how do I get to be like this employee? With that kind of drive vision and focus? It's something I've been trying to cultivate in myself for a while but I'm always looking to be better.
It seem like I never know what to do next
i've found a good barometer is to imagine what you would be doing if you had unlimited material wealth, so don't need to earn a paycheck for yourself or others. what are you doing with that time? if that's not tech related, i'd recommend not trying to force it.
if it /is/ tech focused, and you work in tech, then there are some issues preventing you from aligning what motivates you from what you're doing. reflect on that, and what you need to do to align those. in my experience this isn't a 2 hour thing, it's like a 2 month thing.
You need a big funnel of ideas - read a lot of technical stuff (HN, trade magazines, etc.).
The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away. — Dr. Linus Pauling
Write software for your own use; modify and be involved in open source software that interests you.
Buy eval boards and other hardware that you can experiment with.
People who do great things look at the same world everyone else does, but notice some odd detail that's compellingly mysterious. — Paul Graham
I mean what practices, habits, who knows what else
Intelligence and Determination.
The best specific habit I can give you to increasing determination is to start a mindfulness practice and get high intensity cardio regular.
Mindfulness - 20 minutes a day, twice if you can. It helps you, among other things, be more honest with yourself and become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Cardio - You don't have to run a marathon here. Get your heart rate up to your max heart rate for about 10 seconds, usually it will take you about 90 seconds to two minutes to do this. Keep doing this for about 30 minutes. This will up your metabolism but it will also help you learn how to push because you are physically pushing yourself. Use a decent heart rate monitor a $30 chest strap is all you need.
Other habits include removing any addictions in your life that do not benefit you I'm getting 8 hours of sleep every night.
Then find a problem you can get behind and try to solve it.
Does that sound like a good strategy? Perhaps you are a monkey.
Cultivate the qualities you see in yourself. If you cannot do that, nobody can advise you.
You don't.
If you have to ask, you aren't anything like that employee.
Life as a human being is not a choose-your-own-adventure, and your personality can't be altered in a deterministic way.
Learn to embrace the person you are, or fuck right off.