Do you start with the hard part or the easy part when you're working on a project? If you're ADHD, what are some tips you can share about working in a professional environment? @bobbyfingers : Fabio and the Goose: ua-cam.com/video/2RIEPKEhE2s/v-deo.html @theslowmoguys : 75mph Bird to the Face: ua-cam.com/video/w9i9rwg1L_A/v-deo.html Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks, like asking Adam a question: ua-cam.com/channels/iDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOA.htmljoin
I always start my day with the most difficult tasks and then finish the day with the easiest. My brain isn’t wired to work on difficult tasks as the day goes on so when my brain is at its best is when I want to tackle the hard stuff.
I work in a very different field, translation, and I do the "saving easy parts for bad moments". Sometimes I do not have time left today to tackle one of the major sections, so I will do one of the small, easy ones so that I get the feeling of progression. Specially because minor ADD makes it hard for me to sustain effort when the end is not in sight, and those minor victories help.
I spent a few years teaching FMEAs as a tool to help figure out what will be the hard stuff, and what's the easy stuff (and approximately how important), it really made it easier to prioritize for me and my team. Especially when working on projects that are fundamentally new to you.
Almost everything you said is applicable to software engineering. Although, we definitely have to prove out the highest-risk implementation details first. Often times the rest of the project is built assuming that part works.
It probably depends on the person(s) and the task at hand. That said, for me, there's definitely something to be said for "low hanging fruit". Getting the easy stuff done and out of the way, gaining momentum, and making things less overwhelming by the time you get to the harder stuff.
I have ADHD and Autism and it makes soo much sense now why Mythbusters was so meaningful to me as a kid and scratched an itch like nothing else. Happy holidays Adam, thank you for everything you share on this channel
Ya same here, I'm not a mechanic but run a machine shop. I really dislike large production run of the same thing over and over. That's not were I thrive. But gotta do it from time to time. Mainly a small job shop.
Same here.. just dive in and do the shit work first, get it over with rather than working your way up to it dreading it the whole time. Once I get myself into a job and actually focus on the problem it's usually not as bad as we tell ourselves it's gonna be.
It makes sense to tackle the challengings things first because if you can't do that then nothing else really matters. Everything else you did was wasted too. You only win if you clear all of the hurdles and cross the finish line. Second place is just the first loser.
A very similar approach to "hard part first" that I'm accustomed to from software engineering projects is "riskiest part first" or "least understood part first", because those are the ones that can (figuratively) blow up on you and potentially require a completely different approach, or more time, etc.
Exactly. My exception would be when I have brain fry from the hard stuff--I'll switch tasks and do something insanely easy, like cleaning up my e-mail or reading through some documentation. Or if I know my concentration is affected--say a Friday afternoon, Monday morning, terribly hungry, etc., I've found it better to stop working on something than to try and force my way through poorly. It's way better not to write a piece of buggy code late on a Friday than to spend all of Monday (or all weekend!) debugging what you messed up on Friday. I used to work with a team at a major company that released code on Fridays, ensuring that at least a handful of people would always be working to the bone over the weekend. Fridays are not for firewalls.
Im terribly adhd. At one point was on two prescriptions for it from my doctor because i had reached the legal limit for the first (that was rough). I eventually switched to lifestyle changes and started learning how to set up the environment around me to accomodate my needs to mimic the functionallity other people have. Alarms to track the passing of time, sticky notes everywhere. The advantages ive found is because im constantly triple checking my work due to being unsure if ive actually remembered everything, the quality of my work is often great and my ability to learn a new task quickly due to quickly catching and correcting mistakes has made me a valuable part of the team im a part of. My adhd tip is, organize tasks in a manner that reduces the amount of times youll have to shift focus between each objective for the task. This reduces the window of opportunity for distractions from your task that can affect the outcome of your work. You have to do things in a nonstandard way, but ive often found if your end result is great, some nonstandard variance in an operation is acceptable. Sorry if there are too many typos in my comment, on a new phone and adjusting to the keyboard differences. Have had to make maaaaaaany corrections while typing this lol.
"I asked the Mythbuster and he said no, so I asked the other guy" - Bobby Fingers. The writing of that was hysterical. Thank you Adam for being you man.
I write software and build servers for a living. I constantly catch myself judging my past work. Mindfulness helps. When you notice your mind harshly critiquing your work, step back, take a breath, and appreciate the lessons you learned. Over time, your mind will naturally appreciate instead of judge. This leads to a happier, more productive life by removing the stress and emotional fog generated by internal harsh critiques, freeing the mind for creativity.
One other reason to do the hard part first - Hard usually also means higher risk of screw-ups. Do the hard part first so you have less time wasted if you set yourself back and need to start over. It just means you have less riding on doing the hard part right the very first time.
I remember taking a calligraphy class in highschool as an art elective. The teacher would tell us to do the lettering first on our projects, then any decorations around it afterwards. Someone looking at a framed piece is more likely to notice if you tried correcting a spelling or spacing error in the lettering than a small mistake in the decorations. My final project was the prayer from Boondock Saints, with Celtic knotwork around it. There are a few mistakes in the knotwork, but I'm probably the only one who ever noticed them.
