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[Alec]

Nightwish

\m/

[synapse]

And yes, I know it contradicts experience, but it's not something that can be experienced, because experience itself is subserviant to existence. And we are our existence, not our experience.

Weird that this turned into a deep philosophical discussion, but I am going to have to wholeheartedly agree with rinku on this one.  Brains evolved to help propagate genes, and the mind is a product of the brain.  This is the direct observation of all peer-reviewed evolutionary biology and neuroscience from the past hundred years.

As far as how to focus - drink more coffee.

[Paul Eres]

I was watching a few more UG Krishnamurti videos and came across this one, which I think is an excellent introduction to his work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3jl7cm3LQ0

[michael]

this guy talks a lot, but doesnt say very much, especially for someone who thinks thoughts are evil.

[Paul Eres]

That's a common reaction, and I understand the reaction. Some people are so caught up in their own minds, their minds have such a stranglehold on their being, that there is an allergic reaction to the kind of things he says, and they see it as him saying nothing, even though he's saying a great deal. Most of his videos have tons of comments like that on the comment section in YouTube.

I don't know if people whose minds so totally dominate their bodies can ever change through the arguments or words of others alone, or if anything can get through to them besides physical trauma like a stroke, and help them live like they used to when they were infants.

Although thoughts are not "evil", they are only a bad thing when they hijack the body, going beyond their original natural role as a tool of the body. In other words, it's not bad to use the mind to figure out something that's beneficial or useful to you, but it is "evil" to get so caught up in the mind that you lose touch with living in the present, when they act as if the body's purpose is to support consciousness, rather than the other way around.

[Paul Eres]

Also note that this position isn't anti-mind, I'm not trying to diminish the mind, I'm only saying that it's happiest and healthiest when the mind fulfills its natural purpose, and doesn't try to dominate, and the mind is the least happy when it's detached from reality. The ultimate expression of the mind dominating the body is the schizophrenic (note: schizophrenia is different from multiple personality disorder, even though the two terms are sometimes confused).

[ChevyRay]

(note: schizophrenia is different from multiple personality disorder, even though the two terms are sometimes confused).

Thank you for this note pisses me off when people get these confused (I grew up with a schizophrenic friend).

In other words, it's not bad to use the mind to figure out something that's beneficial or useful to you, but it is "evil" to get so caught up in the mind that you lose touch with living in the present

Agreed. It can be hard to distinguish, sometimes, but everybody has their own line.

What seems to work for me:
1. Drinking coca cola (or pepsi, same effect) It's not necesarily the DRINKING that seems to help a lot, but having to go downstairs to the fridge to get it. I usually do this when I have finished a previous task. In those few minutes I figure out what to do next and I can keep on working. Also, the drink seems to give me energy that I can do something with. I do however tend to drink a bottle a day wich doesn't seem to be very healthy...

I can't concentrate on anything without a drink in hand. Whether it's tea, coffee, water, juice, cola, beer, or whatever. I HAVE to have a drink. It's become so habitual (drinking whilst programming) that the two have basically become one function in my mind.

[MekanikDestructiwKommando]

Hehe, all very interesting.
Weather we are an experience with an existence or an existence with an experience.. "What is the Life, the Universe and Everything?" We don't need an answer to this question to solve "How do I Focus and get things done?"
Someone pointed out "the first thing you do" -- good point, I think. I think a schedule might be conducive to focus.. "For this hour I AM DOING THIS and NOTHING BUT THIS" -- no tigsource forums, IMs, fark.com or w/e.
Lately I've been assuming my mind is more creative and brilliant then I "remember" it to be (memory really is associated with knowledge and wisdom.. and in my own humble theory memory is required for self-awareness). In this "assumption" I can express what my mind really is, because the assumption is actually the truth and what I was assuming before "I can't get stuff done" was a lie.
edit: Nightwisn video is genius!

Facts just twist the truth around..
Facts are living turned inside out.
Facts are getting the best of him..

[Seth]

I think I have to e.cho rinku's advice about getting to work right when you wake up.  Before I would demand of myself that I would write something before I went to bed, as long as I did that I would meet my quota.  I came to resent my goal of writing, and always put it off until way too late (when I should be sleeping) and often just not do it at all, and feel bad about it.  But doing it when I wake up, I might still resent it, but at least when I get through it, my conscience is clear and I don't have to worry about it, and I don't have this task hanging over my head all day. 

But the real important part is that once I've done it, I don't have to do it if I don't want to, so the stigma of it being chore is removed and I can begin looking it as something I actually do want to do again--and often I'll end up writing sometime later in the day, without resentment.

[agj]

Some people are so caught up in their own minds, their minds have such a stranglehold on their being, that there is an allergic reaction to the kind of things he says, and they see it as him saying nothing, even though he's saying a great deal.

I think you're being condescending. I agree with michael: he circles his main point way too much. Nevertheless, I agree to some degree with this idea of the mind serving the body. Actually, I believe that it's going against our instincts what has resulted in our species straying from what we're supposed to do in this world; we have lost connection with one another, have embraced our egos and glorified their importance. We hold logic so high that we have forgotten about the rest.

[eddietree]

mountain dew!

and ritalin!

[mirosurabu]

So many coffee suggestions. I should start drinking coffee.

How do I focus?

I just sit down and find something fun about what I have to do. Then I do it. Someone told me once that people who complete long-term goals manage to complete them because they find fun in every bit of the process. They try to enjoy the little bits which make the process. Most people just focus on end-goal - the game.

The real problem I have is to keep the focus. It happens often to me to get distracted. A lot of options, especially when there are comforting options. Once I get distracted I find it hard to regain focus.

The greatest distractions in my game development are bugs or when I don't seem to make good progress. High expectations, in two words.

As a result, I have started recently to teach myself about myself as someone who isn't experienced as I thought before and that I should take baby steps.

And it works.

[J.W. Hendricks]

I am not aware of this thing you call "focusing".

[Strong]

I keep motivated by making games that are interesting.

[JasonPickering]

work all day at a big game company making something, that is not yours. then when you go home, and decide to work on something that is all yours you will be super happy.

- although..... given more freedom you tend to take advatage of it and need to keep yourself in check. "yeah thats right ill make a 200 hour RPG where the main character is Conan o'Brien and you have to save a horrible dragon from a beautiful princess."

also i listen to music, but i do instrumental, and try and find something in the vein of what I am doing. I am listening to the game soundtrack for "Henry Hatsworth". surrounding yourself with somethign helps you focus on it.