6 ms·

Great discussion. In my opinion, the real takeaway isn’t about notebooks vs. digital tools, it’s about what shifts your mental gears. Every time we switch mode

by ednite 1y ago

Great discussion. In my opinion, the real takeaway isn’t about notebooks vs. digital tools, it’s about what shifts your mental gears. Every time we switch modes, it forces our brain to pay attention differently. That fresh context can boost focus, creativity, even recall. For example, I recently stopped coding all the time and picked up a new hobby at night, writing. That simple change gave my brain a reset and actually improved the performance during the day. Same goes for planning: switching from digital to pen and paper breaks the routine and makes your brain engage differently. It’s less about the tool and more about how the change wakes you up.

cleak 1y ago
The book Smarter Faster Better introduced me to the concept of disfluency - the idea that extra friction such as awkward fonts, new environments, different tools, etc will pull you out of autopilot mode and force you to think in new ways. I haven’t seen references to it elsewhere, but it’s changed how I approach problems and learning the last 9 years. Switching to a notebook is one great way I use to trigger this as well.
- ednite 1y ago
  Thanks for sharing. I just added Smarter Faster Better to my reading list, along with Annie Murphy Paul’s The Extended Mind. Both seem to explore how breaking out of autopilot can unlock better thinking, which is exactly what I’ve been noticing in my own routines.
  - bookofjoe 1y ago
    Great book: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Day-Course-Thinking-Edward-Bono/dp/1785040863/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18GQKEESAROZJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BGjfShH0wtN9--_va9d7RHyYt8unnneWwy4dR7VG3z_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.-On3wlalwawIeSRI3bzVOaIhwlLVOVysoDtK-zUQ8K8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+five+day+course+in+thinking+de+bono&qid=1748469624&s=books&sprefix=the+five+day+course+in+thinking+de+bono%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1 https://www.amazon.com/Five-Day-Course-Thinking-Edward-Bono/...
- gjadi 1y ago
  Interesting. I noticed the same and sometimes I change my emacs theme just to get a fresh perspective. Sometimes I also disable syntax highlighting when typing so I won't get distracted.
  - diggan 1y ago
    > Sometimes I also disable syntax highlighting when typing Was waiting for someone to comment this. It's a somewhat known strategy if you have to read through a bunch of boring code you don't want to work with, and find hard to focus with, to turn off the syntax highlight and somehow the brain stops glossing over/skimming the code and starts to pay more attention. I found it led to marginal difference at best, as with most strategies. It does work well initially though, as I guess the brain stops being able to use colors it's used to for grouping stuff together and similar.
    - WCSTombs 1y ago
      Along similar lines, sometimes I print out code on paper and make notes with a pen, sitting far away from my computer. Of course there's no, or very minimal, syntax highlighting then.
  - thewebguyd 1y ago
    A bit extreme on my end, but I've got the spare hardware for it - when I get into a rut I change operating systems, so I'm bouncing back and forth between macOS and Windows or Linux. I'm adept at using both but the change adds just enough friction and visual differences to spark creativity, or a little productivity boost.
  - fuzztester 1y ago
    I have syntax set to off in my .vimrc file, to have no syntax highlighting at all, and it's off all the time, not just while typing, i.e., even while moving through or changing text (code), or even when just reading it. I find it much better that way.
- dalmo3 1y ago
  Interesting. For me it's the opposite, e.g. just changing keyboard layouts between pc and mac breaks my brain hard, and I feel useless.
  - jahsome 1y ago
    I experience similar and I think of discomfort tolerance like a muscle. The more I (am forced to) use it, the less strain I experience when using it. I am naturally prone to optimizing friction away--autistic engineer--but have come to realize regularly putting myself in uncomfortable positions professionally and personally works for me as a form of exposure therapy. Nowadays, in the event I'm thrust into such an unfamiliar situation against my will, I'm still functional. An enormously valuable knock on effect was coming to the realization the things I enjoy most in life are those which have been a surprise, and I would have simply avoided weren't I being intentional in pushing my own boundaries.
  - tonyedgecombe 1y ago
    When I was dual booting my Mac between macOS and Windows I used to swap the keyboard and mouse at the same time. I found it helped with handling the differences between the two operating systems.
- brailsafe 1y ago
  This is a somewhat wasteful one, but when I really really can't focus or make progress on untangling an issue or if I just want to fully understand a file, I will print out my code on paper and go through it with a red pen line by line. It's rare, but it works just like editing an essay. I notice things I wouldn't otherwise.
  - fuzztester 1y ago
    That used to be common some years ago, with or without a red pen or any pen.
jasminebelmont 1y ago
