8 ms·

How Do you Motivate Yourself and Stay Focused?

99 points by peterkchen 13y ago

dizidoro 13y ago
Meditation
6d0debc071 13y ago
My attitude towards major decisions comes from an incident in my childhood. I make them and then see whether they stand up to the lesser tests along the way - reason and reality. It's not willpower for me, it's not even trying to focus on something. It's making a choice and meaning it - really meaning it: I'm gonna do this, you'll have to kill me (or the idea as the case may be) to stop me. Then I've got something to work with. What that decision is at the time isn't the most important part. Try to talk yourself out of that decision - depending on the time and resources, try to get other people to talk you out of it - if you fail then do the thing, if you succeed then don't. If it gets far enough, throw the dice and accept what may come with the knowledge you gambled as well as you were able. The important thing for me is to make that initial choice. I find that works much better than indulging in doubting a course of action that I can't really define. Hesitation is often just another word for freezing, panicking or running away. ... Not that I think that my style of thinking is suitable for everyone. I wonder whether the sort of choice making I'm talking about here is something that everyone can do. For instance, lots of people seem to have the fear that if they get attacked they're not going to act as they want to - which doesn't really make sense if you have the experiences to know you can make a decision and mean it.
- pa5tabear 13y ago
  what was the incident?
vylan 13y ago
If you're near the beach, try surfing, and especially at the end of a long day of work. Not only is it great exercise, but also can be a very transformative experience. Refreshing in both the physical and mental sense. This gives me motivation and focus in other things I take on.
zobzu 13y ago
simple: i do other things. i take breaks. i work a healthy 35h a week or so (of actual work, not of checking imgur/facebook/reddit/emails/coffee/what not) i think its well covered elsewhere. if spend too much time focusing on work, you'll lose that focus entirely.
bfe 13y ago
Elon Musk answered a similar question, and identified drive as the only relevant factor: "How do you stay focused, motivated, and maintain enthusiasm when things don't go the way you'd hoped? "I think my, sort of, drive to get it done is somewhat disconnected from hope, enthusiasm, or anything else... I actually just don't care about hope, or enthusiasm, motivation... I just give it everything I've got, irrespective of what the circumstances may be... You just keep going, and get it done." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOPgM7Sc2VQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOPgM7Sc2VQ
- joelrunyon 13y ago
  > I actually just don't care about hope I love it.
- runawaybottle 13y ago
  I love Elon Musk, but jesus christ, way to make the rest of us feel utterly human.
  - visakanv 13y ago
    I'm beginning to be convinced he has some sort of mutation, seriously
    - 011011100 13y ago
      We all have some sort of mutation.
      - visakanv 13y ago
        TIL
  - phaus 13y ago
    I'm impressed by his scientific endeavors, but I have a hard time forgiving him for Paypal.
    - 13y ago
andyl 13y ago
This reads like a screen play. "One Million Dollars - would you take it?!?" Indecent Proposal. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107211/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107211/)
knappador 13y ago
The problem only exists if you have it. It doesn't really exists, but seems to exist if you let it exist. Ostensibly this advice seems not helpful as it doesn't solve the problem, but by not acknowledging it, the problem is solved. You can of course choose to manifest this problem as another problem that is solvable, which can mean mid-life crisis etc or whatever task you seek to be productive at.
- kyro 13y ago
  What does this even mean?
  - knappador 13y ago
    It's impossible to express or study something that is ineffable. It's like extrapolating an underlying mechanism to quantum physics. You might get a model. Your model might be consistent, but the model is never guaranteed to be true or be anything better than lucky. Study some Daoism, Socrates, decideability, and other such intellectual resources regarding perception, conditional existence, and the possibility of solutions. I get a high state of spirit from attacking whatever is in front of me. My progress begets progress. If I don't have progress, I start. Convolution of the topic of motivation is basically procrastination unless what you're doing is not leading you even on a meandering path to your goal, in which case you need more goals and to be involved in activities with more potential. I work on FOSS, maintain and develop FOSS, help users with the FOSS I work on, and there's no doubt that it pays off, monetarily and in terms of potential. Therefore, I am never in contact with this problem. I've worked dead-end jobs to get into financial and skill position to work high-potential jobs. Any time I'm not in such a position, I seek ways to get into such a position. The problem of motivation is rhetorical. Expecting an answer might give you one, but the existence of a problem or a solution to something that is axiomatic is a dead-end unless you get lucky and something totally outside your perception leads you to believe that you have a solution and a problem and that the two together have given you motivation.
    - 011011100 13y ago
