How I write and time-manage | Hacker News Reader

How I write and time-manage

marco.org

101 pointsjustinl14 comments

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Marco's really hit the trifecta as far as I -- and I'd assume a lot of other HNers -- am concerned:

1) dayjob with a small, impressive startup

2) smart, original side-project that has passionate users and an income stream

3) thoughtful, well-written essays on his personal blog

I just read that and had an interesting moment of self-realization. Wow.

Of course, I'm not quite there yet. But yeah. You've summed it up.

Not to mention a very cool wife, though I couldn't really say much beyond what I've seen on their respective sites.

Very interesting, and good link to the Gruber/Mann talk. I'll have to listen to that.

I find it really hard to find the time to write (even though I really deeply enjoy it), in part because I know that once I get started, I don't stop. But I have a start-up to run, so I can't spend all my energy blogging.

Really, my problem with blogging isn't time-management, it's energy-management. At the moment, my energy is directed towards my start-up rather than towards my writing. I don't really know what the right answer is to this choice.

The energy project, http://www.theenergyproject.com/ .

Here is how I fixed the energy problem: I had two kids in two years.

Sounds funny, I know, but what I realized is that I shouldn't be working harder, I should be working smarter. I also learned that people with lots of time on their hands always complain about not having enough time/energy, which I now know isn't the case.

Now, its fair to say that I may not be making great things, but I feel better about what I am making, and I am happy with my throughput.

Maybe, you don't need to have kids, but you do need to find some kind of full filling activity, outside of start ups. It will help you focus when you aren't doing that activity.

One of the best time-management/productivity tips I ever came across was suggested by Jonathan Mead over at the blog Zen Habits.

He suggests creating a "to-stop" list - a list of all the things that are sucking away your energy and are wasting your time. He suggests figuring out which of those things is having the biggest negative impact on you doing the stuff you really want to do and tackling that thing head on each day.

Ack! Reading Hacker News might be at the top of mine.

I like to imagine someone critical reading my code when I'm programming.

  If 10 years from now, when you are doing something quick
  and dirty, you suddenly visualize that I am looking over
  your shoulders and say to yourself: 'Dijkstra would not 
  have liked this', well that would be enough immortality for me. 
  - EWD

"Own every pixel of what you're making" stuck with me.

Ah, I wish the laptop designers/manufacturers would read this so they'll have a fear that Jobs is going to review their design before it goes to market.

Some certainly do. Namely, Jony Ive and company.

Thanks for this, I needed this today.

Advanced common sense?

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