

Ask HN: How to keep focused and working - dethstar

I have 2 ideas that I think are good and would like to pursue them. Both require me to learn new technologies (which I like) but often find myself not focused enough to keep working on it.
I lack discipline, how could I fix this?
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agibsonccc
Work in moderation and brainstorm small concrete tasks you can do that will
count towards some measure of completion for the project the previous night.

It's a lot easier to get started when you're not staring at a mountain and
just have a set to do list. Rinse and repeat each day.If you're working on
this only in the evening or something, work on the list from the previous day,
stop early before you go to bed and come up with set plans.

This counts for things you have to learn to execute these projects. Try to
maximize your time by prioritizing things that could count towards both
projects where possible.

Much of your progress or sense of accomplishment will come from completing
small milestones, and have a huge impact after you're able to look back on it.
The key to this is to keeping the tasks small enough.

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patrickmclaren
* Don't drink too much caffeine.

* Work out more.

* Have other things to do.

* If you don't work on them enough, at least think about them a lot, otherwise it's likely just a pipe dream.

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stocktradr
\- Workout \- If you run into a problem, fight for it. If you can't figure it
out, take a break and go for a walk. \- Disengage when it is personal time \-
Get PLENTY of sleep (cannot stress this enough) and... biggest thing I've
learned: \- Draw. This helped me a lot. Drawing engages other parts of the
brain so if you run into problems, try drawing them out to solve the problem
instead of working it out in your head.

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waster
I'm with patrickmclaren on "work out more," which will help you have better
focus and energy. But besides that, figure out what works for you. Some people
need deadlines or serious challenge and obsession (cough, cough, _me_ ) to
work effectively.

So, maybe the deadlines? Start with the goal: Are you talking about building a
company/launching a product? Pick a date, set it on some calendar that you
look at all the time, and then set objectives/milemarkers that'll help you get
there. Calendar those, and reminders. Set even smaller pieces into your
calendar.

You can also get a buddy to check in with you/pester you, though that doesn't
work for everyone. Or publicly blog about the deadline and your progress.

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gjuhasz
I agree that Pomodoro or similar practice help a lot. After the school days
long gone, it is hard to just sit down and focus. But if you got use to some
triggers, like Pomodoro, that makes you sit down, and do the same stuff for
20-30 min, than practice can help a lot.

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lsiebert
Discipline is based on practice and Habit. You know how to drive or ride a
bike, right? You didn't get those skills in a day, but now you probably rarely
have to think about them.

Try your best each day. Resolve to do better the next day. It may be helpful
to quantify this somehow (git commit's maybe, even if you are just updating a
notes section about the technology) so that you can measure how much you are
doing. Try to work on it every day, to build the habit. Try to notice when you
are distracted. Reward yourself for little victories.

You can try Pomodoro techniques to break up the day, if that helps. Keep
trying, and the discipline will come.

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georgebonnr
If you don't feel like working on one of them at any given moment, do you feel
like working on the other? Having two ideas can be a lot more forgiving in
that way than just having one.

If they are complex ideas can you break them down into a "buffet" of subtasks?
The idea is that hopefully on any given day/evening at least one of those
small tasks will appeal to you. Doing something peripherally helpful is at
least better than doing nothing helpful... as long as you have the energy to
tackle the hard stuff every few days.

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vincie
Try doing a little bit at a time where you get some result. Try your hardest
not to stop before finishing the bit and getting a result. If you cannot do
so, make the bit smaller and try again. You work out what the "bit" is.

