Motivation and Focus

[Ash]

When you work on a project for a long time, it's easy to get lost in what you're doing or distracted by other things. How do you keep your motivation up, and how do you keep yourself directed towards finishing?

Do you use any specific software (e.g. Wunderlist, Timesheet) to keep track of the tasks and amount of time you spend working on it, or are there any tricks up your sleeve that will keep you in a positive mood?

Just curious.

 

[Chaosy]

I don't.
I work constantly until I get bored. (which usually happens quickly) I know I am not the only one

For non-wc3 projects I wait until the last minute. Humans work more effectively during stress.

 

[The_Silent]

Either I give up within an hour, or I get really dedicated and don't even eat for three days. Longer than that and I need a deadline.

 

[Gilles]

I wait until the last minute. The motivation is intense at that point, and I get it done.

Besides not completing the task, this is the worst way to do it. Do not recommend.

 

[Ash]

For non-wc3 projects I wait until the last minute. Humans work more effectively during stress.

I wait until the last minute. The motivation is intense at that point, and I get it done.

Besides not completing the task, this is the worst way to do it. Do not recommend.

There are things you can't wait until the last minute for, though. It would be impractical, for example, to write an entire thesis overnight. So, by the sounds of it, you are goal setting but implicitly. This is interesting to me, I wonder how it would fair for bigger projects.

Either I give up within an hour, or I get really dedicated and don't even eat for three days. Longer than that and I need a deadline.

I do very similar stuff. I suppose I'd be interested in trying to figure out how I can shift the balance of probabilities so that I'm more often dedicated and less often bored.

Iron discipline, coffee, lists and calendars.

The first is the most important, obviously.

Ah, we are on the same page! I cultivate a lot of interests, so while my discipline may be good it is not always directed. This can be an issue. What do you think about this?

 

[Chaosy]

There are things you can't wait until the last minute for, though. It would be impractical, for example, to write an entire thesis overnight. So, by the sounds of it, you are goal setting but implicitly. This is interesting to me, I wonder how it would fair for bigger projects.

Well if you have a project that is supposed to take let's say one month. And you do it in half a week at the very end, it's technically last minute in proportion.

Me and a few buddies were supposed to make a movie about our class trip to Germany a few years back, we were given two dozen lessons or so.
We did it in one afternoon and got a lot of undeserved praise for it.

Of course it may not be as easy on a more professional level.

 

[fladdermasken]

Me and a few buddies were supposed to make a movie about our class trip to Germany a few years back, we were given two dozen lessons or so.
We did it in one afternoon and got a lot of undeserved praise for it.

Of course it may not be as easy on a more professional level.

Remember reading that you're Swedish somewhere, and this changes rapidly when you apply to uni. Hand-waving and verbal diarrhea becomes way less effective under formal settings, mainly because your professors will actually know what they're doing and examination is largely anonymous.

A good example is in mathematics, where Swedish students are mostly taught how to follow instructions and input values into existing formulae, and not taught to deal with set theory, logic problems, real analysis, or any form of proof writing. A large number of people fall behind early on because they've effectively been lead astray their entire life and can't save their skin with simple calculus problems.

 

[Chaosy]

I just graduated from whatever a "Gymnasium" equals in English while not having to change this mentality.
I cannot speak for whatever comes next though.

I've heard Swedish schools are shit these days compared to other countries so this may only work over there.

 

[Rui]

How do you keep your motivation up, and how do you keep yourself directed towards finishing?

Easy response—I don't. Hence why I never released anything big for wc3 despite working on a large project for 6 years.

I wait until the last minute. The motivation is intense at that point, and I get it done.

Pretty much me at uni during the last 3 semesters or so. Public transports and uni stresses you and tires you so much psychologically that I can only get things done when the deadline's about to expire. Right now I'm in the middle of an exam epoch and I can only bring myself to study properly in a maximum of 2 or 3 days before the exam.

 

[Kyrbi0]

I don't. I have struggled with a lack of motivation, discipline & attention that has just about reached it's zenith in recent months, leaving me on the razor's-edge of losing my job & livelihood.

Would Not Recommend (tm).

That being said, I have begun investigating whether or not this has roots in my childhood diagnosis of AD(H)D. I also do all sorts of weird elaborate things to help me keep track of time (like an alarm on my phone that goes off every 30 minutes, all day long).

I have always tended to wait until the very last minute to do things, and all the way through High School this didn't burn me too badly; I always managed to finish & still got decent grades. Even a bit into college this worked... But as soon as I started taking 'real' classes & got married & had a kid(s).... Well, let's just say it doesn't work anymore.

 

[Ash]

I don't. I have struggled with a lack of motivation, discipline & attention that has just about reached it's zenith in recent months, leaving me on the razor's-edge of losing my job & livelihood.

Would Not Recommend (tm).

I have always tended to wait until the very last minute to do things, and all the way through High School this didn't burn me too badly; I always managed to finish & still got decent grades. Even a bit into college this worked... But as soon as I started taking 'real' classes & got married & had a kid(s).... Well, let's just say it doesn't work anymore.

