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About the ADHD part: I don't know whether I have ADHD but I do lose focus quickly once I figure out how to solve a problem, before doing any implementation -- a

About the ADHD part: I don't know whether I have ADHD but I do lose focus quickly once I figure out how to solve a problem, before doing any implementation -- after all the implementation, however long it could take, is boring and uninteresting comparing to figuring out how to implement. So what if I get myself a Raspberry Pi 8GB and jumps into VSCode and VSCode only? Is it possible to make a VSCode "terminal" that only shows VSCode? OK let's make it more interesting: it also has network connection and the ChatGPT plugin for VSCode installed, so that I don't have to leave for another desktop to "find" something. What do you think?

colechristensen 3y ago
On any Linux system you can have no window manager (or an extremely minimal one) and just start a single application on login. It's been a while since I've done that and most stuff has moved away from X11 now, but yes exactly what you want is possible. To log in and have nothing but a single application, no menus, no desktop, etc.
mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago
I have the same problem, and sometimes I'll code with an ageing Thinkpad(just 8 gigs of ram on it and an i5 with pretty bad singe-core perf) on my couch, ssh into my desktop and run Emacs/vim that way. I still have a full environment on my Thinkpad, but the 13" screen means I don't always have my browser open(usually just the one terminal), and if I follow my impulse to open a hundred tabs of docs in a local browser, my system will slow down too much. Forces me to keep a clutter free setup to even get anything done! Definitely think your idea is worth trying for yourself.
- nickjj 3y ago
  I think there is something about optimizing for comfort. I've had a standing desk for 8 or 9 years now and I stand probably 75% of the time. When I sit, my chair is not very comfortable but also standing isn't always ideal either. This is while also mixing in 2-3 walks or jogs through out the day. After working for ~8-9 hours in that environment and being up for 14-15 hours, sometimes when I'm in a vegetable state where I'm laying in bed watching a movie I feel highly motivated to work on something but I don't have a laptop and the thought of getting back up rarely wins. With that said, I'd say my most productive "programming thoughts" happen right as I wake up and am laying in bed. I often spend 15-20 minutes thinking about exactly how I'll solve something and then get to that during the day. This is for both work and personal projects.
dansalvato 3y ago
It’s well known that habits and mode of thinking change with environmental cues, and I find that extends to a digital environment as well. If you have a device that’s distinctly a “work” device and you’ve only ever used it for focused work, then your brain will hopefully catch on and keep you within that mode of thinking a little bit more effectively. However, I find that with ADHD, a good “system” doesn’t solve all my problems. There is then the fundamental problem of regularly using that system, which it turns out ADHD also makes a serious challenge. So, yes, good systems have tremendous value, but just prepare for the undertaking of staying committed to the system you’ve set up for yourself.
pastorhudson 3y ago
I think it will be a lot of fun to build it and then because you built it you will be highly motivated to use it for a season. Maybe a few weeks. Maybe 6 months, but eventually it will will be boring too. I find pomodo style gorilla warfare works best for me. I tell myself I will work on the implementation for 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes I am still repelled by this task to the point I am unproductive, then I accept that, make necessary notes and do something else. I will try again tomorrow. Eventually I hit a point where I have done enough that I am motivated to continue to see it completed. I will do gorilla attacks on cleaning my office, writing marketing email, inbox zero, implementing some new feature. It works for me for a lot of things. When I am just unable to do what I’m “supposed” to do then I give myself grace and go do the thing that is consuming my attention at the moment. This “unproductive” stuff often becomes new ideas, new features, new friends, and brings meaning to my life.
- Loggias 3y ago
  [dead]
edyc5 3y ago
As a fellow-sufferer of attention deficit, I am the same way. Once I've mapped out a solution, I mentally checkout and procrastinate on doing the actual implementation. One thing that's helped me is by practicing "Deep Work" by absolutely resisting any urge to check my phone during that 45 minute focus time (like pomodoro technique). Last month, I prototyped a desktop app of a blinking border to assist with getting into a "flow state", which has been pretty effective in keeping me focused for set durations for the past few weeks. Shared with a few friends who have also said it's helped them be more productive so happy to share these tools with fellow HN'ers. Email in my bio if you wanna give it a try before I launch it on App Store in the coming weeks.
- hnthrowaway0328 3y ago
  Thanks. I think for me, going deep is really good. Pomodoro never worked for me as I prefer to wrap up everything, or at least one milestone in one shot, so I have to spend hours. Good luck for the app BTW!
theGnuMe 3y ago
Yeah that would work, minimalism and artificial constraints are ways to help manage ADHD. The other thing to think about it is that your mental solution is probably wrong and won't survive implementation. Consider that a challenge to focus on.
bitwize 3y ago
Well, a lot of people have talked about symlinking /sbin/init to /usr/bin/emacs...
demondemidi 3y ago
I don’t know if “not finishing what you start” is adhd or laziness. How do you know you solved something if you don’t implement it? For myself I have decades of evidence that show the first proof of concept I think of is always very different from the final product. It’s even more different when I’m working with a team.

