KILLING the Distractions

[botnickguy]

Hey everybody, haven't posted on this forum in a while, but right now I am in strong need of advice.

Right now I'm on the college track by choice, because I believe the classes and curriculum I'm taking correspond with my vision for the next 10 years of my life. I'm studying Software Engineering and I definitely understand the concepts, and I believe taking classes has helped me get on the right track. My end game goal is to have the skill to rapidly create software solutions in the form of apps, web systems, or whatever the market is in need of.

I desire to do what it takes to be successful, I really do. But even on a productive day I feel like I'm hardly getting 50 percent of what the successful version of me would get done. I've stopped the social networks, stopped the video games, stopped anything conventional that gets in my way. But somehow I still get off track.

However, I see so many students who surpass my productivity and still have fun at the end of the day and it's quite discouraging. And these are community college classes, so I'm 'supposed' to be doing better. I have the intelligence to excel in my studies.

I would love to get the show on the road already. I don't have any strong selfish motivations for money right now. I don't want to relax. I don't play video games, I don't watch TV, I barely spend any time at all on Facebook. I truly just desire to create useful software, but I am aware that I currently don't have the discipline to direct myself. My mind somehow always finds a way to be unproductive, no matter how hard I try to eliminate them, I will find the nearest one. Keeping attention is something I have always struggled with.

What I ask is
1. What do you do to keep yourself from getting distracted?
2. Any ideas on how I can become more disciplined in order to meet the goals I already have?
3. Has anybody ever been in this pair of shoes before?
4. Tips on how to develop stronger motivation?

I'll be looking into this a lot myself but any advice is strongly appreciated. Thank you so much and hopefully we can make this topic relevant for anybody else with similar struggles.

 

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[fastattack03]

For me it's all about forming habits. Cut yourself some slack. It takes time to have momentum.

Try to commit taking action for a number of hours per day within 30 days. After this 30 days it will become easier and easier because taking action becomes your habit. Take note that the number of hours should be very specific. Vague goals won't really help you.

You can work 2 hours after you wake up. Do the most important stuff first thing in the morning because this will make you feel great throughout the day.

Also, if it helps, set some punishments and rewards - like telling a friend you're giving him 100 bucks if you don't achieve your goal. Make sure the consequence has impact on you.

Good luck

P.S. Yes, I've been in a similar situation before. Got very distracted with games and stuff. Solved it by taking 4-6 hours of work per day at first and then add up hours until I completely got rid of all my distractions.

 

[RogueInnovation]

Multiple angles, multiple ways of re-engaging, higher accountability, a mindset that is set on something and not willing to say "well it doesn't really matter for my life and is arbitrary".

The number one tip I'd give though is to be present with pain points and needs. It is going to take some time to really master the ability to not only spot them but fully think through solutions and check viability.

The best reason to do business is "there is no escape", either get to it now or wait for it to hit you on the #ss. As a student you might not see it as a crucial priority, since at that stage of life it seems as if you can get away with anything, but later on, you will not take "safety ropes" from other people and so will absolutely require business skills.

You might feel that your interest in business is premature and perhaps that is affecting your motivation. My advice for that is "mature faster", rather than wait for it to find you. Believe that you deserve that maturity, and go out and earn it, you'll be glad you did.

EARN your focus

 

[bgalakazam]

Speaking for my experience, I don't believe in cold turkey. Be it alcohol, drugs, focus, etc. I started with allowing myself some slack in the beginning. To this day I still pause sometimes for a "break" and watch a show or 2 on Netflix, but then it's back to business mode. Just try to minimalize the time you spend on other activities and form the habit.

 

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[superb]

It comes down to what you believe about yourself and how the world works. I've worked hard to change some bad habits in the past and failed many times. You know what the difference for me has been? Something happened to change my belief about that habit. It's easy to see the benefits of good habits and how harmful bad habits are, but until what you see touches something deep at your core, it will still be a struggle. When you see in great detail and really believe that you could have what you want out of life, it's relatively easy to drop those bad habits like a rock, embrace new ones, and stay motivated.