Getting started is also the hardest part, so usually what I do is get started on something by doing the hardest part first. Let's say something in a game, building a house that will surely take hours you always start with the walls and the roof before you add the doors and windows. The smaller stuff will come naturally.
A few years ago, I hit a major roadblock in my development as a musician so I made the decision to start taking guitar lessons from my original teacher from high school and after a rather long search, I found a vocal instructor to help me learn to sing properly. Setting my ego aside was hard but I have really started to see the benefits of that in the past few months.
So true! "A change of work is the best rest." -- Sherlock Holmes. When I got burned out on my instrument, I took up drums. Then 7-string guitar. I have a way deeper appreciation of music after playing rhythm section instruments.
I've noticed that, when asked to draw something like a cartoon character, "regular people" will tend to start with the hardest part (ex., the face), probably because if they screw that up at least they won't have wasted much time, while artists will often start with a random part (like a hand), because they already know exactly where everything else is going to go and how they're going to do it.
The amount of information in Adam’s brain is incalculable. The fact that he shares it with us makers (and others) in a palatable way is vastly more important because then we can share it with others. THANK YOU, Adam! 😊😊
Realizing that your stuff pales in comparison to that of others, and seeing the shortcomings of your work, means that your eyes' skills have leveled up, like skills in video games. With this new skill level, you can work on leveling up your hands to iron out the shortcomings your eyes see in your work. That's how it was laid out in a video I watched ages ago, about how to handle this phenomenon, in relation to drawing. It's a skill that's improved gradually, so the aforementioned sudden realization can sting - as Adam mentioned.
Tackling the hard part: Known as "eating the frog". Very helpful for professionals and as Adam points out, if you have a choice, the harder part needs priority. Good reminder/knowledge for everyone!
I really enjoy these just slightly longer 15min videos - they seem so much more longer than the previous 8min videos that used to only cover about two questions. It's just so captivating to hear Adam talk about these topics... and it's such a treat whenever Adam gets to answer a question about Mythbusters.
With ADHD, it's more difficult to break down tasks into parts and also to prioritize by importance, so ANY job that gives you a structure that helps to focus that, while being specifically dynamic will help a lot. (Reliable schedule with specific hours helps). Ex: I changed jobs every year until I started to work in software development. With that, I could know a structure for what I was doing and how to prioritize a big picture process, but the specifics of what was being developed and tested were constantly changing, where that imporance was and what specifics needed to be done were always new and keeping my interest while providing the importance & structure. That is EXACTLY what ADHD brains want to help optimize function since they're interest driven and need additional structure and importance emphasis.
Having had ADHD all my life (currently in my mid-50s), I long ago realized that I thrived in certain categories of employment and certain company sizes, and have largely managed to remain within those lanes. For me, being a (primarily electronics) repair technician has been the best fit for a slew of reasons: the constant challenge of diagnosing failure origins; high degree of mobility/traveling; constantly varying customer locations; a clear emphasis on priorities; an environment where performance matters far more than conformity to arbitrary and usually nonsensical procedures; and more.
Never really found my "makers" space or place but I've recently gotten into skydiving and in a few weeks I became the lead packer and apprentice rigger for parachute equipment due to having a passion once entering the sport. Some things really do just come with time. When I started canopies looked like bedsheets with spaghetti mixed in. Now when packing and working on equipment I almost immediately get a feeling when the equipment doesn't look right.
I was an IT person (sysadmin,deployment,production,development). I made lists daily, had by project lists and an everything (to fix/improve) list. One of my bosses watched to see my to do list, after seeing it, he never ever asked if I had enough to keep busy and needed something to do
This is what ticketing systems are for! Nobody should have a personal to-do list that's more than a month or so out. And nobody should be working without a ticketing system. The first thing I ask on interviews is "how do you organize work?" If I don't get a good answer, it's a short interview.
@@jorymil there was a ticket system for the help desk, not the 5 unix systems staff. I had some small documention, clean up, setup automation on my list (not functional problems). Each of the 5 had multiple systems with customer groups and new systems/application projects. They needed to have dedicated unix system admins on production. We finally got HP Openview later, but still no front line support. :) I left that job over what those issues did to my personal life. ( was single parenting )
When you said you had to re-do work and the second one was better...oh my god yes! I've flunked so many things and been extremely salty/angry/sad that I have to do it again but my experience has ALWAYS been that the second version is an improvement in every way. It's still hard to deal with the initial reality of having to do work again but if you can handle it it always work out for the better.
@ good advice for sure! Not always applicable sadly. I made a video about building bike wheels, I made drawings, filmed for hours, spent two days editing and only towards the end did I think to colour code the spokes. It would’ve been easy to just carry on but I knew it would bug me forevermore. I scrapped nearly a weeks worth of work and spent another week re-doing the whole thing (which was more work than the original due to the extra colour coding) but I’m glad I did as the second one was way better than the original! Same thing for when I’ve made a video out riding and had my audio fail…absolutely raging about it but went out and filmed again and the second video turned out much better. Also had it happen with voiceovers, spending over an hour recording only to find the connection was loose and the audio was terrible. Then the second attempt failed too, even more raging! But by this point I’d had more practice with the actual voiceover and the third one that worked sounded much more natural
On finding that the film industry was perfect for your ADHD brain: my absolute favorite job so far has been in a baby biotech startup trying to bring a new drug to market. The limited resources combined with the necessity (and sometimes time-sensitivity) of the deliverables put me in such a state of clarity. In a failure state (which happens a lot in science!), I can go down a list of viable alternative options and quickly evaluate them. Now that I'm getting a PhD, the pace and stakes of things are just so much slower in a way that feels like torture to me. Hopefully one day I can find that flow state again, but until then it's a grind.
