If I lose focus its usually because I dont have clear direction and I start to think of many possibilities. I manage this by taking time to address the concerns I have by writing about them in my Dev Journal.
Other times ill feel a bit burnt out and Ill take a day or two off to do something fun.
If I have an especially unproductive day, I try to forgive myself and avoid staying up/losing sleep to "make up for it." Instead I create a new text file that details everything I'd like to do on the following day (down to details like "7:35 - make coffee") and leave it open so it's the first thing I see in the morning. This nearly guarantees a more focused tomorrow, and usually rekindles the habit of writing nightly to-dos, until I don't, lose my focus, feel like crap and restart the process.
It's not always obvious what we should be doing at any given moment, especially given the unique nature of our startups (and lives). And when you don't know what to do, there's no easier time to get distracted, b/c you're mind will be satisfied with just about anything that occupies it. So I've found having pre-written instructions to be the antidote to this kind of aimlessness.
If I lose my discipline and am unproductive for a day, I try not to beat myself up too much about it. It happens to everyone every so often. It's usually just a sign that I've been working too hard and I need to take a break for a day or two. After doing so, I often feel refreshed and am itching to get hustling again :)
If I lose focus its usually because I dont have clear direction and I start to think of many possibilities. I manage this by taking time to address the concerns I have by writing about them in my Dev Journal.
Other times ill feel a bit burnt out and Ill take a day or two off to do something fun.
If I have an especially unproductive day, I try to forgive myself and avoid staying up/losing sleep to "make up for it." Instead I create a new text file that details everything I'd like to do on the following day (down to details like "7:35 - make coffee") and leave it open so it's the first thing I see in the morning. This nearly guarantees a more focused tomorrow, and usually rekindles the habit of writing nightly to-dos, until I don't, lose my focus, feel like crap and restart the process.
It's not always obvious what we should be doing at any given moment, especially given the unique nature of our startups (and lives). And when you don't know what to do, there's no easier time to get distracted, b/c you're mind will be satisfied with just about anything that occupies it. So I've found having pre-written instructions to be the antidote to this kind of aimlessness.
This is a great advise. Thanks
If I lose my discipline and am unproductive for a day, I try not to beat myself up too much about it. It happens to everyone every so often. It's usually just a sign that I've been working too hard and I need to take a break for a day or two. After doing so, I often feel refreshed and am itching to get hustling again :)