Welcome to the club!

That being said, I have begun investigating whether or not this has roots in my childhood diagnosis of AD(H)D. I also do all sorts of weird elaborate things to help me keep track of time (like an alarm on my phone that goes off every 30 minutes, all day long).

I've had some relative success with the pomodoro technique, and also with really trying to set goals. For this, I use wunderlist and define timeslots in my calendar when I should be working specifically on something. Maybe this is something you can check out?

 

[Rui]

To avoid looking like a hypochondriac, I often look for which symptom of a list I DON'T have. However, I've got to say, I pretty much have all the symptoms described in the ADD adult inattentive type. On top of that, a pretty smart colleague at university who happened to have studied Psychology for 5 years also asked me if I had any kind of attention disorder while we were working on a group project. Coincidence? I never got myself checked for that when I was younger.

 

[Ash]

I stay focused.

That's circular! We reach a point of saying "I remain focused by remaining focused".

 

[Shadow Fury]

If a project really interests me, I don't need anything to kick in and boost my motivation because I myself am a determined person so when I give a task to myself, in this case a project, I must accomplish it. Waiting till the last minute is absolutely something I try to avoid because even though I work better when stressed, the overall result may not satisfy me, mostly due to the lack of efficient work caused by the lack of time.
However, if the project does not intrigue me, such as Warcraft maps, I have recourse to music. Ironic, because I dislike music yet I have a list of songs to cheer me up and encourage me to carry on. To avoid wasting time, I constantly think and plan what I'm going to do next. Otherwise, my last resort is my own will and concentration
That is if I'm soloing the project. If someone works with me, my motivation skyrockets somehow, probably because I love teamwork.

 

[Gilles]

There are things you can't wait until the last minute for, though. It would be impractical, for example, to write an entire thesis overnight. So, by the sounds of it, you are goal setting but implicitly. This is interesting to me, I wonder how it would fair for bigger projects.

You are correct, for larger projects it does not go well at all. Reading Hobbes Leviathan overnight does not work. The C was a gift I did not deserve.

You've sparked an interest in me to start scheduling my time more. Pick a project and devote set amounts of time to it each day. Perhaps this will be fun, but help me learn to manage my time better. I've been wanting to take more control over my time and where I spend it.

I would love to think that I am a free spirit that does well with no schedule, but I am definitely not. I function immeasurably better with schedules and routine.

 

[Ash]

You've sparked an interest in me to start scheduling my time more. Pick a project and devote set amounts of time to it each day. Perhaps this will be fun, but help me learn to manage my time better. I've been wanting to take more control over my time and where I spend it.

Let's make it a team effort. I could do with being better organised.

 

[Celaquil]

Like many here, I don't have much in the way of discipline.

I think what works best for me is what Gilles suggested: Wait until you absolutely have to do it:
That pressure is the only thing that can keep me motivated for longer than an hour. (A kind of feeling
akin to the "life or death" feeling.)

Otherwise, I'm not going to lie, and this is a pathetic thing to do: But I rely on my wits far more than
I should. I have gotten through so many exams and similar scenarios where I shouldn't have simply
because I am good at improvising and because I am productive under pressure. This obviously doesn't
produce top grades, or stellar performances, but it's been working for me so far.

It's a thing I strive to change, imagining what I could manage if I actually managed to dedicate completely
to something, but I guess that is the bane of being creatures of habit. Change comes painfully to us.

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

To be honest all my works are dedicated to others. Warcraft mapping was inspired by my friends need for a game that was just right, and even though we no longer play warcraft lan I still work on it hoping for that day when we meet up again. Programming was designed by me for me, which is not for me but for me, I needed something to help self improve me so I work with my programs to that end. As for programs I started programming my selling programs for handicapped kids... enough said. Writing? Well writing was inspired by the fact that there is never anything good to watch on TV. I first started writing when Young justic's second season was crap and I thought, 'I can write something better then that' and I did...

Hmm What inspires me? I guess I'm just one of those people that absolutely needs to do something productive, if I'm not doing anything productive I find myself slowly losing my mind(hence all the off topic threads with my name). Even at work I can't stand doing nothing, which is why I hive while on my lunch breaks and when waiting for a delivery to come through. I get so pissed sometimes that I throw down 40 kg buckets when the crane takes to long to pick it up, which usually gets me in a lot of trouble. It would be nice if I could pick those buckets back up and throw them to the top when they are filled with cement, but I'm not Hercules =)

ah yes I almost forgot... What motivates me is my eccentric need to do make something out of the day. if I can't look back and feel accomplished I will regret living that day

 

[DatBoi]

I think about cool things i can do in my map at nightime, the next day, i get excited to do what i've thinked along the night, so i put some Battle Music Mix or Inspirational Music, rarely some Electro, though i must say electro is my favourite, but it just doesn't feel good when using WE. After 3-4 hours of continous work i start to get distracted and often i go play with my brother.

