Where do you get motivation?
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Start writing code. Top-down / bottom-up / easter-egg... doesn't matter. Just tell yourself ahead of time that you're gonna be throwing away all the code you write in the first two hours, and get started. Chances are, by the time i've hit the two hour mark, i'll have a really good idea of how i want to actually implement the thing, and can go back and start it for real. Sometimes, there's the added bonus of having actually written something salvageable in that time...
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I've done this a few times. I've NEVER thrown any code out, by the time I'm done, it's doing what I wanted it to. So now, I don't fool myself into a mindset that may cause me to write code that I don't expect to keep.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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The programmers friend.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Haha, you and your metal. I did use to listen to Dream Theatre and stuff like that. And the Dutchies The Gathering ofcourse... but lately I prefer all kinds of Caribean music and latin jazz, much more cheerful! If I ever get into game programming of something like Doom, I'll put on some Ramstein definitely. :mad:
Wout
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Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:
Brainstorm, mindmap, something, anything to get yourself back involved.
I find roughly mapping out the project is immensely helpful in getting a good understanding of it. Even something as a list of questions I need to answer before I begin gets me focused. Writing things on paper helps solidify the ideas in my head and I can really dig into the details after that.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wrightbrianwelsch wrote:
I find roughly mapping out the project is immensely helpful in getting a good understanding of it.
The same goes for writing in general. More than one writing workshop talks about writer's block, which is the brain's inability to cope with direction. you don't know where you're going so you have to wait for a random impulse to supply the direction? no... you draw it out, define it, expand it, until you have a good enough grasp on the concept, plot and characters to write, then writer's block is gone. Same goes for programming, when the project is well-defined it is much easier to write.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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I've done this a few times. I've NEVER thrown any code out, by the time I'm done, it's doing what I wanted it to. So now, I don't fool myself into a mindset that may cause me to write code that I don't expect to keep.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
I've NEVER thrown any code out, by the time I'm done, it's doing what I wanted it to.
You're probably better at it than me then. :) I'm pretty good at doing solid procedural code on the fly, but class hierarchies are something else. I'll almost always either over- or under-engineer it; looking at projects i didn't go back and re-work, there are tell-tail signs: both unnecessarily complicated class structures (complete with interfaces only ever implemented by one class) and methods that go on for pages, duplicating code found elsewhere and doing obviously stupid things to get around the limitations of whatever class it belongs to.
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
A pink slip from Human Resources?;)
"...a photo album is like Life, but flat and stuck to pages." - Shog9
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Christian Graus wrote:
I've NEVER thrown any code out, by the time I'm done, it's doing what I wanted it to.
You're probably better at it than me then. :) I'm pretty good at doing solid procedural code on the fly, but class hierarchies are something else. I'll almost always either over- or under-engineer it; looking at projects i didn't go back and re-work, there are tell-tail signs: both unnecessarily complicated class structures (complete with interfaces only ever implemented by one class) and methods that go on for pages, duplicating code found elsewhere and doing obviously stupid things to get around the limitations of whatever class it belongs to.
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Shog9 wrote:
You're probably better at it than me then.
It's probably more true that I find a groove quickly, so the first bit I write to throw away is pretty weak, then it comes together and I end up having to patch up the first bit. At least, that used to happen. Now I assume I'm keeping everything.
Shog9 wrote:
I'm pretty good at doing solid procedural code on the fly, but class hierarchies are something else
I tend to go for a walk, actually. I tend to get away from a PC for a half hour and think it through, so I know the class structure when I start coding. If you start coding without thinking about it, then yeah, I'd expect to have the same problem.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
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brianwelsch wrote:
I find roughly mapping out the project is immensely helpful in getting a good understanding of it.
The same goes for writing in general. More than one writing workshop talks about writer's block, which is the brain's inability to cope with direction. you don't know where you're going so you have to wait for a random impulse to supply the direction? no... you draw it out, define it, expand it, until you have a good enough grasp on the concept, plot and characters to write, then writer's block is gone. Same goes for programming, when the project is well-defined it is much easier to write.