Super interesting starting line for me since, in general, people with ADHD gain momentum by doing the easy thing first. Of course everyone is different, even in any given spectrum like ADHD, and I’m not surprised you do the hard thing first. Quite….savage….of you… The time explanation makes a lot of sense I struggle with time blindness, especially when it’s for group of tasks
ADD (no H) here, and for me the difference is whether I can see the end or not. In college exams, for example, I would do the easy bits first to build up momentum and confidence; but when I have a long task at my job where I cannot estimate how long it will take, I need those small victories to sustain my level of effort.
That line about "straightforward is a kind of easy" really resonates with me, because I do a lot of not-easy things that, since I've done them so MANY times, I know all the steps now, and it IS straightforward, and I have a script for the difficult phone calls that require waiting 2+ hours on hold... Once I've done something enough to know the bits that won't change, I can streamline them. And even as someone without ADHD, I love making lists! I like the phrase, "addendum to the embodied knowledge," because I'm always very happy to get thoughts out of my head and onto paper, where they won't keep shifting and get lost, lol. And I love to cheat on to-do lists, and add things I did just to cross them out XD
I can relate. I made a lot of trains for a train simulator, and one day, it hit me: "These models are awful! It doesn't even look like it's made of metal! The textures don't line up correctly! If only I knew about smooth shading back then! Man, I gotta remake _all_ of these!"
As a leader and motivator of people. I always put myself into the hardest, most difficult portions of the job. Lead by example was the basic philosophy. Saying that I tried to get the the tough stuff done first. Making the remaining work a roll downhill.
As a hobbyist I have no real time or economic pressures to contend with but I tend to do the hardest things at or near the beginning of a project. That way, if I find that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew I can reassess my overall ability to do the project at all and if everything works out reasonably well it gives me more confidence and less trepidation that I’ll be capable of finishing the project and I get more enjoyment out of the rest of the process. As for realizing that there’s much room for improvement in your work that’s just a sign of wisdom and growth.
Another reason to choose hard versus easy part is if you are at all tired. Do the hard part when you are fresh, even if it means doing the easy part first and tackling the hard part tomorrow. Lacking any such factor though, do the hard part first, since if you make a mistake that forces you to start over, you have less time invested.
The "Eat the frog" (do the worst thing first) approach assumes you work in an environment where you kind of *have* to work... where there are immediate consequences for not working. For a lot of self employed people (WITH ADHD), that's not how it works. Getting stared on a project can be much harder if you think "start with the boring difficult bit". Starting with something small and achievable may be a better way to "get into the zone" where you are engaged and able to continue. But every ADHD person is different. It's difficult to imagine Adam being bored and unmotivated, and his endless enthusiasm and perfectly aligned career path and interests have helped him be highly successful. For a lot of people with ADHD, the need to carry out boring and repetitive tasks is an unavoidable need, but also a soul-crushingly difficult thing to achieve. Worse still, things that were passions lose their attractions and become chores. In those cases "pick the bit you like first" may be the way to go.
I have the opposite problem (as a person on the autism spectrum) - generally the difficult bit *is* the thing that interests me. If I start with that, then I often find I lose the motivation to actually finish the project - so even if the easy part would only take 10 minutes to do, the project will sit unfinished for months or years because I've done the part that interested me in the first place. This is especially true if the completing the challenging bit gets the project to the point of being functional but unpolished. As an example - I pulled ethernet through my house during the summer. It's all working but there's a single spot just has a wire coming out of the wall and isn't in a proper box and jack. It would take less than a half hour to finish it properly, but since it's all functioning properly I haven't had the motivation to actually take that half hour to fix it. With that said, I definitely agree that starting with the boring stuff makes actually getting started a lot more challenging, so it's a difficult balancing act.
The hard part is the part I'm most likely to stuff up. If I'm gonna stuff up, I might as well not also take good work down with it. Having already finished work that's good on the piece already just raises the stakes for me.
The "hard part" is the bit that has the most risk and is most likely to go wrong, thus you tackle that first because you then have more time to solve problems and get it right.
Working in a school, I see the need for education to adapt more to kids with ADHD. The system favours the kid that sits down, asks no questions, and makes no noise. I have ADHD and so does my son and talking to some teachers. I have to remind them how painful, physically painful it is to sit still.
I've also got ADHD. I still take Ritalin, and have done so since I was in my early teens (currently in my mid 50s), but not on a constant basis. I have had to instill a significant amount of self-discipline and working habits to overcome my natural tendencies and be a productive person for those periods where Ritalin was not an option (such as during military service, because military doctors were then all still in a 1950s mindset). Education systems often combine the worst of bureaucracies and academia, neither of which really tolerate the mannerisms of most ADHD-affected people, and I don't think that the typical existing systems can genuinely modify themselves to the necessary degree. It has always seemed to me that education systems need multiple avenues of approach, tailored to categorical variations in learning schema such as those afflicted with ADHD & its cousins, etc.
