Re: OT: Help with motivation
Odd... Not that I've ever done anything earth-shattering myself, but, about two years ago when in the midst of composing a rather long (for me) article on medieval genealogy, I'd take a few to do something *very* different. Sometimes just freeing myself from the burden of the moment and looking at something different helped me see something new or the same thing from a different vantage point. And so I do now... stumped by doing something in Rev (happens alot when you're me...)? Go back to researching some issue on my medieval person. Still stumped? Go bead something. Play with the new puppy. Observe my children trying to learn language (English, ASL bits of Spanish; a challent for me at least; an enjoyment for them). Sometimes, the burden of needing to do something in one arena was lifted by doing something positive or meaningful in another... and being successful. But then, it's almost 1 am my time... right now I am highly motivated to sleep, but it's not coming... hence my doing something else ;-) Judy On Tue, 22 Feb 2005, Ro Nagey wrote: Gene Wolfe, the noted sf author, once told me something along the lines of: If you can get started, turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Don't read the mail. Don't open a book. You can go for a walk. Sooner or later, you will start writing This has worked well for me - of course, I've updated it to include Don't turn on the computer ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
On Tue, 22 Feb 2005, Richard Gaskin wrote: One of the things I found counterproductive about day jobs I've had is how short their siesta, and how non-existing their napping facililities. --Yuppers! This is true even, if not especially, of in-home day (at day OR night) jobs... @;-) Judy ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Great replies from all...I would have never thought that Andre or Richard Gaskin ever need motivation. ;-) Sometimes I go to the kitchen and start peeling garlic, after doing that I need something to go with the garlic...I might get out the flour and eggs, sheep cheese and start making raviolis. Then I have to get dressed and go get a bottle of wine to go with the food...then I always make too many so I have to call up a friend to share the food. One thing generally leads to another...get out the garlic and start peeling, you never know where it might lead. Little steps. With my current project I am keeping a tour book of Rome on my desk, when I am at the half way point in the project I am going to go to Roma eat more raviolis! ;-) All the motivation I need! sims ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
On 22 Feb 2005, at 23:29, Sarah Reichelt wrote: I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. If you're like me, I find that in these situations, any kind of methodical planning isn't going to work. As a student, this was described to me as Cuthbert's paradox , in which your objectives depend on the methods of implementation, and the methods of implementation depend on the objective. In other words, You don't know what you want until you know how to get it, and you don't know how to get it until you know what you want. The solution, we were told, was modelled around psychoanalytic techniques. But basically it involves piddling around till everything becomes clear. The key is in finding efficient(ish) techniques of piddling around. On 22 Feb 2005, at 23:29, Sarah Reichelt wrote: Pick one tiny aspect of the project that doesn't involve anything that you don't already know how to do and just do that. Don't worry about the rest as it is daunting to face a large project where nothing has been done, so break it up and just do little bit by little bit. After a few tiny bits have been put together, it won't seem so difficult. I like this approach too. The way I usually do it is to create a new stack and put a row of say 5 buttons along the top and a blank field below. Then using the first button, I implement some function/feature that I think will probably have to be included in the project. (Getting data from the internet, parsing a particular kind of data structure, whatever.) I use the field to display any data as I go. I might add another field and use one for input and one for output. Then do something else with the second button, and so on. Add more buttons as required. When I'm bored with this, I'll make a second card, and start piddling around with some interface ideas. (Occasionally asking the questions, Who's going to use this? What will they expect to see?) When things get really grim, I go to the supermarket and think, Hey, working here wouldn't be too bad. Stocking shelves looks quite therapeutic. It takes some of the pressure away to know there are alternatives. :) Which all reminds me of a paper I read while a student. It was in a book of papers about Corporate and Strategic Planning. This was in the seventies when goal setting, systems analysis, problem definition, cybernetic modelling, cost-benefit analysis, platform shoes were cool. Amongst the heady sounding papers was one entitled The Art of Muddling Through. Not so much inspiring as reassuring. Cheers Dave ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
OT: Help with motivation
