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Ask HN: How do I stop wasting time?
I'm lucky right now in that I'm able to spend a lot of my time studying. But it seems that while my intentions are there, I end up wasting a lot of that time just browsing the internet or reading stuff that's off-task. I need a new way.
- loveparade 3y agoI believe that everyone has experienced this, but the reasons behind it, and what techniques may work, tend to be different for everyone. A lot of online content is very addictive. You may want to investigate if there is a deeper reason behind your avoidance for studying. For example, uncertainty around "is this stuff actually useful" or "will I succeed" may create anxiety and avoidance and push you towards distractions, whatever they may be. You could then work on accepting or eliminating that uncertainty. On the other hand, maybe it's much simpler and you're just addicted to some of the junk you find online, similar to how some people are addicted to porn.
- throwaway888abc 3y agoIt's a form of 'resting'. If you can, just go travel, few days somewhere will make miracles to current mindset.
- pestatije 3y agofind the things you like and which you consider not a waste of time...alternatively, find the things you like and consider them not a waste of time
- realpythonlover 3y agoI would say start building other habits, and just aim at becoming a bit better each day. When starting to randomly browsing, you're looking for quick dopamine, and you need to train your brain to start liking more difficult ways of acquiring it.
- mindwok 3y agoOnly you can answer this. Really ask yourself if it's a problem with your discipline, or a problem with your motivation. If it's a problem with discipline then you need to figure out a strategy to improve your discipline. Pomodoro timers could help, or being mindful of distractions and minimising them. Read Atomic Habits and Deep Work if you want to dive more deeply into the nuts and bolts of this. You need to be actively engaged in minimising distractions if you want to get stuff done, otherwise our forever connected world will eat you alive. Motivation is deeper. If you don't understand what you truly want, and align yourself to that, you'll be constantly fighting yourself. Why do you think you should be studying? Is it because you genuinely want to learn more about a subject? Or do you just think you should be studying because that's what a productive person would do? Maybe spend some time journalling about this to try and wind back why you want to do this and why you think you aren't doing it. Or, maybe you just have ADHD.
- solardev 3y agoDo you do any better studying with other people? Either formally, like in a class (online or in person, but synchronous is better at keeping you accountable, I think), or informally like once a week at a cafe or such?
- catchnear4321 3y agoconsider the possibility that it isn’t your studies that you are avoiding.
- navjack27 3y agoWaste time! It's fine! Do you want to look back and think "man, I was so serious all the time and I never goofed around even once."?
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- revskill 3y agoBrowse the github and test all the code there.
- qup 3y agoLife is a game. NPCs are busy wasting their time. Don't be an NPC. Work on something that delights you, and improves your value. For me that's coding (again...finally!). If you can't work on whatever is most important, at least waste your time in the right direction and level up. Just be aware of yourself, that's my best advice. If you want to do the work, you'll figure it out. There's no trick except maybe to make yourself want it.
- arsdn 3y agoTrying to delete all the social media apps on your phone may sound brutal, but it’s efficient.
- FractalHQ 3y agoI did this 7 years ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!
- ac2u 3y agoYou probably spend more time that you need to studying because you feel you need to after "wasting" a lot of it browsing. The solution is to commit to much less time studying, but when you do study, be disciplined. When that's done... feel free to "waste" your time, we're not supposed to be robotically applying time to a cause 24/7, go do something useless, watch a little netflix, read a fiction book, relax. Let your brain process everything in the background.
- cmos 3y agosearch youtube for motivational videos. Play one when you are down. Skip if you don't like it - there are an infinite number of them.
- julienreszka 3y agomake a checklist follow the checklist