How to keep yourself on task

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:23 pm

So this has been sort of a problem lately. For example, right now. I have work to do at work. Not a time critical assignment, but work to do. And yet the project is starting to border on mind numbing. Convert an application from C++ to C#. Not the most fun in the world, involves 0 design work, and hence, boring.

At home, I (try to) work hard on getting my game ready for the IGF competition in November. I sit down, do like 10 minutes of work, and then lose motiviation.

Tips. tips. tips.

I think part of the problem comes from the increase in "hanging out" with people I do at bars, clubs, parties, etc. Coding and all the nerd stuff used to be the most fun thing to do, but now socializing kicks ass on an equal level.

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:26 pm

Fromw hat I've heard, programmers get bored of their job real fast.

Scratch · Post by **Scratch** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:26 pm

Are you thinking aloud? Or is this some type of epiphany? I know the feeling you are talking about -- I have found out ...unless I'm really into the project or task at hand -- something that I enjoy doing...I get bored rather easily.

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:27 pm

Holy crap, 2 replies in less than 3 minutes. So I'm not the only one bored trolling then.

Vertigo 99 · Post by **Vertigo 99** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 12:47 pm

I'm at work right now, and I can guarantee you my job is more boring than yours.

I got this summer job classifying books for a library. I sit at the computer, pick up a random book, and type the author, title, publishing date, write a brief summary, etc, etc.

Thank god the computers they gave us have internet connections.

Warlock · Post by **Warlock** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 3:33 pm

yeah same here i havent done a 3d pix\animation in ages. i allways loade up the progy look at it for 10 min close it and do some thang els

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 3:51 pm

I always listen to music while I'm working on something.

3vil l33t · Post by **3vil l33t** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 9:31 pm

Classical music always helps. And fruit. I've always found that if I have an apple or a peach or something before sitting down to work, I focus much better. Might be different for you, but hey, it's worth a shot.

Skyalmian · Post by **Skyalmian** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 9:35 pm

Music only works for me when its somehow suitable for what I'm doing.

SolidAir · Post by **SolidAir** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 10:57 pm

I'm the same way topher. Lots of social activities of mine go until around 2am in the morning, when I could be doing some serious coding work. And real work doesn't help either, as I can' treally get any coding in on the same days that I work. You just have to find time...

DCrazy · Post by **DCrazy** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:02 pm

What sucks is rewriting the same damn system you rewrote last year, while at the same time trying to integrate it into a hackjob a Korean jerk with absolutely zero PHP knowledge wrote in Dreamweaver in between MSN IM sessions. Oh, on Korean Windows.

Tetrad · Post by **Tetrad** » Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:43 pm

Look at the bright side DC, at least you're not rewriting somebody else's code.

Sage · Post by **Sage** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 6:02 am

Warlock wrote:yeah same here i havent done a 3d pix\animation in ages. i allways loade up the progy look at it for 10 min close it and do some thang els

sniff... I do that too... and then I cry because I feel like I should be learning more of how to model/skin....

....

it's sad cuz i feel like I like to do it, but I... don't... WAEN WAE HAE HAE HAE!

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:52 am

Topher wrote:I sit down, do like 10 minutes of work, and then lose motiviation.

Wow, dÃ©jÃ vu.

Welcome to my state of mind for the last three years or so

My problem is that motivation comes with bursts. I can stay very concentrated for long periods of time, but when I get bored of what I'm doing, there's no point in keeping to it.

Also, you make it sound as if spending more time socially at the expense of programming is a bad thing. It's a good thing actually. Now you'll start to experience the "I'm parked and everyone else is driving" feeling, and in some time you'll get the "I'm stuck with everyone else in a traffic jam" feeling.

I'm not sure yet about what comes after that

Sup · Post by **Sup** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 1:09 pm

Easy solution?:

I you dont have any goals, you'll never be disappointed.

Robo · Post by **Robo** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 5:18 pm

Keep the job. Get paid. Keep the job a bit longer. Get paid again.

Repeat until retired.

Stupid · Post by **Stupid** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 8:53 pm

MD-2389 wrote:I always listen to music while I'm working on something.

The porno music coming from your TV doesn't count, MD....

Beowulf · Post by **Beowulf** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 9:34 pm

Can't keep on task, can't stay focused or motivated, can't create anything meaningful or artistic...welcome to a writer's life

Darkside Heartless · Post by **Darkside Heartless** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 9:55 pm

heh, I'm the exact opposite. I wind up loosing track of time while modeling and find myself up till 3 in the morning. Maybe it's the Lemmings music

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 9:57 pm

Get yourself a mistress. That always seems to work.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Sat Jul 17, 2004 10:12 pm

take the opputunity to see what, if any, improvments you can make to the while you are porting it to C#.

pATCheS · Post by **pATCheS** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 4:07 am

flip, that's suicide

For me it is, anyway, because as soon as I find something I want to improve, I focus on that until I've improved it. Often with little regard to how hackish the resulting code is. And then I want to revamp the code to be better structured, instead of trying to warp my mind to whatever its structure is, and I eventually lose the motivation I had to complete the process. gaah.