On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:56:05 -0500, Thomas McGrath III [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? I'm coming a bit late to this - I hope you agree that the quality of the advice you've had so far has been outstanding! My contribution is to say that I've also had much the same problem, particularly recently: I have a project that was going very well, with a (very tolerant) client waiting for me to finish, and I just went totally off the boil and did almost anything else - including moving house and having a major operation - to avoid getting back to work. I'm back in harness now, and I believe I know what started the block - I have a series of things I know I have to do, like my tax return, which like many people, I put off as long as possible (maybe I have 'tax return block', too). The effect of this is that my internal To Do list gets blocked in proportion to the attractiveness of the items on it. The great black monster of the tax return (or whatever) sits at the top of the list and challenges me: if you aren't going to deal with ME, then I'm going to make sure you feel so guilty that you won't deal with the things you actually want to do. So the block was caused by a couple of these 'must-do' monsters. I did all the going-for-a-walk things, cleared my head (this was after MONTHS of displacement behaviour) and tackled the monsters; and now I find I can work on RunRev again. What was wrong was that I like doing RunRev projects too much! Just my take on the thing. Hope your path gets clearer very soon now. Graham Graham Samuel / The Living Fossil Co. / UK and France ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Hi Tom, I use a whole range of different techniques depending on the circumstances. Being really effective and productive is something you have to make a priority and keep working on. The most important techniques for me: * Am I sure that I want to be doing this now? Is it really in my best interests, or is it better to be doing something else? A lack of motivation, if not explored, is quite often because there is some other task or project that is actually more important and more pressing. Be sure you know exactly what is the best thing to be doing next and prioritize. * Knowing for sure you should be doing that difficult task now is usually enough, you just get it done. However if you're still stuck, just get started with the aim of doing 15 minutes on it. Remember, with a difficult task, motivation for the task comes *after* you get started, not before. As you get into it, your motivation starts to kick in. Usually you can work longer once you get into it. * If your mind is not clear or you are under particular pressure: http://www.livescience.com/humanbiology/050209_under_pressure.html Then the last thing you need is TV, or any other activity that stimulates your over stimulated mind. A clear, uncluttered, fresh mind is what you want. The easiest and most reliable method I've found for attaining that is to go meditate for 15-30 minutes. Its like having a nap but more effective, clears your head, leaves you fresh and ready to get started. A great book on meditation is Meditation for Dummies. * If you find yourself surfing the web or working on some more exciting project than the one you have determined needs to be doing next, stop yourself as soon as you become aware of it. Your mind is capable of finding all kinds of ways to procrastinate, particularly if you've been working for 15 hours and the last task of the day isn't much fun. Be aware of the consequences of not completing the deadline - e.g. that the time wasted will have to come from somewhere, so would you really prefer to be surfing the net than going out for a drink with your friends or family later? Not only that, but the time you take out will feel better if you've completed everything you intended for the day. There are loads of other techniques that are important, like taking breaks, taking days off, eating well, rewarding yourself when you complete a difficult task - even if you have other things to do, managing your energy levels, rotating difficult and easy tasks, breaking tasks down into small chunks, delegating, saying no when you can't do something, creating deadlines for all tasks, meeting internal deadlines with the same commitment as external ones...but without going into detail, right now I know there are other things I know I need to be doing ;) Kind regards, Kevin Kevin Miller ~ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ http://www.runrev.com/ Runtime Revolution - User-Centric Development Tools ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
I have exactly the same problem - it sometimes takes me days or weeks to really get going on a project. When I'm designing databases or forms days can pass with nothing happening. In College I had the same problem - I just could not get into studying for an exam. Ultimately what I discovered is that inside me there is something intuitive that needs panic, disaster, mayhem, and impending doom to focus. There's something strangely calming about it. Maybe that's why I'm a volunteer firefighter, too. You too may have an intuitive clock that isn't wound yet for this project. In College and Grad school I ultimately gave up and resorted to a novel study technique I call the one-hour-cram. It didn't matter if it was Quantum Physics or Probability or Marketing. I started cramming the moment I felt like I couldn't put it off any longer and went full-tilt until the moment the exam hit my desk. My grades were never better, and I got a lot more sleep and played a lot more golf. Good luck. Speaking of which, I've got some environmental reports due March 1 that I really should get started on. Screw it. I've got days yet. -- On the first day, God created the heavens and the Earth On the second day, God created the oceans. On the third day, God put the animals on hold for a few hours, and did a little diving. And God said, This is good. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