      Starting off by saying a bunch of vague things and then mentioning quantum mechanics is a really good way of turning away most readers. Do you want to have a constructive conversation, where you communicate concrete and meaningful things, or do you want to just give off the appearance of sophistication?
proee 13y ago
While staying focused in a startup is important, it's nice to have freedom to explore new ideas and thought processes outside of the core product. I've seen plenty of startups hyper-focus on one product and fail because they couldn't position their product in the marketplace properly (seeing the forrest-through-the-trees).
swayvil 13y ago
Focus is brother to blindness, just saying.
lifeformed 13y ago
I feel like I'm facing the same problems but in a completely opposite context. He's in a stressful situation every day, unsure what's going to come next, and forced to imperfectly make decisions. His strategy for motivation comes from keeping his eyes on the prize and going with the flow. I'm in a completely stress free environment - every day blends in with the next; I can just do nothing one day and tell myself I will do it tomorrow. I'm financially stable enough to never be in a do-or-die situation. My passion for my project temporarily died somewhere after 30k lines of code. Yet, it is my dream to finish the project. I have to finish it, it's my self-designated job. But it's such a huge, abstract task, and I can just enjoy myself right now instead. There's literally no reward for working until after another year of it. It's so hard to stay focused and motivated when nothing is at stake.
- sunir 13y ago
  What if I gave you one hundred dollar bills and said this is all the money you had to spend. Once it's spent, it's spent, and you can never get any more. How much would you spend on movie ticket? A blissful escape, sure, but you probably have other things to do with your life. You're only going to live for maybe one hundred years at most, maybe many less. Spend your years wisely.
  - lifeformed 13y ago
    I agree, I would be super motivated if that was the case, because it would give me a concrete deadline. But it's hard to simulate desperateness, because I could always bail out (unless I gave all my money away, which isn't a good idea). It's not like I'm rich or anything, I just saved up enough money to do exactly this (work on this project full time) for a while, and yet here I am, sitting around struggling to do it. I want to want to work hard. I just really need to learn self-discipline.
    - nyrina 13y ago
      I think giving all your money away is a great idea. To me, specifically. :) :)
matwood 13y ago
When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath...I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. - Messner on the first solo ascent of Everest There is no secret, it is willpower. Every person draws willpower from their own unique place. Find yours.
mzarate06 13y ago
I only work on projects I have a deep interest or passion for. Nothing kills motivation more than non-interesting work. A close second is ensuring you're on a great team. I agree w/other comments that taking breaks helps, but I haven't found that to be as important as those two (passion and team). You can take as many breaks as you want throughout the day, but if you're stuck having to return to non-interesting work or a team you'd rather not work with, you'll still find it hard to get motivated and maintain focus.
mindcrime 13y ago
How do I motivate myself? That's kinda hard to explain. It involves a lot of inner demons and mindsets that date to my childhood growing up dirt-poor in rural southeastern NC. But what it boils down to lately it this: I'm 40. I'm not getting any younger. I haven't yet accomplished my most outlandish dreams. And I have never been crazy about accepting mediocrity. I don't want to live an average, boring, moderately successful life. "Go big or go home", whatever. So, for the past two years or so, my mindset has been "I'm basically out of 'at bats'. I don't get any more chances to make my dreams come true. I do this now, or I load my car with booze, drive to Vegas, and pull a 'Leaving Las Vegas' routine." I just hope I can find a girl who looks like Elisabeth Shue. I <3 Elisabeth Shue. I also draw a lot of inspiration from music. Since Suster started the Eminem references, here's one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1xXYeNrW9k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1xXYeNrW9k ('Till I Collapse - Eminem & Nate Dogg) Along with stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQQcOQsCFnw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQQcOQsCFnw (Keep Your Eye on the Money - Motley Crue) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gnJ-fQ1uwA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gnJ-fQ1uwA (Stick To Your Guns - Bon Jovi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZKm86wW88 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZKm86wW88 (Never Say Die - Jon Bon Jovi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3MXiTeH_Pg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3MXiTeH_Pg (Here I Go Again - Whitesnake) Of course, you have to realize, I grew up in the 80's, in the era of the "80's feel good movie" where the underdog hero has his back to the wall, all the odds against him, and through hard work, dedication, (and a training montage, of course) ultimately perseveres and triumphs over evil. Those are the kind of metaphors that are pretty deeply lodged into my psyche. It also helps that I simply enjoy the act of creating things, and right now, my goal is to create this company that I have in my head. I see what we're capable of building and where this can go, and I want to make that happen. Even more difficult. You have an offer to sell your company. Should you? You might net $1 million and that would change your life. But everybody is telling you not to sell and instead to “go for it” and you don’t know whom to listen to. One. Million. Dollars. I know it’s not what it used to be, but news flash – it’s still a million dollars! How can you wake up every day and process that decision. Five million? Ten? This reminds me of the (in)famous "An acquistion is always a failure" discussion[1]. I said what I have to say[2] about this, in that thread. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483582 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483582 [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483765 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483765
vladmk 13y ago
I'll take a crack at the problem. What motivated me to lose 10 pounds, was a bet I made with my brother. I told him if I don't do Insanity (workout program) everyday I'd take a picture with myself in a dress. Now he was holding me responsible and I had this negativity driving me. I finished the full program. I just did a similar thing with my co-founder for my start up except with cold calling. We've broken our sales record this week. Bottom line I think negativity motivates me more personally than positivity. Lastly whatever it is, try to make that a habit, so you have to force yourself to do it at the exact same time and place. (my two cents).
protez 13y ago
I'm so tired of seeing motivation hacks, or similar stuff. If something supposed to motivate you doesn't motivate you enough, that supposition is just plain weak and has no deeper place within you. That's it. Be yourself. That's the ultimate motivation. Nothing else can be motivating you more than that, and shouldn't be, unless you want to be someone else, or as hollow as possible.
adamzerner 13y ago
Like this: http://www.collegeanswerz.com/discipline-and-understanding http://www.collegeanswerz.com/discipline-and-understanding.
warcher 13y ago
I don't do too good with 'motivation' or willpower. I do good with habit. For me, motivation dies and willpower fails. Most of the shit that worked out well for me is stuff that I just kept with. We had a real good day at the office, I wanna say, Tuesday? After a string of really good days. And I had to physically stop everybody and go get a couple beers from the corner store and HAND them to people to celebrate our rad success. Because it was boring. It honestly was. We do what we do every day, and sometimes we get the bear and sometimes the bear gets us, but if we work hard enough we live another day, and eventually small stupid wins pile up.
- Malician 13y ago
  I love your post. Not just because the Weeds reference made me laugh, but because not all of us are living a lifestyle far and above everyone else. Because some of us have trouble going on every day, but we have to give it everything we have - or, at least, we know that's what we need to do to progress beyond where we are - and it's motivational to know that even people who aren't Success Factor Superhuman Outliers 10X Winner Ass-Kickers are out there, too.
  - warcher 13y ago
    I could make an equally compelling argument for being both an ultra 10x super ass kicker and a total loser. It depends on the day, really. I'm probably having an ass kicker week this week. It's difficult to be certain, as keeping the ups and downs from affecting you personally is a survival skill, and what happened this week is a factor of a bunch of shit I did months ago, and what I focus on today won't matter for months into the future. Because of this weird time distortion, the only way I can function personally is just showing up and going at a sustainable pace for a long, long time. But it is very elon musk "don't believe in hope". If getting shit done was contingent on things working out according to plan I'd have quit years ago.
netmute 13y ago
Staying motivated is simple: don't work on boring shit. That may sound like a shallow phrase, but I've been there. You've convinced yourself that you're working on the most awesome thing in the world. You keep thinking that you're supposed to be motivated, because what you're doing is great. But deep down, you know that you'd rather do something else. At that point it usually boils down to rewards. Is the reward worth continuing? If the answer is yes, go on. Shouldn't be a problem. If the answer is no, you know why you aren't motivated. Drop it, look for something else.
- jotm 13y ago
  But it's not that simple. Not that simple to drop something when it's 70% complete, not easy to find something new that won't also become boring at 70%, and not easy to start from scratch. Plus, with every failure, you lose a little bit of trust in yourself and belief that you can get things done. There's always a point where the motivation is just gone and you have to push through somehow, and if you can't get this thing done, chances are that you won't be able to do it the second or third time, either ...
- evacuationdrill 13y ago
  Thinking of the reward is important, since the further out it seems, the less it seems to impact people. http://lesswrong.com/lw/9wr/my_algorithm_for_beating_procrastination/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/9wr/my_algorithm_for_beating_procras...
TausAmmer 13y ago
You make up story or illusion. Else, living under bridge and staring at running water gives the same satisfaction.

