aaron - how to be more productive

8/15/2019 Aaron - How to Be More Productive

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HOWTO: Be more productiveTranslations: 日本語 | Русский | Бе!"уск!#

“ Wit$ all t$e time %ou spend &atc$in' T()* $e tells me) +%ou could $ave &ritten a novel ,% no&-* .t/s $ard to disa'ree

&it$ t$e sentiment 0 &ritin' a novel is undou,tedl% a ,etter use o1 time t$an &atc$in' T( 0 ,ut &$at a,out t$e $idden

assumption2 3uc$ comments impl% t$at time is +1un'i,le* 0 t$at time spent &atc$in' T( can 4ust as easil% ,e spent &ritin' a novel- 5nd sadl%) t$at/s 4ust not t$e case-

Time $as various levels o1 6ualit%- .1 ./m &al7in' to t$e su,&a% station and ./ve 1or'otten m% note,oo7) t$en it/s prett%

$ard 1or me to &rite more t$an a couple para'rap$s- 5nd it/s tou'$ to 1ocus &$en %ou 7eep 'ettin' interrupted- T$ere/s

also a mental component: sometimes . 1eel $app% and motivated and read% to &or7 on somet$in') ,ut ot$er times . 1eel

so sad and tired . can onl% &atc$ T(-

.1 %ou &ant to ,e more productive t$en) %ou $ave to reco'ni8e t$is 1act and deal &it$ it- 9irst) %ou $ave to ma7e t$e ,est

o1 eac$ 7ind o1 time- 5nd second) %ou $ave to tr% to ma7e %our time $i'$er6ualit%-

3pend time e11icientl%

Choose good problems;i1e is s$ort


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>a7e %our time $i'$er 6ualit% >a7in' t$e ,est use o1 t$e time %ou $ave can onl% 'et %ou so 1ar- T$e muc$ more important pro,lem is ma7in' more

$i'$er 6ualit% time 1or %oursel1- >ost people/s time is eaten up ,% t$in's li7e sc$ool and &or7- O,viousl% i1 %ou attend

one o1 t$ese) %ou s$ould stop- But &$at else can %ou do2

Ease physical constraintsCarry pen and paper

Arett% muc$ ever%one interestin' . 7no& $as some sort o1 poc7et note,oo7 t$e% carr% at all times- Aen and paper is

immediatel% use1ul in all 7inds o1 circumstances 0 i1 %ou need to &rite somet$in' do&n 1or some,od%) ta7e notes on

somet$in') scratc$ do&n an idea) and so on- ./ve even &ritten &$ole articles in t$e su,&a%-F

s until %ou/re 1ree=-

Gou don/t &ant to overdo it- 3ometimes i1 %ou/re reall% &astin' time %ous$ould ,e distracted- .t/s a muc$ ,etter use o1

time to $elp someone else &it$ t$eir pro,lem t$an it is to sit and read t$e ne&s- T$at/s &$% settin' up speci1ic

a'reements is a 'ood idea: %ou can ,e interrupted &$en %ou/re not reall% 1ocusin'-

Ease mental constraintsEat, sleep, exerciseTime &$en %ou/re $un'r% or tired or t&itc$% is lo&6ualit% time- .mprovin' it is simple: eat) sleep) and e?ercise- Get .

some$o& mana'e to scre& up even t$is- . don/t li7e 'oin' to 'et 1ood) so ./ll o1ten &or7 ri'$t t$rou'$ ,ein' $un'r% and

end up so tired out t$at . can/t ,rin' m%sel1 to 'o 'et 1ood-

.t/s temptin' to sa% to %oursel1) +. 7no& ./m tired ,ut . can/t ta7e a nap 0 . $ave &or7 to do*- .n 1act) %ou/ll ,e muc$ more

productive i1 %ou do ta7e t$at nap) since %ou/ll improve t$e 6ualit% o1 t$e da%/s remainin' time and %ou &ere 'oin' to

$ave to sleep sometime an%&a%-

. don/t reall% e?ercise muc$ so ./m pro,a,l% not t$e ,est person to 'ive advice on t$at ,it) ,ut . do tr% to &or7 it in &$ere

. can- W$ile ./m l%in' do&n readin') . do situps- 5nd &$en . need to 'o some&$ere on 1oot) . run-

alk to cheerful people

Casin' mental constraints is muc$ $arder- One t$in' t$at $elps is $avin' 1riends &$o are c$eer1ul- 9or e?ample) . al&a%s1ind m%sel1 muc$ more inclined to &or7 a1ter tal7in' to Aaul Ira$am or Jan onnoll% 0 t$e% 4ust radiate ener'%- .t/s

temptin' to t$in7 t$at %ou need to 'et a&a% 1rom people and s$ut %oursel1 o11 in %our room to do an% real &or7) ,ut t$is

can ,e so demorali8in' t$at it/s actuall% less e11icient-

!hare the loadCven i1 %our 1riends aren/t c$eer1ul) 4ust &or7in' on a $ard pro,lem &it$ someone else ma7es it muc$ easier- 9or one

t$in') t$e mental &ei'$t 'ets spread across ,ot$ people- 9or anot$er) $avin' someone else t$ere 1orces %ou to &or7

instead o1 'ettin' distracted-

"rocrastination and the mental force fieldBut all o1 t$is is sort o1 dod'in' t$e issue- T$e real productivit% pro,lem people $ave is procrastination- .t/s somet$in' o1

a dirt% little secret) ,utever%one procrastinates 0 severel%- .t/s not 4ust %ou- But t$at doesn/t mean %ou s$ouldn/t tr% to

stop it-

W$at is procrastination2 To t$e outside o,server) it loo7s li7e %ou/re 4ust doin' somet$in' +1un*


