Comment by conductr | Hacker News Reader

Comment by conductr | Hacker News Reader

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I feel like I'm opposite of this camp or have some excessive attention disorder but not on the spectrum or anything either. I just can't focus at all in this situation, can't work in coffeeshops, could never study in libraries, can't multitask/read/study/create/etc if the TV or radio is on. My brain is kind of single threaded.

I don't even like using productivity tools or todo apps beyond just listing things at a high level on a post it / white board so I don't forget about something and can prioritize/sort them. Creating daily goals and breaking things down into bite sized actions just seems like a waste of time doing what is obvious to accomplish the larger objective IMO.

That said, I do like working in the an out-of-home office. My home does pull me off my screen and I end up tinkering in the yard, cleaning the pool, etc. throughout the day at the expense of GSD

Haha that's me. My wife has a photo of me mixing concrete while on a call.

Same re productivity tools. I just use text files to write things down - extremely high level, never in detail. Always seemed like a waste of time tbh.

I feel like I don't even know why some days I can focus, and some I can't. It seems to be completely arbitrary. Sometimes I'll have the most perfect conditions and it'll be impossible to start working.

But I've never, not once, managed to work with the TV on.

Good to know I’m not alone haha! I also have some of the concrete pouring type moments. I built a pool house last Spring during work hours in between and during meetings. I was able to do my actual productive work in evening after kids went to bed. Helps that I’m more of a manager than an individual contributor but nobody at work even noticed.

Also same productivity comes in bursts for me. Sometimes I’ll start the week off with a bang and get everything I needed to done on Monday. I’ll even go all night if I’m in this flow state. Then I will sleep until noon and take a leisurely pace the rest of week. Other weeks i procrastinate until im forced to get something done on Friday. Because I know this about myself, I try to think of work life one week at a time.

This is funny, I've been running remote companies for mostly the last 20 years (with physical offices during some of the time.) When I first saw the coworking concept and the inside of a WeWork I thought none of these people are working, they are just screwing around.

I'm just like this too - you end up aware of all sorts of things you definitely don't want to know/care about in the environment, be it a coffeeshop, library, office space etc.

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