@@TheBennedy85 Nothing that stands out, really. Probably the only prescription med I've ever received that doesn't have noticeable side effect, unlike my damn gout medicine and others. The generic chemical name is methylphenidate, FYI. I have developed a fairly sensitive awareness of when the med starts to kick in after consumption, in that my self-awareness is far more present.
I love you Adam. Thank you for being a beacon of transparency and valuable wisdom in the realm of making. You are in my personal “Hall of Fame” including Hank Green, John Green, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Michael Corrie, Plato, and Gene Wilder.
I needed to hear this video today. There is an interview coming up for me next week, and I have many questions which require answering. Being a person who thinks too much, I know of many angles which could be taken. Something you said was and is a good reminder. More specifically, "what is mission critical". When I think about the questions again, I will be verifying them against the former saying.
A craftsman attains a high level of skill and is satisfied with their product. An artist can ALWAYS see that their work could be a little better. You can’t even start to become better, until you can SEE that someone else did it better, or that your own work is lacking something you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know is falling short. This is why I tell apprentices do not try to make any project perfect, because you are never good enough to make anything perfect. That you only improve in retrospect, for every project you finish, deliver, and move on from. You know you are growing as an artist when you look at your own prior work and all you can see is what you would have done differently if you were to do it today. And like Adam, some of my best moments are when I am looking at someone else’s work and asking myself “ HOW did they DO that?”
Make priorities through planning then do the highest priority first. Use the easy stuff as a mental break from the hard stuff to keep momentum going when you need to step away from the hard stuff. -heavy equipment field service mechanic.
Everyone does that with their past work. I’m a digital creator so I know it’s not exactly the same, but the recognition that you can always be better is just so important
I don't know if its an entirely fair question to ask regarding starting with the hard part or the easy part. I find that oftentimes I start with the part that gives me a sense of progress or achievement first, so that the project 'calms' the demons of distraction and inspires me to continue working on it. If its a hard, time consuming slog but gives me that first visions of where I need to get to, I want to get that done first. The discussion on the lists resonated with me; I feel that sometimes merely writing that list cements the information in my head and it becomes something I don't need to refer to. And 95% of the time my long first lists become a second (refined) or third (breakdown) list, which go a long way to keep me on the trail.
3:20 “Screwed I up have to do it again” You’re not alone I feel the same way, gets me every time. ❤ To counter this I next say to myself “it’s going to be 2x as good” and most of the time it does turn out better. 👍
I think the advice about lists is profound, I'm so used to flying by the seat of my pants that it never occurred to me that I always have the high priority things worked out but not the fine details. I think I'll start doing that myself.
thanks, i never understood what writing lists is supposed to do or help with when i already feel like i'm drowning and now saying 'they become part of your embodied knowledge' makes a lot more sense.
Adam, just a great encapsulation of how much a forcing-function can really provide *focus* and (at least for me) fulfillment. _The show must go on_ kind of mindset.
Having to say that starting with the easiest thing to the hardest feels objectively better at some cases, where warming up is beneficial, or where doing an easy task would give you insights on doing the hard one. Most straightforward example is beating a videogame.
Honestly havent watched the vid yet. But from the titlw this has happened to me multiple times. Moving as kid from small to big town, kid to highschool, highschool to college and a few times in my career. Stay humble and open minded.
I'm self-taught and have been working professionally in my field for 26 years. Quick tip: No client wants to be impressed by a display of your skills. They want what they want. I probably don't know half of the stuff written in the 1st year textbooks. My success comes from knowledge and empathy of my clients needs, and then applying my skills and technique, however limited, to fit. I learn new things on almost every project, but its typically driven by the needs of others.
One day I'll feel like I'm master of my domain, then when I'm given a new task or decide on one for myself that is new, I feel like I have to prove myself all over again.
As a VERY general rule, I will try and get all the easy, quick parts out of the way first, then if the hard part gets bogged down in "issues", I don't have the other stuff nagging at me, waiting to be done. It take some of the pressure off.
I like to tackle the hard part first but I also reserve a super easy portion or two that I can do when I need a break from the hard part. A little win can really help put the wind back in your sails and allow you to go back at the hard part with a little more enthusiasm.
Idk, I find that starting with the easy stuff is best exactly for the reasons u said for the opposite. Very often, what ur doing will change once u get into it. And there's nothing worse than wasting a lot of time But the real answer is "do the things that won't change first". Every project has parts that might change and parts that def wont
Another great thing about making lists is that when I cross an item off, I get an endorphin jolt from the idea that I accomplished a task, and the completion of the project is that much closer.
Hard part first means less loss of work if a mistake happens, easier to judge how much time is necessary to complete the project after hard part is done, and if there is a time crunch, i'd rather be up all night or working overtime doing easy/fun stuff rather than struggling through hard stuff with fatigue. But, starting with the hard part may occasionally make it more difficult to get started, so forming habits and routines help with getting started.
There is definitely a hand-brain connection with lists when it comes to creativity and problem-solving. Sure, I like making check-off or to-do lists on my phone. But when it comes to brainstorming, conceptualizing, synthesizing knowledge, etc., doing it on paper or whiteboard sparks connections in my brain that just don't happen with screens. Being in the IT world, my way of doing things is often viewed as an anachronism and I'm often forced to adapt to accommodate others. But it's what works best for me, so I will still grab a notepad behind the scenes.