[dead]
atrettel 1y ago
This is one of the reasons that I actually take notes in three different media: paper notebooks, an old-school digital voice recorder, and in text files. Different media have different advantages and disadvantages and represent different ideas for more readily. I have used the voice recorder less over the years but I find it optimal when time is limited and I have to move onto something else. Part of using a voice recorder as a medium is listening closely afterwards and writing down what I said in a different manner (either in a more permanent paper notebook or digitally in a text file). And yes, each iteration transforms the idea at least somewhat. It gives you the chance to see the idea in a different way.
- rramadass 1y ago
  This is what i do too. Paper Notebooks + old-school Digital Voice Recorder (get one which takes replaceable batteries) are a great combo to train oneself to use regularly and consistently for everything.
  - fuzztester 1y ago
    What recorder make and model do you use?
    - rramadass 1y ago
      The one that i had bought long ago and use is the Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder. But you can get whichever one fits your budget and works for you.
      - fuzztester 1y ago
        thanks
- fuzztester 1y ago
  What recorder make and model do you use?
bandoti 1y ago
Something I noticed for myself—doing a live webinar series over a couple days and taking notes with pen/paper in realtime—I really struggled to keep up at first, but over a few days I started to notice my ability to do a listen-and-write context shift improved and it felt like I was able to retain auditory information better.
agarren 1y ago
Out of curiosity, what kind of writing? Journaling and getting your thoughts out, or fiction, something else?
- ednite 1y ago
  Honestly, I’m kind of all over the place with my writing right now, but I can’t stop. It’s one of the reasons I finally joined HN. I’ve been a long-time reader here but recently decided to start sharing my 2-cents here and there. I started a blog to get my thoughts out and explore whatever sparked my curiosity. It’s been a creative blast, and I’m still figuring it out as I go. I do journal, though it’s more of a quick log, tracking time and daily developments. My deeper writing is more immersed. Lately, I’ve been spending a few hours most nights working on a self-improvement book, which I’ve been enjoying writing. One unexpected benefit I can’t emphasize enough is how much writing has helped me stay sharp and more focused in my day job. It’s like a reset button for the brain. If you’re feeling stuck or low on motivation, I really recommend trying something completely different in your routine, especially something outside your comfort zone, like switching from digital to analog. Thanks for asking!
hinkley 1y ago
I wonder how many developers today were forced to take an introductory drafting class. I know a lot of us played with Lego. The problem of describing a 3 dimensional object in two dimensions requires extra projections to describe the thing. A 3d object in 2 dimensions takes three drawings to mostly describe. If the object is more complex than three dimensions, you need to look at it from a lot more angles.
- ednite 1y ago
  Wow, decades in this field and it finally took your comment to connect my childhood LEGO obsession with coding. Simple enough, but it never actually crossed my mind. The funny thing is, I’ve always linked my love for storytelling to LEGO building, but not coding. Thanks for the insight, that just snapped into place.
  - hinkley 1y ago
    Did I love Lego because I was like this, or am I like this because I loved Lego? That'll bake your noodle for a good long while :)
    - ednite 1y ago
      Whoa…
    - fuzztester 1y ago
      If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, did make a sound? - Zen koan I read a while ago, might have got the wording a bit wrong, but a fun one. Just googled, and it is Wikipedia too, but "koan" is only in the See also section: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_and_no_one_is_around_to_hear_it,_does_it_make_a_sound%3F https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_...
  - Terr_ 1y ago
    With respect to Lego and coding, now I'm thinking of the game Infinifactory, which has the nice property of yielding puzzle-answers where you can go: "Hey, I built that! Look at it operate!"
nemofoo 1y ago
This is a great insight. I have no data to back it up by my experience is very similar
stronglikedan 1y ago
I read a study a while back that said context switching costs ~15 minutes on average. I don't know how true it is, but my bosses have always believed it and tried to respect it.
- orev 1y ago
  I don’t think this is context switching, which would be about moving your attention to an entirely different topic. Addressing the same topic using a few different tools doesn’t require your brain to unload and reload a whole set of context information.
kapitar 1y ago
This is why (apart from being Irish) I drink a fair bit of tea throughout the day. Going to the kitchen, boiling water and letting it brew, gets me away from my desk and gives me an opportunity to start thinking out loud while I wait. Sometimes just getting up out of my chair will shake loose some tough problem and the answer will be clear. Alas, even after all these years, I occasionally grind away on things rather than remembering this.

