easiest to stay focused by harnessing the same mental pleasure/reward cycle but hooking it to concrete tasks that are a part of what I'm working on. Breaking down your todo's into very concrete steps so that you never have an opportunity to get distracted by wondering what you should be working on next helps you keep the flow going, and also helps you by providing that miniature rush of reward every time you complete a task. Avoid having large ill-defined projects because they quickly grow mentally draining and feel like an endless slog that you want to escape because there is never a concrete feeling of accomplishment.
yewweitan 16y ago
Eliminating distractions was actually quite easy for myself. As long as I've got silence, I can focus well. Procrastination is another issue, for exactly the reasons that the author states: lack of concrete goals. With bigger projects, concrete goals are harder to make. Especially with software, I'm always a horrible estimator, and I'll write something like "Get X feature to start working". It may be a small feature, but it ends up moving in all the different directions that I'd never expect it to take. I've tried becoming a better estimator, by recorded what I intended to get done, what I did get done, and then reflecting on that. It's a slow and simple process, but I think it's working. Or maybe its my bad estimation ability fooling me again =p.
kennet 16y ago
Stepping on * a lot * of toes with these kind of posts. They are the cold truth and people aren't used to it. Internet and social addictions are real. There are many IRC chatrooms that are filled with people who haven't done anything, not a single finished project or any sort of plan with their lives, because they are too busy filling the craving of talking about whatever, or "planning" to do something/"hoping" to finish a project, and so on. I'm also someone who has recently shook off gaming. A friend of mine tells me I am doing it wrong because I should be enjoying life, however looking back I sank way too much into SC1, Day of Defeat, Counterstrike, and was almost baited by SC2--the same games that Matt Rix mentions. I prefer to play Single Player nowadays because there is a definitive start and finish. This acts as a cue for me to get back to work if I have been slacking off too much. For me, once I get over the initial plateau of starting up again from where I last left off on a project, the feeling of laziness and procrastination goes away. Again, Matt mentions knowing the concrete things you wish to do and then executing them. It works for me(tm).

68 points by mace 16y ago

The thing that has really worked for me is disabling all the "procrastination" sites (Hacker News, Reddit, BBC etc) on my work machine and keeping a netbook / ipad in the living room for browsing. This is a light version of the advice that PG gives here http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html http://www.paulgraham.com/distraction.html, for those of us that actually need an internet connection to work. The other one is a fixed work day. It's a lot easier to allow yourself a "quick check of the news" at 3pm when you say to yourself that you'll be working until 10pm. That's very different when you've only got 3 hours left. Central to all of this is getting started. Normally if you can avoid giving into the craving to dick around and get started with work, within a couple of minutes you will be into it. A trick there is to say "I'll work for ten minutes and then check the news" rather than the other way around. There is also a question of managing brainspace. There I found that the first thing I do in the morning has a huge influence on what preoccupies me for the rest of the day. So I try to resist the temptation to start my day with email or checking the news and make sure my first thoughts are dedicated to productive work.

seles 16y ago

I wonder if it is intentional irony that this post about avoiding distractions has videos embedded, that seem to serve no purpose except to entertain and distract. That being the said the irc one was hilarious...

nuttendorfer 16y ago
You are already getting distracted by reading the post, no harm done I guess.
SkyMarshal 16y ago
"IRC. Internet Relay Chat. It's how hackers talk when they don't want to be overheard." And here was me thinking they used private IRC servers, PGP, and other, you know, private methods, when they don't want to be overheard. "I'll set up an alarm to alert us if either name [chat handle] enters an IRC channel". That's one hell of an alarm, that scans in real time all the IRC servers and channels out there.

edanm 16y ago

One of the few things that has worked for me is the Pomodoro Technique. If you haven't heard of it, it's very close to what the author is talking about: create a very specific list of tasks, with high granularity, and then concentrate on one task for 25 minutes. Put a mark next to it when you've done 25 minutes, then go rest for 5 minutes. Rinse and repeat. This has all sorts of psychology built-in, like forcing you to stop after 25 minutes, often in mid-task. This makes you more anxious to get back and finish the job. It's also much easier to get yourself to say "ok, I'll just work on this one thing for 25 minutes", rather than "ok, let's get started on this 4-hour-long task." For anyone interested in more information, you can read about the technique and download a (free) ebook about it from www.pomodorotechnique.com. Also, I'm currently working on a small webapp that helps you manage your tasks using the Pomodoro Technique. You can sign up to be notified of the beta at www.pomodoroplanner.com.