RE: OT: Help with motivation
Hi David... What finally worked for you regarding Windows printing? Regarding finding ideas - I encountered this issue frequently when I was a producer at CNN. Basically, how do you become inspired when the inspiration is not forthcoming on its own? I used to teach new producers a few simple techniques for finding story ideas, so perhaps I can adapt them to finding programming ideas. 1) Read, read, read - In news, read all the wire reports and magazine articles in your field of interest. So, in programming, read lots of articles on the topics you find interesting. I don't mean that you need to read lots of articles on programming. Programs are meant to be used in dealing with aspects of our lives. I am suggesting that you read lots of articles on things in life that you find interesting, and then ask yourself Is there some sort of way I can apply programming to this topic? 2) Concept associations - get a dictionary or almanac and randomly open it to different pages. When you read the items on that page, ask yourself if that item can be linked to a topic you find interesting. It may take a few tries (or a few hundred) before you hit on something you find exciting, but eventually it will work. 3) Chaotically brainstorm with others - because people often do not understand each other very well, we often misinterpret an idea that is being shared. These misinterpretations can be useful, because they are actually a new idea unto themselves. Once you get that new idea, talk it over to see if it has merit. Even if it does not have merit, the process of talking it over will produce other ideas. If you find that your communication with your brainstorming partner is working too well - that is, everything is making sense and no radically new ideas are coming from it - then try brainstorming with your brainstorming partner at a bar. I find that alcohol makes everything less logical :) 4) Use a random sentence generator - I like this one: http://www.members.aol.com/clabrack/rsg/ - Most of the sentences are foolish, but they are fun and might give you ideas if you let your mind run free while reading them. For instance, the sentence Police wouldn't self-flagellate for a pimp might inspire you to write brothel management software! Well, let's hope it doesn't, but you get the idea. 5) Be observant - Ask yourself What needs to be improved in my life? - The odds are that if you can create something that improves your life, it will be of benefit to someone else as well. Don't just ask yourself that question once and then drop it. Instead, hold that question in the back of your mind as you go about your daily life. I could also suggest some meditative techniques for finding intellectual inspiration, but I would rather do so off-list. When it comes to meditation and spiritual techniques, I believe that what works for one person may not work at all for someone else. It is highly individualistic. Good luck, Jonathan -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Squance Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 11:01 PM To: How to use Revolution Subject: Re: OT: Help with motivation Revers: Many of you replied to this thread, and the collective wisdom of this group has once again impressed me. My problem, if it can be called a problem, is sort of the opposite. I have the motivation, but nothing to work on. Perhaps I just lack the motivation to dig for ideas, but my skills are limited, as is my time--I'm a hobbyist, and have not tackled anything very challenging at this point (except perhaps getting things to print properly under Windoze ;). Dave ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Thanks Sarah, Richard, Trevor, Bob, Ro, Stephen, Jacqueline, Dan, Jim, Ken, David, Chipp, Paul, David, Andre, Judy, Dave, Graham, Kevin, Mikey, and Jonathan. I am completely overwhelmed by the responses I received to my motivation problem. I don't know what to say... I realize now that this project, that I am looking at, is more like just a means to make some cash BUT that my heart is not really in it. It is not a bad project and it will help others BUT when I asked myself what I really want to be doing right now I got a BIG surprise. My answer is that I would rather be creating some of the metal sculpture ideas I have been having. Those I have drawn sketches down on paper and spent hours researching. When I have time, that is what I am thinking about. I think it is like the taxes being due aspect, where I can't get to something else until I deal with what is most pressing in my mind. So, due to all of the wonderful help and suggestions from you guys I have decided to take a break and go ice fishing here in Pennsylvania and then commit to finishing one of my metal kinetic sculpture ideas which shouldn't take more than a week or two tops and THEN when I am done come back to this project and see how I feel then. Below I clipped a few of the responses I got so that I can be reminded about all of the great responses and to remember that I am not alone, at all in feeling this way. Thanks guys, Tom McGrath On Feb 22, 2005, at 