
Ask HN: How do you focus? - contemplating1
I am trying to work on a side project that I have huge motivations to get started on. The problem is, I can't seem to control my focus. I'm trying to read the official Django tutorial right now and my mind wanders and gets off track before I can fully complete one step. I'm doing everything I can to do well at this - I am eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep, eliminating distractions, yet I can't complete just a few minutes of complete focus! Also, I am genuinely interested in it, in fact, I love doing it. I am studying CS in school, and I love building things - I just wish I could build a better control over my inattentiveness.<p>How do you all do it? Are there any tricks that help you focus for longer periods of time?
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hello_newman
This is just my opinion but it works for me:

When I have something I am interested in doing (side project, bigger blog
post, or whatever) I just get out a piece of paper, write down the basic
premise, and let it percolate in my mind a little bit. I do something else,
and I've found if you are truly passionate about it that you will not stop
thinking about it. Even if you're eating, out and about somewhere, or doing
something totally unrelated, my brain won't stop thinking about it.

I let it sit on the "back burner" and collect different ideas, trains of
thought, and try to visualize what I want it to look like, or the outcome I am
trying to make happen.

Then after a couple days (I like to wait about 3-5 days) I sit down late at
night, about 9-10pm when everyone is asleep. I get coffee, a pack of
cigarettes, my headphones with pandora playing and go at it all night and
generally crash when I think I have a good "skeleton" of what I want to do.

Then after that, you have the basic outline of what you want and keep
iterating from there.

Hope this helped. Again, this is just what works for me. Best of luck on your
project!

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ZaneA
Here is a thread from a month ago that has some really great tips, "Ask HN:
Those with intense focus, how do you do it?"
<https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5550366>

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pauljmorris
It really just comes down to good old fashioned discipline. When you start to
drift off, instantly snap out of it and pull yourself back in to what you're
supposed to be doing. Setting yourself small goals to start with can work
wonders. Just go hard for 2 steps then take a mini 5-10 min break. Then set a
stretch goal to get through the next 3 steps etc. Sometimes when we get
distracted it can mean we're not emotionally in the moment and you've just got
to push through it regardless, especially if you're serious about getting
things done. Once you build a bit of momentum, it will get easier.

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kellros
I find setting personal short term goals with self made-up deadlines (ex. I
want to complete this section within the next 2 hours) really helps. Bear in
mind if you can't measure what you do this won't work. (ex. if you don't know
how long something will take or what exactly you are trying to accomplish).

It's also important to switch off between changing focus (ex. from one project
to the next, take at least an hour break).

I reckon your biggest problem at the moment is context switching. I'd suggest
you allocate your time explicitly (first learn and then do - instead of trying
to build something useful while still learning).

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staunch
The best thing you can do is to let yourself be "pulled" by something.
Intrinsic motivation beats any trick you can possible come up with.

Find something that's _exciting_ for you to create. Create it using whatever
tool you want to learn. Don't worry too much about whether you're building it
The Right Way yet. You will be forced to learn _enough_ to get the job done.

Then repeat N times for desired level of expertise.
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Asymptot...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Asymptote02_vectorial.svgs)

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logn
Not getting enough sleep results in people losing focus (but you mentioned you
addressed this).

Also, is your lack of focus really just procrastination?

According to pg:

"If your work is not your favorite thing to do, you'll have terrible problems
with procrastination. You'll have to force yourself to work, and when you
resort to that the results are distinctly inferior."

<http://www.paulgraham.com/love.html>

Another theory I like: procrastinators are perfectionists and are worried
about disappointing themselves or are dreading the goal of perfection.

Anyhow... back to work.

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ColinWright
Ed Weissman says it best:

[http://edweissman.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/how-do-i-
achieve-...](http://edweissman.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/how-do-i-achieve-
laser-focus-and-concentration/)

~~~
zafka
Thanks for pointing this out again. I really need to give this a try. As soon
as I do, I will let you know how it works for me.

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ternaryoperator
Do just one thing. By which I mean: if I have a task list, when I choose the
next task to do, I do only that task. I don't check email, read HN, answer
phones, or anything else until the task is done. After the task, I allow the
email check, surf, etc. for a few minutes, before I begin on the next task,
which, once again, I do to the exclusion of everything else. If you do this
for a few days, you'll find it's a progressively easier habit to move in and
out of the 'concentration zone.'

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X4
Positive Feedback Loops.

Plan - Outline - Allocate limited time for Sub-Tasks - EXECUTE!

Works just like this little BASIC program:

    
    
        10 LET T = 10
        20 LET N = 0
        30 IF N < T THEN GOTO 40 ELSE GOTO 70
        40 LET N = N + 1
        50 PRINT N
        60 GOTO 30
        70 PRINT "Positive Feedback!"
        80 PRINT "All Sub-Tasks are done."
        90 PRINT "Your main task is complete."
        10 PRINT "Complete your next project!"
    

(Btw. I just learned BASIC during this response :) See the irony?)

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cosmc
I find short term goals and check list help me focus. I like the feeling for
completing something, and I can often get on a roll of checking things off the
list. Also, in terms of coding I like to try and write what I need, even if I
know it isn't optimal or complete; I usually figure out the solution midway
through.

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r_powell
I keep it simple and use the Pomodoro technique:

\- 25 min non stop work (try e.ggtimer.com for a timer to keep track)

\- 5 min off (free time)

\- After 3 or so pomodoro's, reward yourself with a 15-20 minute break and
repeat

This technique has been very effective in everything from writing my master's
thesis (which I hated) to learning web dev frameworks (such as RoR).

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orangethirty
Find somebody to work with. I sometimes have this issue, and having someone on
the phone or skype with me allows me to talk things through with them. I can
go fro stuck to super productive in minutes.

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mapster
maybe there is something to borrow from this situation. if you have tasks
a,b,c to accomplish for client z, and they don't bug you at all, you might
(having the same issue with focus) piss away the days on other things,
avoiding tasks a,b,c. You suddenly have laser focus when client z starts
pinging you (email, skype, voicemail) about wrapping it up, seeing something
etc.. I know, I've been there. It all works out, but there are times when we
all need someone to hold out feet to the fire to get things done / ramp up
productivity.

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joelmaat
Brainwave entrainment (<http://www.transparentcorp.com/dl/> ), meditation, and
supplements like Pramiracetam+Centrophenoxine.

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joallard
I find having a pair of headphones on with music makes all the difference;
it's like getting into a bubble. Over time, I think I've associated it with
the state of being focused.