I was taught by my Grandpa to always do the most difficult tasks first. They are the most likely to have problems and you want the most time to solve them. Front load your day, coast in the afternoon.
Maybe you're clever and that's great. Never count on being clever though. Just do the work. Try to eliminate being clever from your process. If you're clever while you're doing the work then that's great too. Be clever by trying to keep things as simple as possible. So any idiot can do it. Because that idiot is going to be you. Then when you execute everyone's going to think you're clever. Dumb things down as much as you can though. Maybe you can keep a list of 200 things in your head but why? Write it down. Draw arrows pointing up. Whatever it takes to reduce the brain load. When it comes down to it we're all capable of screwing up. So be clever by doing everything you can to avoid making mistakes.
You become a seasoned expert BY making mistakes and putting the time in. And, if you are smart, by learning as MUCH as you can from others when and if that becomes something you can do. Every expert or professional was a noob at one point or another. And in my experience, the truly expert in their fields don't call themselves that. Learning so much of a skill so that you can see a glimmer of how much MORE there is to learn is a truly humbling experience.
14:40 "Everyone finds the career dovetails with their pathologies..." is very astute, but I think it's actually something many people *don't* do, for various reasons, and that's the cause of a lot of unhappiness.
As a dev, when I've estimated work, uncertainty and risk elevates the priority of work. If an approach is not going to work, or it is gonna take longer, better to tell the client 5 days in, than 5 days before the deadline.
5:15 Apart from laziness and procrastination, the lack of ability to see reality (in whatever context), is the single biggest thing that holds people back from success. Applies to every professional and artistic skill. The challenge is to see the flaws and weaknesses and go forward anyway, trusting the process and that’ll you’ll get better over time, even if you keep seeing flaws (which you will).
I’m in event production and I’ve never loved a job more and other than the general interest, I really think about 90% of it is that it fits my particular flavor of ADHD brain very well.
Adam, please drift off topic as often as you like, I could listen to you all day mate. I always read nearly all the comments and I'm starting to suspect that many of us here are wired very similarly (neurologically). I always feel like I fit in here, regarding both how I'm made and being a fellow maker. I hope others feel that way too 🙂
Another important question is "what to do when you realize your skill has plateaued at a middling level and you should probably do something else" Or "What if the impostor syndrome is right? How can you avoid wasting years or decades in a field you're not really suited for."
I also always attack the hard part first…I also have always volunteered for the missions that no one else wanted. Now I am retired and do what I want, when I want.
I used to also do it like that until I realised that I had done 1 job that took me forever, and now required 30 more to complete the project... It was a bit discouraging to say the least. So now I do more a time management assessment: I tend to do the fastest (not necessarily easiest) thing I can do first, to clear about 50-60% of the "to do" list, and them I tackle the hard/longer jobs. I know I'll take longer but by then my schedule and mind are clear to just focus on that 1 task to completion.
I have a desire to build something but all the designs are in my head. The more I think about it the more ideas I come up with and of course the more complicated the item becomes. Yes I want to build models but I have ideas that make it more dynamic and less of a static display. My problem is I think I have more fun thinking about things than I will probably actually building something. I started actually building something, obtaining the parts, modifying the parts, but stopped the build because I convinced myself that the item was no longer necessary.
I'm the opposite, do the easy part first, feel accomplished so it isn't hanging over your head. When the hard part takes longer, i get anxietiey like "and then i got this other thing to do after"
I learned to do the part I really hate and dread first. And I'll cuss my way through the whole process knowing that when I'm done my stress level will drop 90%.
I spent 40+ years as co-owner of a costume shop, and my main job was pattern making and cutting. A hard lesson learned over the years was to take the time to cut ONE and make a sample to make sure it fits / works THEN cut the rest - what ever number that may be. I've had cases where there was not an issue with the size or pattern, but with what some manufactuering processes can do to fabric... like applying steam when pressing that shrinks the fabric. For ex: I once had that happen where I cut out dozens of Civil War uniforms from a wool that was never treated, and as soon as we started pressing seams open the fabric was shrinking.... like REALLY shrinking. We had to scrap what was cut and had to order some other fabric and recut. Of course we were then behind the 8-ball with time. BTW... over time we ended putting the shrinking jackets together and washing them. What were like a mens size 48 were now a large boys size. 🙂
Adam I have watched you since I was a kid, Mythbusters was always the first show on the TV for my brother and I. I can't tell you how awesome and helpful this video is for me right now!!!❤🎉😊
I do my best work with a team. Doesn't matter if I lead the team or not, but I seem to to much better if I have people around me, and depending on the work I'm doing. Then I can do what I am good at because the others in the team do what they are good at. ADHD and burnout is no joke tho. Sometimes the most important thing to do when you have to deliver and have adhd is to sit down and rest for a while. Some have voices - I hate thos voices - telling you you're not good enough. It's important to see where your limits are, and where you want to improve. But that's not what I'm talking about. Knowing that one is good enough as a human
Hi from the uk I have worked in engineering all of my life and have seen people not offered a job just because they have a better qualification than the engineer doing the hiring, I'm an old git now and welcome working with a fresh new mind because there is always an opportunity learn and that learning is bidirectional.