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:
Same goes for programming
True, writing software is remarkably similar to writing stories. Well, more correctly, I guess, designing software and designing a plot outline are remarkably similar.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wright -
I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
usually one of my girlfriends lying on her stomach does the trick quiet well.
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
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The programmers friend.
Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++ Metal Musings - Rex and my new metal blog
Christian Graus wrote:
The programmers friend.
:-D:laugh:
Jeremy Falcon
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Jeffry J. Brickley wrote:
Same goes for programming
True, writing software is remarkably similar to writing stories. Well, more correctly, I guess, designing software and designing a plot outline are remarkably similar.
BW
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
-- Steven Wrightbrianwelsch wrote:
Well, more correctly, I guess, designing software and designing a plot outline are remarkably similar.
true... in my software the guy never gets the girl... :^)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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usually one of my girlfriends lying on her stomach does the trick quiet well.
Varindir Rajesh Mahdihar wrote:
usually one of my girlfriends lying on her stomach does the trick quiet well.
I don't think magazines count as real girlfriends.
Jeremy Falcon
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
my strategy consists of: -starting out with trying to write some "fun" code; like a word counter of some sort of puzzle. if this fails: i know then i just don't want to code anything at all; otherwise it usually inspires something- so if fun code fails... i read a book: if this fails, i know i can't sit still sooo... i do some excercise: but if i just don't feel like it [gym, running or surfing]- i check my vital signs cos by this stage it must mean i'm sick :) or go grab a movie or retail therapy :D now these are great for *after* hours, but if it's office hours and there's no inspiration- i start volunteering for doing odd jobs around the office: clean up the cd, dvd, book library; help with testing/QA or do a coffee run for everyone at the office :)
:: have the courage to use your own reason
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
The best motivation for me is the fact that TIME seems to to fly by and I can get out of here quicker when I am actually doing something rather than just sitting trying to think of where to start ... - on the other hand - If its because you are just starting out on a new project, and if your company is like mine, where managment looks at requirements gathering as a waste of time, I grab a sheet of paper, model my potential classes using design patterns based off of the Gof4 (Gang of four), when I feel I have gone as far as I can there, then I open my editor and start to code ... my boss likes seeing my UML designs hanging in my cubicle, he thinks that they are cool ... ROFLMAO! On a side note: I could really use a copy of Visual Paradigm if anyone wants to send me a copy ... Cheers, Xaverian ------------------------- What we need is a patch for human stupidity!
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
Some times, it's the same to me when I get losing my head after finishing something important. Actually speaking, it's hard to find the status you were.And at this point, I'll go and dip into some sport, football is my favourate. Catch some friends to go with you, and it'll make you more refreshed after a sweaty washing and a shower:-O -- modified at 20:54 Tuesday 1st August, 2006
Doing is better than saying.
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wout de zeeuw wrote:
Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
No, nor can I tell you how to fall in love in 42 seconds. When I have to start working on something that I don't feel like working on, I try to use some new technique or cool class, etc., in the project so that I'll find it more interesting. Learning inspires me, so I try to learn from every project I work on.
:josh: My WPF Blog[^]
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
My motivation comes from the beauty of coding. When I lose that, I play dumb games all day until I snap out of it. I am lucky as my current employer allows this. Otherwise, I woul just work continuosly and create code in one hour than I would normally do in five to ten minutes, then test it and find it buggy. Don't underestimate the power of fun!
---------- Siderite
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I finished last project last week, and am supposed to get the next done really quick, but I have problems getting started. Usually a context switch does take its time for me, but there isn't much room for that right now. Last Saturday I decided to relax a bit and played tank ball[^] all day, in hopes of being refreshed afterwards. Unfortunately it only put my brain in a zombie state X| . Also it was terribly addictive, so I better stay far from that! Anybody got any tricks to get inspired really fast?
Wout
I find it's easy to get going by doing some simple sketching or conceptual work using the simplest tool available such as Notepad, or even (gasp!) pencil and paper. It doesn't feel quite so much like real work, but before you know it, you'll have produced done some real--and likely quite useful--work.