I have the same problem... look at it, and BLAAAH... I haven't hardly touched D2X since school got out... I'm just surprised to find it's not just me! Finding inspiration is very difficult indeed. Perhaps it's an art thing?

I wonder what the guys with these kinds of jobs who aren't posting on some BB might say. What's the difference between those with motivation and those without? Self-esteem? Happiness in life? Diet? ..amount of cosmic radiation? wtf is it?

And of course it doesn't help when your dad tells you that you can't follow through on things... How do you fix something like this? I get similarly bored with school as well.

Maybe we all have ADD.

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 7:35 pm

fliptw wrote:take the opputunity to see what, if any, improvments you can make to the while you are porting it to C#.

That's not a big deal to me really. The job is only until the end of summer and then I go back to school. So once it's done, it's done. Now being creative about it, yes it will add a bit of spice to the mix.

My real problem is projects at home. I really want to get this game done for the IGF. To me, it means getting a job after school. I really don't know if gaming is what I want to get into, but right now it's what is the most fun and natural to make.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 8:48 pm

Get a good pair of headphones, go to Shoutcast, and decouple yourself from reality. I recommend Digitally Imported's Chillout station. The sooner you can work yourself into a trance, the better.

Vertigo 99 · Post by **Vertigo 99** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:17 pm

mmm digitally imported. oh, how i love them; especially trance, hardtrance, and hardcore stations

(those stations are not good for working, for the most part, lol)

[DWL]Punk · Post by **[DWL]Punk** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:28 pm

Topher, you could start smoking pot.
that'll get you interested in what your doing all over again.

Krom · Post by **Krom** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 10:50 pm

Drugs and focusing on work are typically mutually exclusive. (Exception drug dealers) I think he wants to be "get it done" interested, not â??ohhh look at the purdy colorzâ?

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 7:42 am

Soma FM's Groove Salad is where it's at.

Scratch · Post by **Scratch** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:07 am

Sup wrote:Easy solution?:

I you dont have any goals, you'll never be disappointed.

That's awesome advice!

I heard that advice in a movie once.....

Topher · Post by **Topher** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:31 am

Scratch wrote:
Sup wrote:Easy solution?:

I you dont have any goals, you'll never be disappointed.
That's awesome advice! I heard that advice in a movie once.....

Was it The Big Lebowski? Or maybe Requiem for a Dream?

Vertigo 99 · Post by **Vertigo 99** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:52 am

Yaa Lebowski, we're going to cut off your Johnsonnn.

Scratch · Post by **Scratch** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 10:28 am

Nawh, it was out of the movie Dodgeball. But the DUDE showed us plenty...Big Lebowski is great!

Vertigo 99 · Post by **Vertigo 99** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 11:53 am

OMG how could i not remember that the quote is from dodgeball, i <3 that movie.

p.s. The dude, duder, duderino, his dudeness...

Scratch · Post by **Scratch** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 2:49 pm

Go see Anchorman -- that is if you lurbed Dodgeball. Stay classy, San Diego.....which is german for the Blue Whale's vagina.....BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Top Wop · Post by **Top Wop** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 5:48 pm

I am the exact same way. Except for resolving the problem, I find myself browsing on the internet or hooked on Simcity 4.

Vertigo 99 · Post by **Vertigo 99** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 7:41 pm

Duh, i already saw anchorman. It owned me harder than dodgeball.

<-- me is the stupid idiot that goes to see all those movies

Lothar · Post by **Lothar** » Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:11 pm

it's funny you'd ask advice on how to stay on task from a bunch of people who don't even know how to stay on topic

Darktalyn1 · Post by **Darktalyn1** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 2:57 pm

I work 9 hours a day at my job, then come home and put in 2-3 every night on my demo reel. Considering I had such a short attention span my whole life I don't know how I have grown to be so disciplined.

Listening to audio books does help...

roid · Post by **roid** » Sat Jul 31, 2004 4:28 am

topher, since your work is simple text editing, can you possibly take your work onto the street with a palmpilot or something? ie: walk around, typing.
why not?

sunlight (sunglasses NOT recommended) and exersize are a surefire recipe for Dopamine. dopamine is good.

How to keep yourself on task

How to keep yourself on task

Re: How to keep yourself on task