6:27 PM, Richard Gaskin wrote: Hiking or other blood-stimulating exercise with good vistas generally works helps me, esp. if followed by a good meal with lots of greens, a hot bath, and a brief nap. The time away clears the mind, and I've lost count of the number of times I wake from a short nap knowing exactly how to solve a previously difficult problem. Some people mistake prepping for flow with wasting time. It is all in how you look at it. OK what to do is go and have a couple of days off. Eat lots of good food and visit some friends. Then have another couple of days off to recover from friends. :-) If you can get started, turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Don't read the mail. Don't open a book. You can go for a walk. Sooner or later, you will start writing This has worked well for me - of course, I've updated it to include Don't turn on the computer I get motivation sometimes just exploring the rich RunRev feature set. This stuff is DEEP and every entry into the Docs (thanks, Heather) leads me to say wow, I didn't know you could do THAT. My brain sometimes doesn't know what I'm up to, and falls for it. 1. Nothing is more important than that you feel good. Nothing. 2. There's an old saying that was turned into a book title: If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably wind up somewhere. Know where you are going. 3. Play the Alphabet Animals Game. 4. write down 20 ideas for ways to solve the problem or answer the question. Don't worry about it. It comes when it comes. If it's any consolation, it's been three years since I've been motivated! You are simply stuck in a do-nothing repeat loop. Best advice I could give would be to shut down the computer, get away from the machine for awhile. Breathe Prioritise Exercise Communicate Take a break Do one thing at a time Stay positive There was this one designer who came in every day at 8AM and imediately took out a pencil and drew a line on a page. Then we went and got coffee. He said it 'broke' the 'white space' problem many designers get when staring at a fresh clean piece of paper. This often helps me decide, early on, that I really don't want to do it. And that is a good thing, too. If your inner voice is saying I want no part of this, it might just be giving you good advice. I have the motivation, but nothing to work on. I think we suffer from what I call the Douglas Adams Disease. The trick is to get away from the work for a while. Sometimes, the burden of needing to do something in one arena was lifted by doing something positive or meaningful in another... and being successful. The key is in finding efficient(ish) techniques of piddling around. The effect of this is that my internal To Do list gets blocked in proportion to the attractiveness of the items on it. Remember, with a difficult task, motivation for the task comes *after* you get started, not before. Ultimately, what I discovered is that inside me there is something intuitive that needs panic, disaster, mayhem, and impending doom to focus. There's something strangely calming about it. Ask yourself What needs to be improved in my life? -The odds are that if you can create something that improves your life, it will be of benefit to someone else as well. Thomas J McGrath III [EMAIL PROTECTED] 412-831-3094 220 Drake Road Bethel Park, PA 15102 *)) = Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Yo, if you're coming up to Erie to fish, let me know. I'll be happy to...fish...you out when you fall through the bay. -- On the first day, God created the heavens and the Earth On the second day, God created the oceans. On the third day, God put the animals on hold for a few hours, and did a little diving. And God said, This is good. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
OT: Help with motivation
Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Thanks Tom Thomas J McGrath III [EMAIL PROTECTED] 412-831-3094 220 Drake Road Bethel Park, PA 15102 *)) = Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - a Cigar in one hand - a large steak in the other - your body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming - WOO HOO! What a Ride! ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
At 22:56 22/02/2005, you wrote: Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Hi Tom. OK what to do is go and have a couple of days off. Eat lots of good food and visit some friends. Then have another couple of days off to recover from friends. :-) Then once you have your batteries recharged, make your overall plan. Then get to work on it. :-) When I wrote my PhD I made a point of writing at least one page per day. Some days I would write 10 and others I would not feel like writing anything, so I would put a picture into the thesis and that was it. 10 minutes. So have a rest then make a plan then stick to it (allowing little goodies ON DULL DAYS) All the best Bob Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Thanks Tom -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.300 / Virus Database: 266.1.0 - Release Date: 18/02/2005 ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Gene Wolfe, the noted sf author, once told me something along the lines of: If you can get started, turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Don't read the mail. Don't open a book. You can go for a walk. Sooner or later, you will start writing This has worked well for me - of course, I've updated it to include Don't turn on the computer