A sense of direction does not mean “forswearing experimentation”. Without a direction you aren’t going to get much accomplished. I spent years thrashing because I was (and am) interested in almost everything.
Besides the Paul Graham essay, you might want to read the Study Hacks series on deep procrastination, especially this one.
procrastination, in my experience, is not a character flaw, but instead evidence that you don’t have a believable plan for succeeding at what you’re trying to do.
Enjoyment isn’t enough nor totally necessary (though it can make the work involved feel easier). The most important thing is to have a specific goal and a believable (by you) plan to achieve it.
Something that struck me was the idea of humans working less efficiently when presented with a reward. I think this very much relates to a (relatively new) part of me which puts a bit too much value in grades.
A sense of direction does not mean “forswearing experimentation”. Without a direction you aren’t going to get much accomplished. I spent years thrashing because I was (and am) interested in almost everything.
Besides the Paul Graham essay, you might want to read the Study Hacks series on deep procrastination, especially this one.
Enjoyment isn’t enough nor totally necessary (though it can make the work involved feel easier). The most important thing is to have a specific goal and a believable (by you) plan to achieve it.
In the same vein, I found this Study Hacks article extremely useful:
Beyond Passion: The Science of Loving What You Do
Something that struck me was the idea of humans working less efficiently when presented with a reward. I think this very much relates to a (relatively new) part of me which puts a bit too much value in grades.