enemies_of_focus.htm

Friends and Enemies of Focus

Starting something new is hard. We often face internal doubts and questions that make it tough to keep going. These are what I'd call enemies of focus. They're the thoughts that stop us from making or sharing something new.

These are some of the most common ones I've found.

Enemies of Focus

• "Can I even learn this?": Wondering if a topic is too hard or regretting not learning more earlier.
• "This is too much": Feeling overwhelmed when starting something new. Questions like "Where do I begin?" or "Is this the right thing to learn?" pop up.
• "Is this the best way to learn?": Doubting if you're learning from the right sources.
• "Am I relying too much on AI?": With tools like Chat LLMs, wondering if you're doing enough yourself.
• "When will I use this?": Questioning if your project is useful.
• "Does this align with my job?": Wondering if your project should be related to your work.
• "Should I only do things related to work?": Thinking if your hobbies need to be productive or work-related.

When I started learning Rust, a new programming language, they were always there. I kept questioning if learning this language was worth it. When was I ever going to use it? I also questioned my ability to learn new programming languages.

It only improved when I relaxed my expectations about the project. What if I just read the documents for this new language. See if I like it. Maybe I can try a small project with it.

After a while this keep evolving into a slightly bigger project and I kept gaining confidence I could learn harder things.

Most great people allowed themselves the time to play and wander. To not take every project too seriously. In fact, I wonder if that's what allowed them to do great things.

Claude Shannon, the inventor of information theory, famously spent hours juggling, building electric mice, and trying to beat the roulettes in Las Vegas using mathematics. (Add links)

Reframing each of the gremlins can let us start working on the projects much easier. These are what I would call "friends of focus". They release the inner pressure of doing something great.

Friends of Focus

• "This project is just a journal entry": It's okay if it doesn't lead to something big.
• "This is just for me": It's fine if I'm the only one who likes or uses what I make.
• "My hobbies don't have to be productive": It's okay to do things just because I like them.
• "It's okay if it's not useful": Sometimes, doing something just for fun is enough.
• "Learning for the sake of learning is great": It's fine to learn something just because I'm curious.
• "I can learn anything": Remembering that with time and effort, I can learn new things.

Each of these shifts can allow you to add more new projects and ideas to your life. Sometimes it can be hard to begin working on something if you ask too much of it.

As an example, I wanted to work on a small tool to block websites. This led me to learn about computer proxies. Which led me to have to learn about computer networking and sockets. Following this trail made what could be perceived as a dull subject (no shade to networking engineers) into an exciting one.

Here are some strategies I've found useful along the way

Strategies to Focus

• Avoid tutorial fallacy: Try to change and add to what you learn.
• Keep a list of ideas: Write down things you think would be cool to build.
• Small is great: Begin with easy projects and build up from there.
• Grow your project step by step: Think about small additions and improvements.
• Share what you make: Talk about your projects with others and get their thoughts.