Ro On Feb 22, 2005, at 10:56 PM, Thomas McGrath III wrote: I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Ro Nagey ~ [EMAIL PROTECTED] ~ http://www.runrev.com/ Runtime Revolution - User-Centric Development Tools ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Tom, I get motivation sometimes just exploring the rich RunRev feature set. This stuff is DEEP and every entry into the Docs (thanks, Heather) leads me to say wow, I didn't know you could do THAT. Next thing you know I'm building something, or part of something I've always wanted to do, but was just to hard to implement. sqb Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Thanks Tom ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Thomas McGrath III wrote: I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Been there many times. :) Hiking or other blood-stimulating exercise with good vistas generally works helps me, esp. if followed by a good meal with lots of greens, a hot bath, and a brief nap. The time away clears the mind, and I've lost count of the number of times I wake from a short nap knowing exactly how to solve a previously difficult problem. Let your background processes do the work while your foreground processes rest and absorb nature. Even a brief walk in the rain can sometimes help. Nature rarely makes a design mistake and can be inspiring, even if in subtle ways. One of the things I found counterproductive about day jobs I've had is how short their siesta, and how non-existing their napping facililities. :) I don't mind working later if I can take the time to get refreshed enough to enjoy the second half of the day as much as the first. -- Richard Gaskin Fourth World Media Corporation ___ [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.FourthWorld.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Pick one tiny aspect of the project that doesn't involve anything that you don't already know how to do and just do that. Don't worry about the rest as it is daunting to face a large project where nothing has been done, so break it up and just do little bit by little bit. After a few tiny bits have been put together, it won't seem so difficult. HTH, Sarah ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
On Feb 22, 2005, at 2:56 PM, Thomas McGrath III wrote: Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Ahh, you need to Prep for Flow. When working flow is like being in a zone in sports. Everything goes right, you can do no wrong. Obviously things are going great when you are in flow but you need to prepare yourself for flow. This involves getting rid of distractions. Prepping for flow involves things such as: * Watching any movie trailers on the web which might later distract you while working * Trips to the Apple Store (or other computer store of your choice) to make sure you have all of the coolest gadgets you might need for flow. * Surfing the internet looking for inspiring articles, applications or funny cartoons. All seem to be effective. * Eating cake. Nobody can be in flow when they are hungry. Prepping for flow can obviously include many more things (trips to Disneyland work well sometimes) but this should get you started. Some people mistake prepping for flow with wasting time. It is all in how you look at it. -- Trevor DeVore Blue Mango Multimedia [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
On 2/22/05 4:56 PM, Thomas McGrath III wrote: Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. I have been there so many times I no longer need a map to find it. :) What I do is: anything related, however remotely. Sometimes that just means reading the client's email and thinking about how I'd solve the problem. Sometimes it is looking through a stack with no intention of changing anything. Sometimes it is sketching on paper how I want things to look, away from the computer. Or pseudo-coding a single script. Or writing a tiny little function that will be useful down the road if I ever get around to the rest of it. Usually I find that the problem is not the job itself but rather getting myself started, so I need to trick myself into getting involved. Once I start, the rest takes care of itself. So I tell myself often: Just DO it. I think about how bad I feel when I have something hanging over me and how much better I will feel when I don't. I promise myself I will quit in ten minutes (and usually I end up doing more.) I tell myself I will only work till lunch time. Or bed time. Or just until I have this one handler written, or this one layout done. One of my biggest self-tricking ruses, and probably the one I use most, is to promise somebody I will do something by a certain deadline. I am compulsive about deadlines. So I make them for myself and then tell the client about them, even though they never asked me to. I will have that for you by Wednesday, I say. (I have to tell them, I can't just think it, because I am not so compulsive about breaking promises to myself.) Then I am forced to do the work even if I don't want to, because living with being late is harder for me than anything else. (This trick may be a by-product of being an American. I understand other countries aren't as particular about time.) My brain sometimes doesn't know what I'm up to, and falls for it. -- Jacqueline Landman Gay | [EMAIL PROTECTED] HyperActive Software | http://www.hyperactivesw.com ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