For me its do 1 or 2 easy ones to start, to get warmed up get the brain juices flowing. Make any adjustments needed. Then do the hard part and work down from there. Saving easy things for off days like Mondays or days I know im not at 100%.
Ask yourself the question: "Am I suffering from Dunning-Kruger right now?" If you haven't heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect, look it up on wikipedia! It is essentially the sociological concept that people with low competence in a given field, overestimate their competence in that field; because they lack the skills to correctly estimate their own competence. I have been there for sure and learned the hard way. Sometimes it is the ONLY way to learn. But if you are aware of this concept then you can ask yourself the question: "Am I suffering from Dunning Kruger right now?"
@@futurecaredesign It's amazing how many experts there are on the Dunning-Kruger effect after spending 5 minutes reading about it on Wikipedia. But the more I find out about it, the more I have my doubts. ;-)
I think professionalism really stems with detail of a mentor. Everyone needs more opinions to help them appreciate the level they are working. Equally, poor mentors will answer their student's direct question rather than answering the question you know they should be asking. The student should never be blamed for asking the wrong questions, that is crux of mentoring. Lots of people want to run before they can walk and that is human nature. To hold them back is just frustrating. Instead, focus their desire for knowledge in a positive and engaging way the student doesn't yet understand they need and allow them to take ownership and see their base knowledge expand in a way they don't expect.
Generally the hard part is hard because it involves the most variables and the greatest likelihood of screwing up. So yeah, get that done first. Then you can set your watch by how long it'll take to do the rest.
Do you start with the hard part or the easy part when you're working on a project? If you're ADHD, what are some tips you can share about working in a professional environment?
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I always start my day with the most difficult tasks and then finish the day with the easiest. My brain isn’t wired to work on difficult tasks as the day goes on so when my brain is at its best is when I want to tackle the hard stuff.
I work in a very different field, translation, and I do the "saving easy parts for bad moments". Sometimes I do not have time left today to tackle one of the major sections, so I will do one of the small, easy ones so that I get the feeling of progression. Specially because minor ADD makes it hard for me to sustain effort when the end is not in sight, and those minor victories help.
I spent a few years teaching FMEAs as a tool to help figure out what will be the hard stuff, and what's the easy stuff (and approximately how important), it really made it easier to prioritize for me and my team. Especially when working on projects that are fundamentally new to you.
Almost everything you said is applicable to software engineering. Although, we definitely have to prove out the highest-risk implementation details first. Often times the rest of the project is built assuming that part works.
It probably depends on the person(s) and the task at hand.
That said, for me, there's definitely something to be said for "low hanging fruit". Getting the easy stuff done and out of the way, gaining momentum, and making things less overwhelming by the time you get to the harder stuff.
I have ADHD and Autism and it makes soo much sense now why Mythbusters was so meaningful to me as a kid and scratched an itch like nothing else. Happy holidays Adam, thank you for everything you share on this channel
I have ADHD also and I am a mechanic. On a machine I always start with the part that I don't want to do and save the stuff I want to do for last.
Then I will just never do it!
Yeah that's a discipline à lot of people with ADHD really struggle with. If it works, wonderful, but other people will need to find other approaches.
Ya same here, I'm not a mechanic but run a machine shop. I really dislike large production run of the same thing over and over. That's not were I thrive. But gotta do it from time to time. Mainly a small job shop.
Same here.. just dive in and do the shit work first, get it over with rather than working your way up to it dreading it the whole time. Once I get myself into a job and actually focus on the problem it's usually not as bad as we tell ourselves it's gonna be.
It makes sense to tackle the challengings things first because if you can't do that then nothing else really matters. Everything else you did was wasted too. You only win if you clear all of the hurdles and cross the finish line. Second place is just the first loser.
A very similar approach to "hard part first" that I'm accustomed to from software engineering projects is "riskiest part first" or "least understood part first", because those are the ones that can (figuratively) blow up on you and potentially require a completely different approach, or more time, etc.
Exactly. My exception would be when I have brain fry from the hard stuff--I'll switch tasks and do something insanely easy, like cleaning up my e-mail or reading through some documentation. Or if I know my concentration is affected--say a Friday afternoon, Monday morning, terribly hungry, etc., I've found it better to stop working on something than to try and force my way through poorly. It's way better not to write a piece of buggy code late on a Friday than to spend all of Monday (or all weekend!) debugging what you messed up on Friday. I used to work with a team at a major company that released code on Fridays, ensuring that at least a handful of people would always be working to the bone over the weekend. Fridays are not for firewalls.
Im terribly adhd. At one point was on two prescriptions for it from my doctor because i had reached the legal limit for the first (that was rough). I eventually switched to lifestyle changes and started learning how to set up the environment around me to accomodate my needs to mimic the functionallity other people have. Alarms to track the passing of time, sticky notes everywhere. The advantages ive found is because im constantly triple checking my work due to being unsure if ive actually remembered everything, the quality of my work is often great and my ability to learn a new task quickly due to quickly catching and correcting mistakes has made me a valuable part of the team im a part of.