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Hard problems#reak it down

T$e 1irst 7ind o1 $ard pro,lem is t$e pro,lem t$at/s too ,i'- 3a% %ou &ant to ,uild a recipe or'ani8in' pro'ram- Eo,od%

can reall% 4ust sit do&n and ,uild a recipe or'ani8er- T$at/s a 'oal) not a tas7- 5 tas7 is a speci1ic concrete step %ou can

ta7e to&ards %our 'oal- 5 'ood 1irst tas7 mi'$t ,e somet$in' li7e +dra& a moc7up o1 t$e screen t$at displa%s a recipe*-

Eo& t$at/s somet$in' %ou can do-L

5nd &$en %ou do t$at) t$e ne?t steps ,ecome clearer- Gou $ave to decide &$at a recipe consists o1) &$at 7ind o1 searc$

1eatures are needed) $o& to structure t$e recipe data,ase) and so on- Gou ,uild up a momentum) eac$ tas7 leadin' to t$e

ne?t- 5nd as %our ,rain 'ets crunc$in' on t$e su,4ect) it ,ecomes easier to solve t$at su,4ect/s pro,lems-

9or eac$ o1 m% ,i' pro4ects) . t$in7 o1 all t$e tas7s . can do ne?t 1or t$em and add t$em to m% cate'ori8ed todo list


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onclusionT$ere are a lot o1 m%t$s a,out productivit% 0 t$at time is 1un'i,le) t$at 1ocusin' is 'ood) t$at ,ri,in' %oursel1 is e11ective)

t$at $ard &or7 is unpleasant) t$at procrastinatin' is unnatural 0 ,ut t$e% all $ave a common t$eme: a conception o1 real

&or7 as somet$in' t$at 'oes a'ainst %our natural inclinations-

5nd 1or most people) in most 4o,s) t$is ma% ,e t$e case- T$ere/s no reason %ou s$ould ,e inclined to &rite ,orin' essa%s

or 1ile pointless memos- 5nd i1 societ% is 'oin' to 1orce %ou to do so an%&a%) t$en %ou need to learn to s$ut out t$e voices

in %our $ead tellin' %ou to stop-But i1 %ou/re tr%in' to do somet$in' &ort$&$ile and creative) t$en s$uttin' do&n %our ,rain is entirel% t$e &ron' &a% to

'o- T$e real secret to productivit% is t$e reverse: to listen to %our ,od%- To eat &$en %ou/re $un'r%) to sleep &$en %ou/re

tired) to ta7e a ,rea7 &$en %ou/re ,ored) to &or7 on pro4ects t$at seem 1un and interestin'-

.t seems all too simple- .t doesn/t involve an% 1anc% acron%ms or sel1determination or personal testimonials 1rom

success1ul ,usinessmen- .t almost seems li7e common sense- But societ%/s conception o1 &or7 $as pus$ed us in t$e

opposite direction- .1 &e &ant to ,e more productive) all &e need to do is turn around-

9urt$er readin'.1 %ou &ant to learn more a,out t$e psc%$olo'% o1 motivation) t$ere is not$in' ,etter t$an 5l1ie Uo$n- He/s &ritten man%

articles on t$e su,4ectand an entire ,oo7) Aunis$ed ,% Ve&ards) &$ic$ . $i'$l% recommend-

. $ope to address $o& to 6uit sc$ool in a 1uture essa%) ,ut %ou s$ould reall% 4ust 'o out and pic7 up T$e Teena'e;i,eration Hand,oo7 - .1 %ou/re a computer person) one &a% to 6uit %our 4o, is ,% appl%in' 1or 1undin' 1rom G

om,inator- >ean&$ile) >ic7e% /s ,oo7 T$e >urderin' o1 >% Gears 1eatures artists and activists descri,in' $o& t$e%

mana'e to ma7e ends meet &$ile still doin' &$at t$e% &ant-

Eotes

1. Believe it or not) . actuall% $ave &ritten in su,&a%s- .t/s eas% to come up &it$ e?cuses as to &$% %ou/re not actuall%

&or7in' 0 %ou don/t $ave enou'$ time ,e1ore %our ne?t appointment) people are ma7in' noise do&nstairs) etc- 0 ,ut .

1ind t$at &$en t$e inspiration stri7es me) . can actuall% &rite stu11 do&n on a su,&a% car) &$ere it/s a,surdl% loud and .

onl% $ave a couple minutes ,e1ore . $ave to 'et out and start &al7in'- X

2. T$e same pro,lem e?ists 1or sleep- T$ere/s not$in' &orse t$an ,ein' too tired to 'o to ,ed 0 %ou 4ust 1eel li7e a8om,ie- X

3. Eo& it turns out . e?perience t$is same p$enomenon in anot$er area: s$%ness- . o1ten don/t &ant to call a stran'er up on

t$e p$one or 'o tal7 to someone at a part% and . $ave t$e e?act same mental 1ield pus$in' me o11 in some ot$er direction-

. suspect t$is mi'$t ,e ,ecause s$%ness is also a trait t$at results 1rom a pro,lematic c$ild$ood-


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sleep-* W$en . &o7e up later) t$ere &as no ,rass rod) nor &as t$e ,ac7 o1 m% $ead so1t- 3ome$o& Z m% ,rain $adinvented 1alse reasons as to &$% . s$ouldn/t [o,serve m% dreams\ an% more-

aaron - how to be more productive

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