Ask HN: Strategies/tactics to keep focus?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9638799

by galfarragem • 11 years ago

7 3 11 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I have more interests and curiosity than I can handle and I'm having a really hard time keeping my focus. As an example I recently discovered the book "Learn you a haskell for greater good" and it was an epiphany. By the other hand I promised myself to focus in JS, that's why I'm investigating Purescript now.. In the end it is just a never ending dabbling.

To help me focus I try to follow these strategies/tactics:

a) GTD (I even created one implementation - if interested check my github).

b) make blog posts (not CS related) that use some of my dabbling.

c) news diet as strict as possible.

What strategies/tactics do you use to keep focus?

purescript• 11 years ago

One thing I find surprisingly effective is that I write a todo list on paper every morning, and check items off as they get done. I keep a longer todo list of personal goals on a Trello board.

kzisme• 11 years ago

I enjoy doing work in bursts and making sure to take small mental breaks between tasks that have to get done.

This basically ensures you have a fresh mind for each task/problem you are facing.

lstrope• 11 years ago

A good pair of IEMs. Headphones still leak outside noise even with the best noise cancelling. A good seal with a good pair of IEMS pretty much cancels out any ambient noise in the room.

This is the #1 distraction remedy for me that helps me maintain focus.

Given an empty room and nobody around I can get a lot of shit done.

From this engineers perspective every b-hole with VC funding thinks `open floor plans` are awesome and exposes their engineers to the constant distractions throughout the day for little or no reason other than to be trendy.

If I were an investor I would never invest in a company that puts their engineers in an open floor plan UNLESS that floor was only 100% engineers in which they would all be telling each other to STFU if they were too loud. Telling people in other departments to PLEASE STFU rarely ever happens, and when it does it is usually scoffed at.

So many companies in the bay area are pissing their money away faster than our water can be consumed because of this.

I really don't understand the higher level objective.

Conway's law still applies - open floor plan or not. Companies should maximize productivity - they seem to only realize the benefit amongst marketing and sales teams, leaving engineers wondering "WTF mate?"

Ask HN: Strategies/tactics to keep focus?

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