by ednite 1y ago

cleak 1y ago

The book Smarter Faster Better introduced me to the concept of disfluency - the idea that extra friction such as awkward fonts, new environments, different tools, etc will pull you out of autopilot mode and force you to think in new ways. I haven’t seen references to it elsewhere, but it’s changed how I approach problems and learning the last 9 years. Switching to a notebook is one great way I use to trigger this as well.

ednite 1y ago
Thanks for sharing. I just added Smarter Faster Better to my reading list, along with Annie Murphy Paul’s The Extended Mind. Both seem to explore how breaking out of autopilot can unlock better thinking, which is exactly what I’ve been noticing in my own routines.
- bookofjoe 1y ago
  Great book: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Day-Course-Thinking-Edward-Bono/dp/1785040863/ref=sr_1_1?crid=18GQKEESAROZJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BGjfShH0wtN9--_va9d7RHyYt8unnneWwy4dR7VG3z_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.-On3wlalwawIeSRI3bzVOaIhwlLVOVysoDtK-zUQ8K8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+five+day+course+in+thinking+de+bono&qid=1748469624&s=books&sprefix=the+five+day+course+in+thinking+de+bono%2Cstripbooks%2C81&sr=1-1 https://www.amazon.com/Five-Day-Course-Thinking-Edward-Bono/...
gjadi 1y ago
Interesting. I noticed the same and sometimes I change my emacs theme just to get a fresh perspective. Sometimes I also disable syntax highlighting when typing so I won't get distracted.
- diggan 1y ago
  > Sometimes I also disable syntax highlighting when typing Was waiting for someone to comment this. It's a somewhat known strategy if you have to read through a bunch of boring code you don't want to work with, and find hard to focus with, to turn off the syntax highlight and somehow the brain stops glossing over/skimming the code and starts to pay more attention. I found it led to marginal difference at best, as with most strategies. It does work well initially though, as I guess the brain stops being able to use colors it's used to for grouping stuff together and similar.
  - WCSTombs 1y ago
    Along similar lines, sometimes I print out code on paper and make notes with a pen, sitting far away from my computer. Of course there's no, or very minimal, syntax highlighting then.
- thewebguyd 1y ago
  A bit extreme on my end, but I've got the spare hardware for it - when I get into a rut I change operating systems, so I'm bouncing back and forth between macOS and Windows or Linux. I'm adept at using both but the change adds just enough friction and visual differences to spark creativity, or a little productivity boost.
- fuzztester 1y ago
  I have syntax set to off in my .vimrc file, to have no syntax highlighting at all, and it's off all the time, not just while typing, i.e., even while moving through or changing text (code), or even when just reading it. I find it much better that way.
dalmo3 1y ago
Interesting. For me it's the opposite, e.g. just changing keyboard layouts between pc and mac breaks my brain hard, and I feel useless.
- jahsome 1y ago
  I experience similar and I think of discomfort tolerance like a muscle. The more I (am forced to) use it, the less strain I experience when using it. I am naturally prone to optimizing friction away--autistic engineer--but have come to realize regularly putting myself in uncomfortable positions professionally and personally works for me as a form of exposure therapy. Nowadays, in the event I'm thrust into such an unfamiliar situation against my will, I'm still functional. An enormously valuable knock on effect was coming to the realization the things I enjoy most in life are those which have been a surprise, and I would have simply avoided weren't I being intentional in pushing my own boundaries.
- tonyedgecombe 1y ago
  When I was dual booting my Mac between macOS and Windows I used to swap the keyboard and mouse at the same time. I found it helped with handling the differences between the two operating systems.
brailsafe 1y ago
This is a somewhat wasteful one, but when I really really can't focus or make progress on untangling an issue or if I just want to fully understand a file, I will print out my code on paper and go through it with a red pen line by line. It's rare, but it works just like editing an essay. I notice things I wouldn't otherwise.
- fuzztester 1y ago
  That used to be common some years ago, with or without a red pen or any pen.