ihodes 16y ago
That sounds like an excellent app idea. I'll be signing up, for sure. Might I suggest that you check out using something like http://notifo.com/ http://notifo.com/ to send users texts when their timers end?
- edanm 16y ago
  Thanks! We're actually considering a number of ways of getting the notifications out - I hadn't really considered notifo.com, but it looks like a great solution. I'll definitely be considering it!
benohear 16y ago
I found the Pomodoro Technique to be a bit like daily pushups. It really does work, but it requires discipline and/or a routine to keep it up. The problem is that once you've missed a few days for any number of reasons, it requires effort to reinstate, and in my experience that inevitably gets procrastinated.
- edanm 16y ago
  Yep - that's usually the problem with these types of things. We're working hard on trying to solve that problem with our app, though it's a tough one. I've been thinking along the lines of emailing people reminding them of their tasks, but I don't know if that will be too intrusive (people tend to dislike getting too many mails.)

raphar 16y ago

I found the advice on focusing sound but pretty standard. What I found interesting was that Identified with the author's problems, but still he was able to produce a fine and concrete piece of work. Having played his game, I found his story inspiring. pd: btw, I really loved his game trainyard.

huherto 16y ago

The stay focused chrome extension has worked for me. https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/laankejkbhbdhmip... I would like to have a bit more granularity. Like having several rest periods during the day.

3pt14159 16y ago

I'm going to give it a try. Removed Starcraft 2 from my machine just now; winning 300+ games is enough for now.

kqr2 16y ago
A little tongue in cheek, but previously discussed here: Why Startups Should Only Hire Good Starcraft Players http://www.helloko.com/2010/09/why-startups-should-only-hire-good-starcraft-players/ http://www.helloko.com/2010/09/why-startups-should-only-hire...

aeontech 16y ago

This eliminates 90% of distraction: vim /etc/hosts 127.0.0.1 reddit.com 127.0.0.1 facebook.com 127.0.0.1 news.ycombinator.com 127.0.0.1 digg.com 127.0.0.1 reader.google.com 127.0.0.1 stumbleupon.com Add whatever sites you visit that are massive firehoses of information. Sites that just serve bite-size chunks are safe to leave off - you most likely don't visit them much anyway, and even if you do visit, you'll quickly leave because they don't offer that constant stream of content that submerges you and drags you off into the net with that overwhelming "just one more click" reward system. On the mental side, I find that it's easiest to stay focused by harnessing the same mental pleasure/reward cycle but hooking it to concrete tasks that are a part of what I'm working on. Breaking down your todo's into very concrete steps so that you never have an opportunity to get distracted by wondering what you should be working on next helps you keep the flow going, and also helps you by providing that miniature rush of reward every time you complete a task. Avoid having large ill-defined projects because they quickly grow mentally draining and feel like an endless slog that you want to escape because there is never a concrete feeling of accomplishment.

yewweitan 16y ago

Eliminating distractions was actually quite easy for myself. As long as I've got silence, I can focus well. Procrastination is another issue, for exactly the reasons that the author states: lack of concrete goals. With bigger projects, concrete goals are harder to make. Especially with software, I'm always a horrible estimator, and I'll write something like "Get X feature to start working". It may be a small feature, but it ends up moving in all the different directions that I'd never expect it to take. I've tried becoming a better estimator, by recorded what I intended to get done, what I did get done, and then reflecting on that. It's a slow and simple process, but I think it's working. Or maybe its my bad estimation ability fooling me again =p.

kennet 16y ago

Stepping on * a lot * of toes with these kind of posts. They are the cold truth and people aren't used to it. Internet and social addictions are real. There are many IRC chatrooms that are filled with people who haven't done anything, not a single finished project or any sort of plan with their lives, because they are too busy filling the craving of talking about whatever, or "planning" to do something/"hoping" to finish a project, and so on. I'm also someone who has recently shook off gaming. A friend of mine tells me I am doing it wrong because I should be enjoying life, however looking back I sank way too much into SC1, Day of Defeat, Counterstrike, and was almost baited by SC2--the same games that Matt Rix mentions. I prefer to play Single Player nowadays because there is a definitive start and finish. This acts as a cue for me to get back to work if I have been slacking off too much. For me, once I get over the initial plateau of starting up again from where I last left off on a project, the feeling of laziness and procrastination goes away. Again, Matt mentions knowing the concrete things you wish to do and then executing them. It works for me(tm).