Re:Ask HN: How do I find energy to work on hobbies after the...
by bradstewart on Friday March 19, 2021 @01:50PM
(#26516290)
I don't have ADHD (that I know of), but often struggle with the "activation" bit as well. One seemingly simple thing that's really, really helped me was a quote from Jerry Seinfeld (on the Tim Ferriss podcast):
"You don't have to write, but you can't do anything else."
Replace "write" with "code" or whatever you need to do. His process was to set a fixed amount of time to work (having a defined length is important), sit down, start the timer, and either write or sit and do nothing.
Removing the mental pressure of "oh no I have to get this thing done" by making _doing nothing_ an acceptable outcome was huge for me. It took a few tries to actually stick to the "do nothing else" part--no HN, no phones, etc--but now I find I can dispense with distractions and get work done much more easily.
"You don't have to write, but you can't do anything else."
Replace "write" with "code" or whatever you need to do. His process was to set a fixed amount of time to work (having a defined length is important), sit down, start the timer, and either write or sit and do nothing.
Removing the mental pressure of "oh no I have to get this thing done" by making _doing nothing_ an acceptable outcome was huge for me. It took a few tries to actually stick to the "do nothing else" part--no HN, no phones, etc--but now I find I can dispense with distractions and get work done much more easily.