Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

The best hack I ever learned to avoid the "pain of getting started" problem:

Never finish.

I always leave something easy, even trivial, undone when I knock off each day. So no matter what else I'm doing the next day, it's easy to change a format, add another data element, or change a few variable names. Then once I get going, it's much easier to keep going.

Things that don't work well with this method: debugging a nasty problem, reworking architecture, scaling, or major additions. Those are best left for later in the day.




Hemingway had the same advice for writers: Never stop writing at the end of a chapter.


I've personally stopped using chapters, I found them to be rather detrimental to the process. When I feel I need them I insert them into the logical places via hindsight rather than using them to make arbitrary boundaries inside my work as I work.


sometimes i leave myself something that keeps my brain working on a solution.i find that a different ream sometimes lets my defense down and the answer to enter




Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: