coyotespike

• coyotespikeAug 5, 2014, 12:22 AM

  0 points

  in reply to: StephenR’s comment on: Me and M&Ms

  That’s very interesting indeed.

  I get one reward per pomodoro, unless I chain the pomodoros together, in which case the reward matches the number of pomodoros completed (so if I do three in a row, 75 minutes of work, then I get 3 M&Ms). If I want to take a break, then I accept that I’ll only get 1 M&M, instead of 2 or 3, after the next pomodoro.

  In practice, then, I’m using variable intervals. Based on your feedback, I’ll experiment with eating all the rewards at the end of the time interval, instead of devouring them after each pom.

• coyotespikeAug 5, 2014, 12:07 AM

  4 points

  in reply to: B_For_Bandana’s comment on: Me and M&Ms

  What Emile said, although I do have to make sure I don’t cheat! (Also, the M&Ms are in a desk drawer where I can’t see them) Before I tried this, every time I goofed off during a pomodoro, the mild buzz of surfing the internet served as a reward. Now, I tell myself, “don’t goof off, or no M&M for you!”

  There’s a second reward as well, which may not apply to everyone equally. I work full-time, basically in legal research. I used to spread 10 pomodoros out over the day (okay, 8). Now I do 10 as fast as possible, and then switch to personal research. This makes the day much more pleasurable. The M&Ms reinforce this faster-moving, more engaging schedule.

Me and M&Ms

• coyotespikeAug 2, 2014, 3:22 AM

  0 points

  in reply to: coyotespike’s comment on: R sup­port group and the benefits of ap­plied statistics

  Okay, here’s a preliminary update. I dropped the R Programming course on Coursera because after a basic introduction to R, the first substantive assignment jumped a couple levels in difficulty. In other words, there was a gap between the instruction and the assignment. This was frustrating. So be aware that you will need a bit of extra time to invest in order to get past this gap, either before or during the course. (I contrast this with the Introduction to Programming with Python course I’m taking on EdX from MIT, which is simply a flawless course, with a smooth and sure conceptual slope.)

• coyotespikeJul 5, 2014, 4:22 PM

  1 point

  in reply to: sixes_and_sevens’s comment on: Group Ra­tion­al­ity Diary, July 1-15

  Also, I’ve heard the term “anti to-do list” used to mean a list you make of what you’ve actually accomplished, instead of what you planned to accomplish (and it’s a very useful tool). So I got that term mixed up with your term.

  I like your concept of trying to break the flow of time-wasting activities; it sounds like a situation for some sort of pre-commitment device. “Okay, I’ve got an implicit list of not-so-good activities putting itself together here...I’d better break the chain and commit to read only two more articles...” Or something. I realize that doesn’t really solve your terminological difficulty!

• coyotespikeJul 3, 2014, 4:02 AM

  4 points

  in reply to: ShardPhoenix’s comment on: R sup­port group and the benefits of ap­plied statistics

  I’ll be taking the Coursera course, since I have no experience in R. It’s part of the Data Science Specialization. Reviews online suggest the course may be somewhat disorganized, but also said Code School’s introduction was easier. So I might check out Code School as well.

  The Coursera course will repeat, as ShardPhoenix said, so I’ll report back when finished.

• coyotespikeJun 22, 2014, 5:46 PM

  11 points

  on: Willpower De­ple­tion vs Willpower Distraction

  This article has materially helped me over the past couple of weeks. Before, I believed that ego depletion occurred from physical, mental, or emotional effort, and I viewed it as a depletable resource. This gave me a massive excuse to slag off after I finished a task.

  But the idea that willpower gets a boost as soon as the brain perceives a reward gave me a different way to look at it. Now, I focus on the reward/​‘hit’ I get from achieving small goals. As long as I celebrate each finished task, I win, and my willpower should increase rather than decrease!

  This makes me feel like a badass. If I can keep the big picture in mind, and see how each small goal advances me toward my ultimate goal, and only get more revved up everytime I finish a task, then I’m a freaking Punisher.

  So thanks.