How to stay motivated?

[Jan_97]

So basically the question is in the title. How to stay motivated? Not asking only in terms of programming, asking this for basically anything in life...


I'm struggling a little nowadays with keeping my motivation up, I'm trying to stay mentally and physically healthy during these trying times (corona & lockdowns etc), and have been picking up old hobbies again (such as reading, regular excercise & chess) However, I just don't feel like I'm getting ahead at anything. My physical shape is not as good as it was last year and I've been working with python for a little over a year now and I still struggle with trivial things like simple games & pandoras box projects etc. I guess the reason for struggling with my physical shape is because I no longer walk 1 hour a day to work (home office now for 5 months) and haven't been pushing myself enough during excercise. As far as python goes I guess it's just because I haven't been putting in enough hours to get good at my niches.


Rereading my post I see that this thread is almost becoming a small rant but really. I just want to know, am I stressing myself for no reason? I don't have any "real issues" as far as economy/job security goes so should I just let things be? I'm not planning to stop my trial & error within programming & excercising or anything, but should I feel bad for slipping up here and there?


I just feel like I'm living in this high pressure society where everywhere I go I see people accomplishing so much yet I'm sitting here doodling around with the basics in life...

[Gribouillis]

everywhere I go I see people accomplishing so much

I think people accomplish so much mostly because they are able to work collectively. The producing power of a group is much more than the sum of the individual producing powers. If you work alone, it is very difficult to accomplish anything.

I just feel like I'm living in this high pressure society

Here again I have my little theory. You don't need to give in to this high pressure. It is a form of torture that takes us away from our natural condition. We were not designed for this like we are not designed to live with too tight shoes. Our closest cousins chimpanzees and gorillas don't live in a high pressure society. Find your own path.

How to stay motivated?

Do what you enjoy the most.

[MysticLord]

With problems of motivation, you need to sit and think about what YOU really need - not what others expect of you, but what is best for you. It often takes a lot of suffering to put your previously held beliefs (often misconceptions) in perspective. No one likes a boring suburban life as much as a man being shelled in a foxhole.

Alternately, consider what you DON'T need. Do you not like:

1. people?
   
2. being alone?
   
3. driving?
   
4. loud noise?
   
5. sitting still?
   
6. being outside?
   
7. being around people you have nothing in common with?
   
8. work?
   
9. paying child support?
   
10. being inside?
    

Arrange your life so you can live well while avoiding the things you loathe.

Once you know what you need, take the simplest and most direct path to get there. Sometimes this is counter-intuitive - my older brother joined the military at 17, and after he got out he worked for the post office for 8 years. In 8 more years - at 38 - he'll be able to retire with a full pension and do exactly what he wants for the rest of his life. He mostly wants to play drums in his garage and ride motorcycles, and he arranged his life so that he'll be able to do this as much as possible.

I, for instance, decided that I really don't like being around people and I am sick and tired of electronics and gadgets and distractions, so I decided that I want to live in the middle of nowhere, grow organic foods, raise goats, and live with a stinky hippy wife and have lots of kids. I took the simplest, most direct path to get there - went to community college for 2 and a half years, took literally every class they had on CS, CIS, Electronics; and as many math classes as I could handle - and I am well prepared to be ankle deep in goat poop three years from now.

If you have any obligations you consider legitimate (family, nation, religion, lack of religion, ethnic group, political beliefs, social bonds, community), then think about that when you make your decisions too.

[Hyplon]

Well when I start having these thoughts I always try to memories myself about my goals and the main one is to buy property get residency in Europe here. It's like a 2 in 1 goal. I've been been working in this direction for 7 years now and I am sure that I will achieve it soon.

[Hyplon]

Well when I start having these thoughts I always try to memories myself about my goals and the main one is to buy property get residency in Europe here. It's like a 2 in 1 goal. I've been been working in this direction for 7 years now and I am sure that I will achieve it soon.

I forgot to say that I try to go on proper vacations 2 times a year and this is why I always try to keep motivated and work hard.

[kronk]

I'm competing with myself. I don't like it when I have a long process of stagnation and I am not doing anything useful. But rest also helps to accumulate new energy.

[bellale]

I'm competing with myself. I don't like it when I have a long process of stagnation and I am not doing anything useful. But rest also helps to accumulate new energy.

it helps me too

[Youtive]

Idk why, but some kind of energy music can motivate me on some time. Anyway, sometimes you just have to relax a bit.