Re:Simple Tips for Overcoming Procrastination
by f00zz on Thursday August 26, 2021 @03:05PM
(#28319136)
> In my case I have a "fear of getting started".
There's a book by the guy who ported R-Type (an old arcade game) to the ZX Spectrum (an ancient 8-bit computer). It doesn't look like much today, but at the time the port was a huge technical accomplishment (the arcade game had special hardware for sprites, tiles and scrolling, while the Spectrum was underpowered even by the standards of its era). I like this quote from the book:
> I'd been working on the game for about two and a half months and I knew I could handle everything to come, I didn't know how I would but it was that psychological boost at work again saying "oh you'll work that out when you come to it, don't worry" - so I didn't. If you're not careful you can spend more time worrying if you're capable of doing something rather than trying it and finding out for sure, something I've unfortunately seen happen to other game coders and the half completed programs they've left behind as self-doubt overrode everything else.
There's a book by the guy who ported R-Type (an old arcade game) to the ZX Spectrum (an ancient 8-bit computer). It doesn't look like much today, but at the time the port was a huge technical accomplishment (the arcade game had special hardware for sprites, tiles and scrolling, while the Spectrum was underpowered even by the standards of its era). I like this quote from the book:
> I'd been working on the game for about two and a half months and I knew I could handle everything to come, I didn't know how I would but it was that psychological boost at work again saying "oh you'll work that out when you come to it, don't worry" - so I didn't. If you're not careful you can spend more time worrying if you're capable of doing something rather than trying it and finding out for sure, something I've unfortunately seen happen to other game coders and the half completed programs they've left behind as self-doubt overrode everything else.