tips needed; dealing with mental block while coding

[Dave Cramer]

On 26-Mar-07, at 6:10 PM, Madison Kelly wrote:

> Hi all,
>
>   I've only been coding for three years, so I am far from an  
> expert. In that time though I've found a definite pattern and I am  
> wondering how common it is.
I've been coding for significantly longer than that.
>
>   No matter how eager I am on a project, I run into these "blocks"  
> where I lose all motivation. I try to push myself to code but  
> inevitably, and often quickly, I just end up doing something else.  
> I chide myself, try to get back at it, then drift off again. After  
> a few days usually I am back into the swing of things and I can  
> code morning to night without stopping.
>
>   So first; how much does this happen to others here?
>
Sometimes more, sometimes less, depends on the motivation to do the  
work. Interestingly I find it more appealing to work on OSS than for  
money.
>   Second; when it does, has anyone found a way to get themselves  
> back on track?

Personally, I'd recommend realizing that you do this and go find  
something else to do when it happens. You're not going to be  
productive anyway, you might as well do something you enjoy ( I  
should take my own advice ;) ) There's plenty of studies around that  
have shown that anything beyond 40 hours a week is non -productive  
for any length of time, so coding day and night is short lived. There  
are some who can, but the majority of us can't.


Dave
>
>   Thanks for any tips... Now I'll go back to trying to work again :)
>
> Madi
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