I still have some habits that need to change but the ones I have been able to change changed when "I got it" at the heart level.

Keep persevering. You'll mess up but sooner or later you'll have those ah-ha moments and be changed forever.

 

[botnickguy]

Thanks for all the advice, I think I have a good idea on what to do from here. It's just been a rough year up till now, and so I am having to find new ways to cope with stress and achieve my goals all at the same time. That can be unbelievably hard at times, but if you want anything badly enough you'll find a way to surmount challenges to have it.

It comes down to what you believe about yourself and how the world works. I've worked hard to change some bad habits in the past and failed many times. You know what the difference for me has been? Something happened to change my belief about that habit. It's easy to see the benefits of good habits and how harmful bad habits are, but until what you see touches something deep at your core, it will still be a struggle. When you see in great detail and really believe that you could have what you want out of life, it's relatively easy to drop those bad habits like a rock, embrace new ones, and stay motivated.

I still have some habits that need to change but the ones I have been able to change changed when "I got it" at the heart level.

Keep persevering. You'll mess up but sooner or later you'll have those ah-ha moments and be changed forever.

This. Very, very true. When I first started programming I was passionate about it. As a result my scores in school were phenomenal. Somewhere along the line I adopted a mindset that I just wanted school out of the way. From there, my grades sunk, I put the minimum in, and I started to dislike myself whenever I had time to reflect. I felt like a lazy bum, and it was killing me on the inside. After about a month or so of misery, I decided that since this is what I'm doing with my life right now, I ought to start telling myself I love it.

And it worked. I'm having a good time being productive. Why? Because I told myself it's fun. Because I told myself I'm obsessive about it. I started to see myself in a way that would benefit my life. Amazing how easy it is to alter thinking if you work at it. It really does work. If you tell yourself you're lazy, you become lazy. If you tell yourself you're hardworking and ambitious, you will do likewise. It's useful if you're 'stuck in a rut'.

 

[superb]

This. Very, very true. When I first started programming I was passionate about it. As a result my scores in school were phenomenal. Somewhere along the line I adopted a mindset that I just wanted school out of the way. From there, my grades sunk, I put the minimum in, and I started to dislike myself whenever I had time to reflect. I felt like a lazy bum, and it was killing me on the inside. After about a month or so of misery, I decided that since this is what I'm doing with my life right now, I ought to start telling myself I love it.

And it worked. I'm having a good time being productive. Why? Because I told myself it's fun. Because I told myself I'm obsessive about it. I started to see myself in a way that would benefit my life. Amazing how easy it is to alter thinking if you work at it. It really does work. If you tell yourself you're lazy, you become lazy. If you tell yourself you're hardworking and ambitious, you will do likewise. It's useful if you're 'stuck in a rut'.

Yes! This is something that I have just learned recently. I can choose to be happy regardless of whats happening in my life and whether or not I choose to be happy affects everything! I did have a relapse on Thursday after a series of bad things happened at my job that I let get to me, and on on Friday I realized that one bottle of wine and an evening dwelling on all the wrongs happening at work did not serve me well!!

It's challenging, especially at first to let go of how you think things should be and be happy in the moment your in. I think that this is hard for many of us because it seems counter intuitive, as if letting go of our desires will keep us from ever obtaining them, but I believe the opposite is true. Being positive will help you recognize all of the good things in your life and see all the positive opportunities out there, focusing on the negative - that's all you'll see..

 

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[100k]

You gotta be tough!

Can't stop playing xbox or ps3 etc. ? Sell it on ebay or give it to your nephew etc.

Uninstall all the games on your laptop/pc.

The only thing I still find distracting me is the internet (forums/youtube etc.)

Friends & girlfriends that are not proactively helping you reach your goals then you need to get rid of them too. Make yourself scarce (explain to them you need to work on your business so you won't be available to hang out as much as you used to) then shut off your phone unless you need to make calls to customers etc.