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

How do you keep your motivation up, and how do you keep yourself directed towards finishing?

I use this video:

Just kidding,its secret.

 

[Sclammerz]

I visit and play other successful projects and that makes me motivated. Keeping the thought "I can do this". For school projects as same as the others the deadline motivates me. The nearer the deadline the will to finish it is stronger though sometimes it may give me unfavorable results but still effective.

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

I get motivation from this.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I cheat a bit - I split the big task into smaller parts and then I put a deadline on each of them.
I don't know, it just helps me to have a perspective of doing a couple of smaller things (which I see done fairly quickly), rather than one, big thing that I'd have to wait a while to even complete

 

[Zombie]

Gotta listen to music that helps you concentrate.

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

well this is new...

I've now accomplished something great (started providing my programs to schools) and I feel absolutely unfulfilled

the whole of yesterday kids were playing my educational games on the school computers, do I feel good about that!?

NO! I'm sitting here in bed mopping to you.

what kind of sick curse has the devil put on me!!!!

all that work and no sense of accomplishment, in fact I wish I was dead

Aaaaaagh

it's infuriating!

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

well this is new...

I've now accomplished something great (started providing my programs to schools) and I feel absolutely unfulfilled

the whole of yesterday kids were playing my educational games on the school computers, do I feel good about that!?

NO! I'm sitting here in bed mopping to you.

what kind of sick curse has the devil put on me!!!!

all that work and no sense of accomplishment, in fact I wish I was dead

Aaaaaagh

it's infuriating!

The devil doesnt exist.

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

well
I guess the problem is just me then :-(

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

Well,its normal to have problems in life.

 

[Tank-Commander]

For me staying motivated requires meaningful feedback from what I'm working on (in the case of programs) by which I mean I need to see what I'm doing have the effect I want in order to keep doing it (bugs in code notwithstanding)
as a sort of extension to this, if I /really/ want to be working on something else but need to build infrastructure to do it then I'll lose all motivation to do it at all (e.g. you can't code a quest properly until you've built the terrain)
if I'm working on a program and that keeps up then I'll work on it for a week straight taking minimal breaks (that being the longest I've worked on something non-stop, stopping because I finished)

Other than that generally speaking I work on things I need to do during time I can't physically work on what I want to - leading to aside from needing a designated study area, completing assignments during lectures if possible (particularly in the case of mathematics). I mean if I've got to work may as well put that energy toward something that must be done - only works (and only do so) if I already understand the material being covered but that's gone well for me thus far. Failing that I'm likely to push it off until I start feeling the pressure of a deadline, if there is no deadline then it's probably never getting done

 

[Kyrbi0]

The devil doesnt exist.

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

the devil is a good guy

he makes sure evil people go to hell and gives the weak the oppotunity to be stronger

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

lets pray to the devil,lol

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

lets pray to the devil,lol

hmm... perhaps I may have mislead you

I should have rather said the devil is either unintentionally or intentionally doing what God wants

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

Welp,im pretty sure that i dont give a fk about any religion.

 

[Krakenn99]

Guys, I'm having a problem. So I'm nonstop map making from over a month or two and I can't stop myself hoping from project to project. I can work on a map for a week or two and then start a new one. I also start to have less and less motivation since I've made a lot of unfinished maps and I start to think that I will never finish a map.

Can anyone help me out in some way? Do you have the same problem and how have you dealt with it?

 

[Chaosy]

Same issue for me whenever I try to make something.
Still no solution.

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

Solution....

What you will need:
one gun
one bullet
a hand
and
a head

How does it work?

Put the bullet in the chamber of the gun
cock the gun
place hand over trigger
point gun at head
pull trigger

End result?

You will feel all your frustration and bothersome habits all pour out in one Final explosion in the form of a brain blast

>>>>>>>

The secret is use someone else brain and hand... In psych wards they use plastic dummies, they found by fooling a subject into believing that that thing was their own head... they suddenly felt relieved to be alive after seeing it smashed into a thousand pieces...

Yes, fake killing yourself is the solution

I personally find tying a a rope around my neck and jumping one story down, makes me feel soooo much better.... as long as the rope isn't attached to anything else

....

But stop avoiding it people

Exercise is the only real way to return focus and alleviate stress

 

[12PrasadNair]

Thanks for this.

 

[TheLordOfChaos201]

Thanks for this.

who are you.
thanking

 

[pyf]

When you work on a project for a long time, it's easy to get lost in what you're doing or distracted by other things. How do you keep your motivation up, and how do you keep yourself directed towards finishing?

[...] are there any tricks up your sleeve that will keep you in a positive mood? [...]

Motivation(s) and focus:

Hope it helps

 

[TheKurt009]

i simply listen to spotify's "focus and study" genre and with some of Pachelbel's music

 

[WhiteFang]

Error 404 not found

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]

Motivation(s) and focus:

Hope it helps

19:18

 

[pyf]

19:18

 

[Mr. Gameplay Knowledge]