Ask HN: How to keep focused and working

If you don't feel like working on one of them at any given moment, do you feel like working on the other? Having two ideas can be a lot more forgiving in that way than just having one.

If they are complex ideas can you break them down into a "buffet" of subtasks? The idea is that hopefully on any given day/evening at least one of those small tasks will appeal to you. Doing something peripherally helpful is at least better than doing nothing helpful... as long as you have the energy to tackle the hard stuff every few days.

* Don't drink too much caffeine.

* Work out more.

* Have other things to do.

* If you don't work on them enough, at least think about them a lot, otherwise it's likely just a pipe dream.

Try doing a little bit at a time where you get some result. Try your hardest not to stop before finishing the bit and getting a result. If you cannot do so, make the bit smaller and try again. You work out what the "bit" is.

Work in moderation and brainstorm small concrete tasks you can do that will count towards some measure of completion for the project the previous night.

It's a lot easier to get started when you're not staring at a mountain and just have a set to do list. Rinse and repeat each day.If you're working on this only in the evening or something, work on the list from the previous day, stop early before you go to bed and come up with set plans.

This counts for things you have to learn to execute these projects. Try to maximize your time by prioritizing things that could count towards both projects where possible.

Much of your progress or sense of accomplishment will come from completing small milestones, and have a huge impact after you're able to look back on it. The key to this is to keeping the tasks small enough.

- Workout - If you run into a problem, fight for it. If you can't figure it out, take a break and go for a walk. - Disengage when it is personal time - Get PLENTY of sleep (cannot stress this enough) and... biggest thing I've learned: - Draw. This helped me a lot. Drawing engages other parts of the brain so if you run into problems, try drawing them out to solve the problem instead of working it out in your head.

I'm with patrickmclaren on "work out more," which will help you have better focus and energy. But besides that, figure out what works for you. Some people need deadlines or serious challenge and obsession (cough, cough, me) to work effectively.

So, maybe the deadlines? Start with the goal: Are you talking about building a company/launching a product? Pick a date, set it on some calendar that you look at all the time, and then set objectives/milemarkers that'll help you get there. Calendar those, and reminders. Set even smaller pieces into your calendar.

You can also get a buddy to check in with you/pester you, though that doesn't work for everyone. Or publicly blog about the deadline and your progress.

Discipline is based on practice and Habit. You know how to drive or ride a bike, right? You didn't get those skills in a day, but now you probably rarely have to think about them.

Try your best each day. Resolve to do better the next day. It may be helpful to quantify this somehow (git commit's maybe, even if you are just updating a notes section about the technology) so that you can measure how much you are doing. Try to work on it every day, to build the habit. Try to notice when you are distracted. Reward yourself for little victories.

You can try Pomodoro techniques to break up the day, if that helps. Keep trying, and the discipline will come.

I agree that Pomodoro or similar practice help a lot. After the school days long gone, it is hard to just sit down and focus. But if you got use to some triggers, like Pomodoro, that makes you sit down, and do the same stuff for 20-30 min, than practice can help a lot.