On Feb 22, 2005, at 2:56 PM, Thomas McGrath III wrote: Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? *)) = Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - a Cigar in one hand - a large steak in the other - your body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming - WOO HOO! What a Ride! Hi, Tom. I do a lot of motivational speaking, coaching and counseling with creative folks. A lot of the advice others have offered you here is first-rate. I would only add a few sort of specific ideas for getting unstuck or unblocked that various of my clients and I have found helpful over the years. 1. Nothing is more important than that you feel good. Nothing. 2. Get a clear picture of what we call the end of the movie. What is your life like when this project is over? What has changed? What are you enjoying? How do you feel? There's an old saying that was turned into a book title: If you don't know where you're going, you'll probably wind up somewhere. Know where you are going. Any time your motivation lags, re-visit this visualization, embellish it if you like. 3. Play the Alphabet Animals Game. Go through the alphabet and for each letter think of an animal which starts with that letter. Then visualize the animal. Give it sound. Put it into a situation in which it would probably never find itself. Watch what it does. (This one's a really good tool for when you are facing writer's block, an affliction shared by programmers in my experience. I almost never do more than six or seven animals before my creative juices are flowing and three new ideas have appeared.) 4. The 20-I technique developed years ago by Brian Tracy is a good stand-by. Take a sheet of paper. At the top, write down the problem or question you're grappling with. Number the left side of the sheet from 1-20. Now, as fast as you can and without spending a single second evaluating their logic, practicality or even potential helpfulness, write down 20 ideas for ways to solve the problem or answer the question. Set the paper aside for a while (how long depends on you). When you go back to it, I guarantee one of two outcomes: either one or more of the ideas you listed will literally jump off the page and suggest itself as the solution or an entirely new approach will occur to you that will answer the problem. I have a whole course of things like this but these are the ones I think are generally most helpful in situations such as yours. HTH dan ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
I have been having problems getting myself motivated. Don't worry about it. It comes when it comes. If it's any consolation, it's been three years since I've been motivated! Jim Lambert ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Hi Thomas, Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 17:56:05 -0500 From: Thomas McGrath III [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: OT: Help with motivation I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. BTDT Thomas. And I imagine many here have. You're not alone. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? You are simply stuck in a do-nothing repeat loop. Best advice I could give would be to shut down the computer, get away from the machine for awhile. Take a pad and pencil with you if you like, but nothing more technical. It's for sketching nature or writing down ideas, if they come, but don't force the issue at all. Go for a walk in the woods (or whatever wilderness you have nearby) with a nice view. Take a flute or a tin whistle, some kind of small musical instrument might be nice, too. Avoid thinking, just let things happen. The idea is to shed technical stuff and let your mind out of its cage for awhile. Clear your head. The main problem is usually just loss of perspective. HTH, Ken N. ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
On 23/02/2005, at 12:07, Thomas McGrath III [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. Well, I suppose it is not about Rev but in every other respect it seems a pertinent topic ;-) I have been having problems getting myself motivated. snip Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? I was going to put my ideas down but recognised their common threads with other people's, so rather than the detail, my general approach is: 1. Remove the distractions, while doing something useful 2. Do **something** however trivial, just to get you rolling. On the first, I often do a desk cleanup because it tends to clutter as my ideas accumulate and I clear it as a metaphor for re-ordering my thoughts. Like Richard, I go for a walk to get some physical energy you can never acquire sitting there. I elaborately prepare for work by making sure I am physically comfortable, have the right music, relax over a coffee or something. Read the paper. Do all the minor things until you run out of them and am confronted with the fact you have to start somewhere. On the second, Jacque and others had it pretty right. The first part of getting yourself moving and doing trivial tasks (or taking an active break) should enable you to start on a minor or non-crucial part of the job. Alternatively, sketch the crucial part to prove to yourself you have an overview of it. Communicate with someone else what it is you are up to and what small part you will be doing next. Take another break. Soon, you will not be able to resist going back to the task. In fact, this discussion makes me wonder whether writers' block is not a mild form of depression, before the manic creative phase