99 points by peterkchen 13y ago

Meditation

My attitude towards major decisions comes from an incident in my childhood. I make them and then see whether they stand up to the lesser tests along the way - reason and reality. It's not willpower for me, it's not even trying to focus on something. It's making a choice and meaning it - really meaning it: I'm gonna do this, you'll have to kill me (or the idea as the case may be) to stop me. Then I've got something to work with. What that decision is at the time isn't the most important part. Try to talk yourself out of that decision - depending on the time and resources, try to get other people to talk you out of it - if you fail then do the thing, if you succeed then don't. If it gets far enough, throw the dice and accept what may come with the knowledge you gambled as well as you were able. The important thing for me is to make that initial choice. I find that works much better than indulging in doubting a course of action that I can't really define. Hesitation is often just another word for freezing, panicking or running away. ... Not that I think that my style of thinking is suitable for everyone. I wonder whether the sort of choice making I'm talking about here is something that everyone can do. For instance, lots of people seem to have the fear that if they get attacked they're not going to act as they want to - which doesn't really make sense if you have the experiences to know you can make a decision and mean it.

pa5tabear 13y ago
what was the incident?

vylan 13y ago

If you're near the beach, try surfing, and especially at the end of a long day of work. Not only is it great exercise, but also can be a very transformative experience. Refreshing in both the physical and mental sense. This gives me motivation and focus in other things I take on.

zobzu 13y ago

simple: i do other things. i take breaks. i work a healthy 35h a week or so (of actual work, not of checking imgur/facebook/reddit/emails/coffee/what not) i think its well covered elsewhere. if spend too much time focusing on work, you'll lose that focus entirely.

bfe 13y ago

Elon Musk answered a similar question, and identified drive as the only relevant factor: "How do you stay focused, motivated, and maintain enthusiasm when things don't go the way you'd hoped? "I think my, sort of, drive to get it done is somewhat disconnected from hope, enthusiasm, or anything else... I actually just don't care about hope, or enthusiasm, motivation... I just give it everything I've got, irrespective of what the circumstances may be... You just keep going, and get it done." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOPgM7Sc2VQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOPgM7Sc2VQ

joelrunyon 13y ago
> I actually just don't care about hope I love it.
runawaybottle 13y ago
I love Elon Musk, but jesus christ, way to make the rest of us feel utterly human.
- visakanv 13y ago
  I'm beginning to be convinced he has some sort of mutation, seriously
  - 011011100 13y ago
    We all have some sort of mutation.
    - visakanv 13y ago
      TIL
- phaus 13y ago
  I'm impressed by his scientific endeavors, but I have a hard time forgiving him for Paypal.
  - 13y ago

andyl 13y ago

This reads like a screen play. "One Million Dollars - would you take it?!?" Indecent Proposal. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107211/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107211/)

knappador 13y ago

The problem only exists if you have it. It doesn't really exists, but seems to exist if you let it exist. Ostensibly this advice seems not helpful as it doesn't solve the problem, but by not acknowledging it, the problem is solved. You can of course choose to manifest this problem as another problem that is solvable, which can mean mid-life crisis etc or whatever task you seek to be productive at.

kyro 13y ago
What does this even mean?
- knappador 13y ago
  It's impossible to express or study something that is ineffable. It's like extrapolating an underlying mechanism to quantum physics. You might get a model. Your model might be consistent, but the model is never guaranteed to be true or be anything better than lucky. Study some Daoism, Socrates, decideability, and other such intellectual resources regarding perception, conditional existence, and the possibility of solutions. I get a high state of spirit from attacking whatever is in front of me. My progress begets progress. If I don't have progress, I start. Convolution of the topic of motivation is basically procrastination unless what you're doing is not leading you even on a meandering path to your goal, in which case you need more goals and to be involved in activities with more potential. I work on FOSS, maintain and develop FOSS, help users with the FOSS I work on, and there's no doubt that it pays off, monetarily and in terms of potential. Therefore, I am never in contact with this problem. I've worked dead-end jobs to get into financial and skill position to work high-potential jobs. Any time I'm not in such a position, I seek ways to get into such a position. The problem of motivation is rhetorical. Expecting an answer might give you one, but the existence of a problem or a solution to something that is axiomatic is a dead-end unless you get lucky and something totally outside your perception leads you to believe that you have a solution and a problem and that the two together have given you motivation.
  - 011011100 13y ago
    Starting off by saying a bunch of vague things and then mentioning quantum mechanics is a really good way of turning away most readers. Do you want to have a constructive conversation, where you communicate concrete and meaningful things, or do you want to just give off the appearance of sophistication?