My adhd tip is, organize tasks in a manner that reduces the amount of times youll have to shift focus between each objective for the task. This reduces the window of opportunity for distractions from your task that can affect the outcome of your work. You have to do things in a nonstandard way, but ive often found if your end result is great, some nonstandard variance in an operation is acceptable.
Sorry if there are too many typos in my comment, on a new phone and adjusting to the keyboard differences. Have had to make maaaaaaany corrections while typing this lol.
"I asked the Mythbuster and he said no, so I asked the other guy" - Bobby Fingers. The writing of that was hysterical. Thank you Adam for being you man.
I write software and build servers for a living. I constantly catch myself judging my past work. Mindfulness helps. When you notice your mind harshly critiquing your work, step back, take a breath, and appreciate the lessons you learned. Over time, your mind will naturally appreciate instead of judge. This leads to a happier, more productive life by removing the stress and emotional fog generated by internal harsh critiques, freeing the mind for creativity.
One other reason to do the hard part first - Hard usually also means higher risk of screw-ups.
Do the hard part first so you have less time wasted if you set yourself back and need to start over. It just means you have less riding on doing the hard part right the very first time.
I remember taking a calligraphy class in highschool as an art elective. The teacher would tell us to do the lettering first on our projects, then any decorations around it afterwards. Someone looking at a framed piece is more likely to notice if you tried correcting a spelling or spacing error in the lettering than a small mistake in the decorations. My final project was the prayer from Boondock Saints, with Celtic knotwork around it. There are a few mistakes in the knotwork, but I'm probably the only one who ever noticed them.
Getting started is also the hardest part, so usually what I do is get started on something by doing the hardest part first. Let's say something in a game, building a house that will surely take hours you always start with the walls and the roof before you add the doors and windows. The smaller stuff will come naturally.
A few years ago, I hit a major roadblock in my development as a musician so I made the decision to start taking guitar lessons from my original teacher from high school and after a rather long search, I found a vocal instructor to help me learn to sing properly. Setting my ego aside was hard but I have really started to see the benefits of that in the past few months.
I too am trying to drop the ego and grow, props to you for finding the gumption to put a plan into action. All the best with your musical endeavors.
So true! "A change of work is the best rest." -- Sherlock Holmes. When I got burned out on my instrument, I took up drums. Then 7-string guitar. I have a way deeper appreciation of music after playing rhythm section instruments.
I've noticed that, when asked to draw something like a cartoon character, "regular people" will tend to start with the hardest part (ex., the face), probably because if they screw that up at least they won't have wasted much time, while artists will often start with a random part (like a hand), because they already know exactly where everything else is going to go and how they're going to do it.
The amount of information in Adam’s brain is incalculable. The fact that he shares it with us makers (and others) in a palatable way is vastly more important because then we can share it with others. THANK YOU, Adam! 😊😊
Realizing that your stuff pales in comparison to that of others, and seeing the shortcomings of your work, means that your eyes' skills have leveled up, like skills in video games.
With this new skill level, you can work on leveling up your hands to iron out the shortcomings your eyes see in your work.
That's how it was laid out in a video I watched ages ago, about how to handle this phenomenon, in relation to drawing. It's a skill that's improved gradually, so the aforementioned sudden realization can sting - as Adam mentioned.
Tackling the hard part: Known as "eating the frog". Very helpful for professionals and as Adam points out, if you have a choice, the harder part needs priority. Good reminder/knowledge for everyone!
I really enjoy these just slightly longer 15min videos - they seem so much more longer than the previous 8min videos that used to only cover about two questions. It's just so captivating to hear Adam talk about these topics... and it's such a treat whenever Adam gets to answer a question about Mythbusters.
With ADHD, it's more difficult to break down tasks into parts and also to prioritize by importance, so ANY job that gives you a structure that helps to focus that, while being specifically dynamic will help a lot. (Reliable schedule with specific hours helps).
Ex: I changed jobs every year until I started to work in software development. With that, I could know a structure for what I was doing and how to prioritize a big picture process, but the specifics of what was being developed and tested were constantly changing, where that imporance was and what specifics needed to be done were always new and keeping my interest while providing the importance & structure. That is EXACTLY what ADHD brains want to help optimize function since they're interest driven and need additional structure and importance emphasis.
Nicely put.
Having had ADHD all my life (currently in my mid-50s), I long ago realized that I thrived in certain categories of employment and certain company sizes, and have largely managed to remain within those lanes. For me, being a (primarily electronics) repair technician has been the best fit for a slew of reasons: the constant challenge of diagnosing failure origins; high degree of mobility/traveling; constantly varying customer locations; a clear emphasis on priorities; an environment where performance matters far more than conformity to arbitrary and usually nonsensical procedures; and more.
Never really found my "makers" space or place but I've recently gotten into skydiving and in a few weeks I became the lead packer and apprentice rigger for parachute equipment due to having a passion once entering the sport. Some things really do just come with time. When I started canopies looked like bedsheets with spaghetti mixed in. Now when packing and working on equipment I almost immediately get a feeling when the equipment doesn't look right.
I was an IT person (sysadmin,deployment,production,development). I made lists daily, had by project lists and an everything (to fix/improve) list. One of my bosses watched to see my to do list, after seeing it, he never ever asked if I had enough to keep busy and needed something to do
This is what ticketing systems are for! Nobody should have a personal to-do list that's more than a month or so out. And nobody should be working without a ticketing system. The first thing I ask on interviews is "how do you organize work?" If I don't get a good answer, it's a short interview.