jasminebelmont 1y ago

[dead]

atrettel 1y ago

This is one of the reasons that I actually take notes in three different media: paper notebooks, an old-school digital voice recorder, and in text files. Different media have different advantages and disadvantages and represent different ideas for more readily. I have used the voice recorder less over the years but I find it optimal when time is limited and I have to move onto something else. Part of using a voice recorder as a medium is listening closely afterwards and writing down what I said in a different manner (either in a more permanent paper notebook or digitally in a text file). And yes, each iteration transforms the idea at least somewhat. It gives you the chance to see the idea in a different way.

rramadass 1y ago
This is what i do too. Paper Notebooks + old-school Digital Voice Recorder (get one which takes replaceable batteries) are a great combo to train oneself to use regularly and consistently for everything.
- fuzztester 1y ago
  What recorder make and model do you use?
  - rramadass 1y ago
    The one that i had bought long ago and use is the Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder. But you can get whichever one fits your budget and works for you.
    - fuzztester 1y ago
      thanks
fuzztester 1y ago
What recorder make and model do you use?

bandoti 1y ago

Something I noticed for myself—doing a live webinar series over a couple days and taking notes with pen/paper in realtime—I really struggled to keep up at first, but over a few days I started to notice my ability to do a listen-and-write context shift improved and it felt like I was able to retain auditory information better.

agarren 1y ago

Out of curiosity, what kind of writing? Journaling and getting your thoughts out, or fiction, something else?

ednite 1y ago
Honestly, I’m kind of all over the place with my writing right now, but I can’t stop. It’s one of the reasons I finally joined HN. I’ve been a long-time reader here but recently decided to start sharing my 2-cents here and there. I started a blog to get my thoughts out and explore whatever sparked my curiosity. It’s been a creative blast, and I’m still figuring it out as I go. I do journal, though it’s more of a quick log, tracking time and daily developments. My deeper writing is more immersed. Lately, I’ve been spending a few hours most nights working on a self-improvement book, which I’ve been enjoying writing. One unexpected benefit I can’t emphasize enough is how much writing has helped me stay sharp and more focused in my day job. It’s like a reset button for the brain. If you’re feeling stuck or low on motivation, I really recommend trying something completely different in your routine, especially something outside your comfort zone, like switching from digital to analog. Thanks for asking!

hinkley 1y ago

I wonder how many developers today were forced to take an introductory drafting class. I know a lot of us played with Lego. The problem of describing a 3 dimensional object in two dimensions requires extra projections to describe the thing. A 3d object in 2 dimensions takes three drawings to mostly describe. If the object is more complex than three dimensions, you need to look at it from a lot more angles.

ednite 1y ago
Wow, decades in this field and it finally took your comment to connect my childhood LEGO obsession with coding. Simple enough, but it never actually crossed my mind. The funny thing is, I’ve always linked my love for storytelling to LEGO building, but not coding. Thanks for the insight, that just snapped into place.
- hinkley 1y ago
  Did I love Lego because I was like this, or am I like this because I loved Lego? That'll bake your noodle for a good long while :)
  - ednite 1y ago
    Whoa…
  - fuzztester 1y ago
    If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there, did make a sound? - Zen koan I read a while ago, might have got the wording a bit wrong, but a fun one. Just googled, and it is Wikipedia too, but "koan" is only in the See also section: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_and_no_one_is_around_to_hear_it,_does_it_make_a_sound%3F https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_a_tree_falls_in_a_forest_...
- Terr_ 1y ago
  With respect to Lego and coding, now I'm thinking of the game Infinifactory, which has the nice property of yielding puzzle-answers where you can go: "Hey, I built that! Look at it operate!"

nemofoo 1y ago

This is a great insight. I have no data to back it up by my experience is very similar

stronglikedan 1y ago

I read a study a while back that said context switching costs ~15 minutes on average. I don't know how true it is, but my bosses have always believed it and tried to respect it.

orev 1y ago
I don’t think this is context switching, which would be about moving your attention to an entirely different topic. Addressing the same topic using a few different tools doesn’t require your brain to unload and reload a whole set of context information.

kapitar 1y ago

This is why (apart from being Irish) I drink a fair bit of tea throughout the day. Going to the kitchen, boiling water and letting it brew, gets me away from my desk and gives me an opportunity to start thinking out loud while I wait. Sometimes just getting up out of my chair will shake loose some tough problem and the answer will be clear. Alas, even after all these years, I occasionally grind away on things rather than remembering this.