colechristensen 3y ago

On any Linux system you can have no window manager (or an extremely minimal one) and just start a single application on login. It's been a while since I've done that and most stuff has moved away from X11 now, but yes exactly what you want is possible. To log in and have nothing but a single application, no menus, no desktop, etc.

mtlmtlmtlmtl 3y ago

I have the same problem, and sometimes I'll code with an ageing Thinkpad(just 8 gigs of ram on it and an i5 with pretty bad singe-core perf) on my couch, ssh into my desktop and run Emacs/vim that way. I still have a full environment on my Thinkpad, but the 13" screen means I don't always have my browser open(usually just the one terminal), and if I follow my impulse to open a hundred tabs of docs in a local browser, my system will slow down too much. Forces me to keep a clutter free setup to even get anything done! Definitely think your idea is worth trying for yourself.

nickjj 3y ago
I think there is something about optimizing for comfort. I've had a standing desk for 8 or 9 years now and I stand probably 75% of the time. When I sit, my chair is not very comfortable but also standing isn't always ideal either. This is while also mixing in 2-3 walks or jogs through out the day. After working for ~8-9 hours in that environment and being up for 14-15 hours, sometimes when I'm in a vegetable state where I'm laying in bed watching a movie I feel highly motivated to work on something but I don't have a laptop and the thought of getting back up rarely wins. With that said, I'd say my most productive "programming thoughts" happen right as I wake up and am laying in bed. I often spend 15-20 minutes thinking about exactly how I'll solve something and then get to that during the day. This is for both work and personal projects.

dansalvato 3y ago

It’s well known that habits and mode of thinking change with environmental cues, and I find that extends to a digital environment as well. If you have a device that’s distinctly a “work” device and you’ve only ever used it for focused work, then your brain will hopefully catch on and keep you within that mode of thinking a little bit more effectively. However, I find that with ADHD, a good “system” doesn’t solve all my problems. There is then the fundamental problem of regularly using that system, which it turns out ADHD also makes a serious challenge. So, yes, good systems have tremendous value, but just prepare for the undertaking of staying committed to the system you’ve set up for yourself.

pastorhudson 3y ago

I think it will be a lot of fun to build it and then because you built it you will be highly motivated to use it for a season. Maybe a few weeks. Maybe 6 months, but eventually it will will be boring too. I find pomodo style gorilla warfare works best for me. I tell myself I will work on the implementation for 15 minutes. If after 15 minutes I am still repelled by this task to the point I am unproductive, then I accept that, make necessary notes and do something else. I will try again tomorrow. Eventually I hit a point where I have done enough that I am motivated to continue to see it completed. I will do gorilla attacks on cleaning my office, writing marketing email, inbox zero, implementing some new feature. It works for me for a lot of things. When I am just unable to do what I’m “supposed” to do then I give myself grace and go do the thing that is consuming my attention at the moment. This “unproductive” stuff often becomes new ideas, new features, new friends, and brings meaning to my life.

Loggias 3y ago
[dead]

edyc5 3y ago

As a fellow-sufferer of attention deficit, I am the same way. Once I've mapped out a solution, I mentally checkout and procrastinate on doing the actual implementation. One thing that's helped me is by practicing "Deep Work" by absolutely resisting any urge to check my phone during that 45 minute focus time (like pomodoro technique). Last month, I prototyped a desktop app of a blinking border to assist with getting into a "flow state", which has been pretty effective in keeping me focused for set durations for the past few weeks. Shared with a few friends who have also said it's helped them be more productive so happy to share these tools with fellow HN'ers. Email in my bio if you wanna give it a try before I launch it on App Store in the coming weeks.

hnthrowaway0328 3y ago
Thanks. I think for me, going deep is really good. Pomodoro never worked for me as I prefer to wrap up everything, or at least one milestone in one shot, so I have to spend hours. Good luck for the app BTW!

theGnuMe 3y ago

Yeah that would work, minimalism and artificial constraints are ways to help manage ADHD. The other thing to think about it is that your mental solution is probably wrong and won't survive implementation. Consider that a challenge to focus on.

bitwize 3y ago

Well, a lot of people have talked about symlinking /sbin/init to /usr/bin/emacs...

demondemidi 3y ago

I don’t know if “not finishing what you start” is adhd or laziness. How do you know you solved something if you don’t implement it? For myself I have decades of evidence that show the first proof of concept I think of is always very different from the final product. It’s even more different when I’m working with a team.