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I’m not sure what my problem is, but I find it incredibly hard to focus on some things for any meaningful amount of time. For example, I’ve been diving back in

I’m not sure what my problem is, but I find it incredibly hard to focus on some things for any meaningful amount of time. For example, I’ve been diving back into C recently and going through and exercises takes me forever. I notice I’ll do one, switch to YouTube to swap song, find an interesting video about literally anything, watch that, and then do another exercise. I’ve looked at ADHD but I’m not sure I fit, in pretty good at getting my work tasks done by the deadline, but if I focused I could probably do them a day earlier. For reading, I use an old Kindle and can stay focused easily, so maybe it’s just not opening a web browser is what I need to try.

diegoperini 6y ago
I assume you do programming in your day job. If so, no matter what HN crowd claims about side projects, picking another programming task as your extra curricular activity can be the main reason why you are easily distracted. Maybe by the end of the week (or work day) you are simply tired of looking at screens with small and dense text.
- ehnto 6y ago
  It may be cliche, but I found a bunch of non-computer hobbies and it helped a lot. Unfortunately it also gave me a glimpse of life not spent sitting in front of a screen, and while I still love programming, I am looking for a way to escape using computers for a living. Sorry, software industry, it's not you, it's the screens.
  - andai 6y ago
    I love programming but it's starting to get to my spine. I'm self employed which is great cause I get to spend my micro breaks on a mattress (and stepping away from the screen seems to help me think over what I'm working on -- diffuse mode thinking). Considering getting a real job but something tells me most offices aren't suitable for lying down. (I read about someone on a polyphasic sleep schedule who took her afternoon nap during the lunch break and she had to hide in the server room!)
burntoutfire 6y ago
> For example, I’ve been diving back into C recently and going through and exercises takes me forever. Looks like you don't care that much about relearning C, or at least about doing it via those exercises. Look into your motivation for why you do it in the first place.

diegoperini 6y ago

I assume you do programming in your day job. If so, no matter what HN crowd claims about side projects, picking another programming task as your extra curricular activity can be the main reason why you are easily distracted. Maybe by the end of the week (or work day) you are simply tired of looking at screens with small and dense text.

ehnto 6y ago
It may be cliche, but I found a bunch of non-computer hobbies and it helped a lot. Unfortunately it also gave me a glimpse of life not spent sitting in front of a screen, and while I still love programming, I am looking for a way to escape using computers for a living. Sorry, software industry, it's not you, it's the screens.
- andai 6y ago
  I love programming but it's starting to get to my spine. I'm self employed which is great cause I get to spend my micro breaks on a mattress (and stepping away from the screen seems to help me think over what I'm working on -- diffuse mode thinking). Considering getting a real job but something tells me most offices aren't suitable for lying down. (I read about someone on a polyphasic sleep schedule who took her afternoon nap during the lunch break and she had to hide in the server room!)

burntoutfire 6y ago

> For example, I’ve been diving back into C recently and going through and exercises takes me forever. Looks like you don't care that much about relearning C, or at least about doing it via those exercises. Look into your motivation for why you do it in the first place.