proee 13y ago

While staying focused in a startup is important, it's nice to have freedom to explore new ideas and thought processes outside of the core product. I've seen plenty of startups hyper-focus on one product and fail because they couldn't position their product in the marketplace properly (seeing the forrest-through-the-trees).

swayvil 13y ago

Focus is brother to blindness, just saying.

lifeformed 13y ago

I feel like I'm facing the same problems but in a completely opposite context. He's in a stressful situation every day, unsure what's going to come next, and forced to imperfectly make decisions. His strategy for motivation comes from keeping his eyes on the prize and going with the flow. I'm in a completely stress free environment - every day blends in with the next; I can just do nothing one day and tell myself I will do it tomorrow. I'm financially stable enough to never be in a do-or-die situation. My passion for my project temporarily died somewhere after 30k lines of code. Yet, it is my dream to finish the project. I have to finish it, it's my self-designated job. But it's such a huge, abstract task, and I can just enjoy myself right now instead. There's literally no reward for working until after another year of it. It's so hard to stay focused and motivated when nothing is at stake.

sunir 13y ago
What if I gave you one hundred dollar bills and said this is all the money you had to spend. Once it's spent, it's spent, and you can never get any more. How much would you spend on movie ticket? A blissful escape, sure, but you probably have other things to do with your life. You're only going to live for maybe one hundred years at most, maybe many less. Spend your years wisely.
- lifeformed 13y ago
  I agree, I would be super motivated if that was the case, because it would give me a concrete deadline. But it's hard to simulate desperateness, because I could always bail out (unless I gave all my money away, which isn't a good idea). It's not like I'm rich or anything, I just saved up enough money to do exactly this (work on this project full time) for a while, and yet here I am, sitting around struggling to do it. I want to want to work hard. I just really need to learn self-discipline.
  - nyrina 13y ago
    I think giving all your money away is a great idea. To me, specifically. :) :)

matwood 13y ago

When I rest I feel utterly lifeless except that my throat burns when I draw breath...I can scarcely go on. No despair, no happiness, no anxiety. I have not lost the mastery of my feelings, there are actually no more feelings. I consist only of will. - Messner on the first solo ascent of Everest There is no secret, it is willpower. Every person draws willpower from their own unique place. Find yours.

mzarate06 13y ago

I only work on projects I have a deep interest or passion for. Nothing kills motivation more than non-interesting work. A close second is ensuring you're on a great team. I agree w/other comments that taking breaks helps, but I haven't found that to be as important as those two (passion and team). You can take as many breaks as you want throughout the day, but if you're stuck having to return to non-interesting work or a team you'd rather not work with, you'll still find it hard to get motivated and maintain focus.

mindcrime 13y ago

How do I motivate myself? That's kinda hard to explain. It involves a lot of inner demons and mindsets that date to my childhood growing up dirt-poor in rural southeastern NC. But what it boils down to lately it this: I'm 40. I'm not getting any younger. I haven't yet accomplished my most outlandish dreams. And I have never been crazy about accepting mediocrity. I don't want to live an average, boring, moderately successful life. "Go big or go home", whatever. So, for the past two years or so, my mindset has been "I'm basically out of 'at bats'. I don't get any more chances to make my dreams come true. I do this now, or I load my car with booze, drive to Vegas, and pull a 'Leaving Las Vegas' routine." I just hope I can find a girl who looks like Elisabeth Shue. I <3 Elisabeth Shue. I also draw a lot of inspiration from music. Since Suster started the Eminem references, here's one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1xXYeNrW9k http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1xXYeNrW9k ('Till I Collapse - Eminem & Nate Dogg) Along with stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQQcOQsCFnw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQQcOQsCFnw (Keep Your Eye on the Money - Motley Crue) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gnJ-fQ1uwA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gnJ-fQ1uwA (Stick To Your Guns - Bon Jovi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZKm86wW88 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liZKm86wW88 (Never Say Die - Jon Bon Jovi) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3MXiTeH_Pg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3MXiTeH_Pg (Here I Go Again - Whitesnake) Of course, you have to realize, I grew up in the 80's, in the era of the "80's feel good movie" where the underdog hero has his back to the wall, all the odds against him, and through hard work, dedication, (and a training montage, of course) ultimately perseveres and triumphs over evil. Those are the kind of metaphors that are pretty deeply lodged into my psyche. It also helps that I simply enjoy the act of creating things, and right now, my goal is to create this company that I have in my head. I see what we're capable of building and where this can go, and I want to make that happen. Even more difficult. You have an offer to sell your company. Should you? You might net $1 million and that would change your life. But everybody is telling you not to sell and instead to “go for it” and you don’t know whom to listen to. One. Million. Dollars. I know it’s not what it used to be, but news flash – it’s still a million dollars! How can you wake up every day and process that decision. Five million? Ten? This reminds me of the (in)famous "An acquistion is always a failure" discussion[1]. I said what I have to say[2] about this, in that thread. [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483582 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483582 [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483765 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5483765