perhaps. At a client site (a rehabilitation service) last Friday I was idly reading (i.e. bored with discussion) on their conference room wall a poster on depression. I just checked my recollection with my contact there. It said: Breathe Prioritise Exercise Communicate Take a break Do one thing at a time Stay positive Sounds a bit similar, doesn't it? regards David Thanks Tom ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Hi Tom, Interesting... Many people have the opposite problem. That is they jump into starting projects, but can't figure out how to finish them. But, I certainly know exactly what you're going through. Many, many years ago, I worked for Texas Instruments as an Industrial Designer. Our job was to create new products and concepts using technology developed by TI. There was this one designer who came in every day at 8AM and imediately took out a pencil and drew a line on a page. Then we went and got coffee. He said it 'broke' the 'white space' problem many designers get when staring at a fresh clean piece of paper. Worked for him. Frankly, I never could get beyond anything but expense reports before 10 AM :-) Generally, when I can't get going, I tend to think about the creative process and try and 'invent' a new way to do something-- and this seems to stimulate me. Course, everyone's different. For instance, last night I had to put together a bunch of notes for a client...kinda boring stuff. I ended up spending the night creating a new web template and then loading it up with all the notes. Now it looks 'pretty cool' and solved the problem. I really like Sarah's approach...find a small part of the problem..say the printing or the internet connectivity, and work it out first. Something which will be 'fun' to do. Good luck! -Chipp ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Hi Tom, My preferred approach seems to be similar but different to the responses so far. I like to scope out the pending project in as much detail as possible, especially milestones. Gives my an idea of how big the task is, how long it would take, whether I can do all of the tasks myself, will it be fun, etc. This often helps me decide, early on, that I really don't want to do it. And that is a good thing, too. If your inner voice is saying I want no part of this, it might just be giving you good advice. Paul Looney ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Revers: Many of you replied to this thread, and the collective wisdom of this group has once again impressed me. My problem, if it can be called a problem, is sort of the opposite. I have the motivation, but nothing to work on. Perhaps I just lack the motivation to dig for ideas, but my skills are limited, as is my time--I'm a hobbyist, and have not tackled anything very challenging at this point (except perhaps getting things to print properly under Windoze ;). Dave ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
Re: OT: Help with motivation
Thomas, I fell the same way some times. I think we suffer from what I call the Douglas Adams Disease, he used to say that denial was an integral part of his work experience that he would deny working on a project for ages till he did the thing. I sometimes break for couple days when I can't think anymore but since I am workaholic, I force myself to work and fail into frustration, if it was not for marvelous altArchive plugin, I would have lost many important stacks due to this over use of my intelectual capacity, or like some say, coding myself into oblivion. Now, when I think I am entering this bad moods, I stop, cook something nice, like high level food, and pick some SF book from the golden era to read, like heinlein and philip jose farmer, or something modern like neal stephenson or terry pratchet. The trick is to get away from the work for a while. I live in a very attractive place, Rio de Janeiro, so I try to every week to go to a small beach near my house with a telescope and probe for stars, also every day I go for a walk on the beach on the aftrnoon and some icecream, this does more for my productivity then any good code practice or stuff like that! You need time to settle, and I think walking with a beautifull view is very good for settling the ideas (also I am fond of beer, so when everything fails, go to the irish pub in rio, and drink a little and eat fish, play the pennywhistle wrong, sleep, code tomorrow) Cheers andre On Feb 22, 2005, at 7:56 PM, Thomas McGrath III wrote: Hello listers, I hope this is not too far off topic. I have been having problems getting myself motivated. I have a possible customer for a few ideas I have and he said as soon as I'm ready that he will try and sell them for me. I even have a lot of ideas for this project. But I can't seem to get started. I have been sitting here for weeks reading this list every day and opening up REV but still can't start. Any helpful ideas on how to jump start a project? Thanks Tom Thomas J McGrath III [EMAIL PROTECTED] 412-831-3094 220 Drake Road Bethel Park, PA 15102 *)) = Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - a Cigar in one hand - a large steak in the other - your body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming - WOO HOO! What a Ride! ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution -- Andre Alves Garzia 2004 BRAZIL http://studio.soapdog.org ___ use-revolution mailing list use-revolution@lists.runrev.com http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-revolution
