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points by ak39 2 days ago | 0 comments

This resonates 100% with me. I am tired too.

This is what I think is the solution - I've tried it a few times with good results.

1. We need our own project or task plan. A simple forward-thinking TODO list is good enough. This needs to be prepared before the day begins. Daily.

2. Focus and limit scope. Focusing on doing ONLY what's on the list is the discipline I (we) lack and which we need badly.

3. Side quests are killing us. Allowing ourselves to veer off the planned daily tasks should require a complete away-from-the-keyboard planning session with pen and paper. Print it out but plan it away from the LLM. Use the LLM to summarise the problem, by all means, but do the thinking away from the LLM. The current TODO list needs to be the main input of such a deliberation. The output is the new TODO list. The objective of this away-from-keyboard exercise is simply to maintain control of the next steps.

On days where I worked with my TODO lists, I clocked out and joined the family for activities, slept sooner and better. On days I lost control of that list, the exhaustion mounted almost on the same day.

Make a finite list for the day, tick it off and go spend time with the missus, the kids or the dog. 2c.

[–] matsemann 2 days ago

Agreed. We're still bottlenecked when it comes to feature work because we need to think of the ideas, user test, talk with stakeholders etc. But somehow inventing loads of tasks to feel busy anyways. Those tasks are the side quests, things we normally wouldn't take on. It feels great to finally squash that bug or do that rewrite. But you're adding stuff onto everyone else's plate as well. Discussions, reviews etc, a constant barrage of new things to consider.

[–] stronglikedan 2 days ago

I wish my colleagues respected todo lists. Must be nice to just be able to get though a day without constant interruptions. ::sad face::

[–] youniverse 2 days ago

I like this and then I also timeblock so I write out manually on paper every 30 minute increment, and then as the day goes you mark what you did in the previous 30 minute block. Doesn't need to be perfect but it kind of anchors you when at a desk and then it's interesting to look back at the end of the day and see how productive or unproductive you were.

Good strat.

[–] runarberg 2 days ago

We can also just ditch the AI. It is more trouble then it’s worth.

[–] overfeed 2 days ago

No. We love AI for reasons you shouldn't dwell on.

- signed, Management

[–] senordevnyc 2 days ago

You can. I work for myself, and I’d never go back to the pre-AI times voluntarily. I have superpowers now.

[–] vconnor 2 days ago

I work for myself, and I’d never use AI voluntarily. I mean, have you read the article in question?

I don’t see why I need to subject myself to burnout when I don’t have someone pushing me for higher productivity metrics. I enjoy thinking things through, planning, programming the bloody thing.

In all honestly, if I had to, I’d rather take drugs to be more productive than juggling a dozen agents. Being an overworked manager is no superpower.

[–] wseqyrku 1 day ago

There's another reason to go noai in your work, which is protecting your work.

It does feel like practicing being a monk not looking at it as a readily available option for most tasks, but I also believe from experience that the only way to learn is the hard way.

[–] senordevnyc 2 days ago

That's great! You do you, no one is trying to force you to do otherwise. My point is that people aren't only using AI because they're being forced to.

I also personally am not experiencing burnout from AI, although I do have to be careful to take breaks and stuff, but I've always been like that when engaged in stuff I find super enjoyable.

[–] runarberg 2 days ago

> people aren't only using AI because they're being forced to.

I‘d like to counter that. Those of us that don‘t use AI are loosing our jobs, fast. The industry is artificially selecting for AI users. Use AI or loose your job, sounds like a forced choice to me.

[–] senordevnyc 1 day ago

I am sure there are many who fall in that bucket, but there are also many employees who actually like AI and are enjoying using it. I know many such engineers.

And then there are people like me, who work for ourselves and aren’t being threatened by job loss. I have many friends in this category too.

That said, I’m sure there are also entrepreneurs who would rather not use AI but feel forced to in order to keep up with their competition or customer expectations. I don’t know, I haven’t heard from any of those.

[–] dvfjsdhgfv 2 days ago

This will never happen as too much money has been invested in it. I can't recall the last time so much money has been pumped.

[–] JackSlateur 2 days ago

This will and, afaik, is already done by people who have to pay :)