vladmk 13y ago

I'll take a crack at the problem. What motivated me to lose 10 pounds, was a bet I made with my brother. I told him if I don't do Insanity (workout program) everyday I'd take a picture with myself in a dress. Now he was holding me responsible and I had this negativity driving me. I finished the full program. I just did a similar thing with my co-founder for my start up except with cold calling. We've broken our sales record this week. Bottom line I think negativity motivates me more personally than positivity. Lastly whatever it is, try to make that a habit, so you have to force yourself to do it at the exact same time and place. (my two cents).

protez 13y ago

I'm so tired of seeing motivation hacks, or similar stuff. If something supposed to motivate you doesn't motivate you enough, that supposition is just plain weak and has no deeper place within you. That's it. Be yourself. That's the ultimate motivation. Nothing else can be motivating you more than that, and shouldn't be, unless you want to be someone else, or as hollow as possible.

adamzerner 13y ago

Like this: http://www.collegeanswerz.com/discipline-and-understanding http://www.collegeanswerz.com/discipline-and-understanding.

warcher 13y ago

I don't do too good with 'motivation' or willpower. I do good with habit. For me, motivation dies and willpower fails. Most of the shit that worked out well for me is stuff that I just kept with. We had a real good day at the office, I wanna say, Tuesday? After a string of really good days. And I had to physically stop everybody and go get a couple beers from the corner store and HAND them to people to celebrate our rad success. Because it was boring. It honestly was. We do what we do every day, and sometimes we get the bear and sometimes the bear gets us, but if we work hard enough we live another day, and eventually small stupid wins pile up.

Malician 13y ago
I love your post. Not just because the Weeds reference made me laugh, but because not all of us are living a lifestyle far and above everyone else. Because some of us have trouble going on every day, but we have to give it everything we have - or, at least, we know that's what we need to do to progress beyond where we are - and it's motivational to know that even people who aren't Success Factor Superhuman Outliers 10X Winner Ass-Kickers are out there, too.
- warcher 13y ago
  I could make an equally compelling argument for being both an ultra 10x super ass kicker and a total loser. It depends on the day, really. I'm probably having an ass kicker week this week. It's difficult to be certain, as keeping the ups and downs from affecting you personally is a survival skill, and what happened this week is a factor of a bunch of shit I did months ago, and what I focus on today won't matter for months into the future. Because of this weird time distortion, the only way I can function personally is just showing up and going at a sustainable pace for a long, long time. But it is very elon musk "don't believe in hope". If getting shit done was contingent on things working out according to plan I'd have quit years ago.

netmute 13y ago

Staying motivated is simple: don't work on boring shit. That may sound like a shallow phrase, but I've been there. You've convinced yourself that you're working on the most awesome thing in the world. You keep thinking that you're supposed to be motivated, because what you're doing is great. But deep down, you know that you'd rather do something else. At that point it usually boils down to rewards. Is the reward worth continuing? If the answer is yes, go on. Shouldn't be a problem. If the answer is no, you know why you aren't motivated. Drop it, look for something else.

jotm 13y ago
But it's not that simple. Not that simple to drop something when it's 70% complete, not easy to find something new that won't also become boring at 70%, and not easy to start from scratch. Plus, with every failure, you lose a little bit of trust in yourself and belief that you can get things done. There's always a point where the motivation is just gone and you have to push through somehow, and if you can't get this thing done, chances are that you won't be able to do it the second or third time, either ...
evacuationdrill 13y ago
Thinking of the reward is important, since the further out it seems, the less it seems to impact people. http://lesswrong.com/lw/9wr/my_algorithm_for_beating_procrastination/ http://lesswrong.com/lw/9wr/my_algorithm_for_beating_procras...

TausAmmer 13y ago

You make up story or illusion. Else, living under bridge and staring at running water gives the same satisfaction.