@@jorymil there was a ticket system for the help desk, not the 5 unix systems staff. I had some small documention, clean up, setup automation on my list (not functional problems). Each of the 5 had multiple systems with customer groups and new systems/application projects. They needed to have dedicated unix system admins on production. We finally got HP Openview later, but still no front line support. :) I left that job over what those issues did to my personal life. ( was single parenting )
When you said you had to re-do work and the second one was better...oh my god yes! I've flunked so many things and been extremely salty/angry/sad that I have to do it again but my experience has ALWAYS been that the second version is an improvement in every way. It's still hard to deal with the initial reality of having to do work again but if you can handle it it always work out for the better.
I believe Adam once said you'll make 3 of something before you're really happy. I just get the first one out of the way ( using cheaper materials )
@ good advice for sure! Not always applicable sadly. I made a video about building bike wheels, I made drawings, filmed for hours, spent two days editing and only towards the end did I think to colour code the spokes. It would’ve been easy to just carry on but I knew it would bug me forevermore.
I scrapped nearly a weeks worth of work and spent another week re-doing the whole thing (which was more work than the original due to the extra colour coding) but I’m glad I did as the second one was way better than the original!
Same thing for when I’ve made a video out riding and had my audio fail…absolutely raging about it but went out and filmed again and the second video turned out much better.
Also had it happen with voiceovers, spending over an hour recording only to find the connection was loose and the audio was terrible. Then the second attempt failed too, even more raging! But by this point I’d had more practice with the actual voiceover and the third one that worked sounded much more natural
On finding that the film industry was perfect for your ADHD brain: my absolute favorite job so far has been in a baby biotech startup trying to bring a new drug to market. The limited resources combined with the necessity (and sometimes time-sensitivity) of the deliverables put me in such a state of clarity. In a failure state (which happens a lot in science!), I can go down a list of viable alternative options and quickly evaluate them. Now that I'm getting a PhD, the pace and stakes of things are just so much slower in a way that feels like torture to me. Hopefully one day I can find that flow state again, but until then it's a grind.
Super interesting starting line for me since, in general, people with ADHD gain momentum by doing the easy thing first.
Of course everyone is different, even in any given spectrum like ADHD, and I’m not surprised you do the hard thing first.
Quite….savage….of you…
The time explanation makes a lot of sense I struggle with time blindness, especially when it’s for group of tasks
ADD (no H) here, and for me the difference is whether I can see the end or not. In college exams, for example, I would do the easy bits first to build up momentum and confidence; but when I have a long task at my job where I cannot estimate how long it will take, I need those small victories to sustain my level of effort.
That line about "straightforward is a kind of easy" really resonates with me, because I do a lot of not-easy things that, since I've done them so MANY times, I know all the steps now, and it IS straightforward, and I have a script for the difficult phone calls that require waiting 2+ hours on hold... Once I've done something enough to know the bits that won't change, I can streamline them.
And even as someone without ADHD, I love making lists! I like the phrase, "addendum to the embodied knowledge," because I'm always very happy to get thoughts out of my head and onto paper, where they won't keep shifting and get lost, lol. And I love to cheat on to-do lists, and add things I did just to cross them out XD
I can relate. I made a lot of trains for a train simulator, and one day, it hit me: "These models are awful! It doesn't even look like it's made of metal! The textures don't line up correctly! If only I knew about smooth shading back then! Man, I gotta remake _all_ of these!"
As a leader and motivator of people. I always put myself into the hardest, most difficult portions of the job. Lead by example was the basic philosophy. Saying that I tried to get the the tough stuff done first. Making the remaining work a roll downhill.
As a hobbyist I have no real time or economic pressures to contend with but I tend to do the hardest things at or near the beginning of a project. That way, if I find that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew I can reassess my overall ability to do the project at all and if everything works out reasonably well it gives me more confidence and less trepidation that I’ll be capable of finishing the project and I get more enjoyment out of the rest of the process. As for realizing that there’s much room for improvement in your work that’s just a sign of wisdom and growth.
Another reason to choose hard versus easy part is if you are at all tired. Do the hard part when you are fresh, even if it means doing the easy part first and tackling the hard part tomorrow. Lacking any such factor though, do the hard part first, since if you make a mistake that forces you to start over, you have less time invested.
I love these videos so much, they are honestly priceless. Thank you Adam
“If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning"
- Mark Twain
The "Eat the frog" (do the worst thing first) approach assumes you work in an environment where you kind of *have* to work... where there are immediate consequences for not working. For a lot of self employed people (WITH ADHD), that's not how it works. Getting stared on a project can be much harder if you think "start with the boring difficult bit". Starting with something small and achievable may be a better way to "get into the zone" where you are engaged and able to continue.
But every ADHD person is different. It's difficult to imagine Adam being bored and unmotivated, and his endless enthusiasm and perfectly aligned career path and interests have helped him be highly successful. For a lot of people with ADHD, the need to carry out boring and repetitive tasks is an unavoidable need, but also a soul-crushingly difficult thing to achieve. Worse still, things that were passions lose their attractions and become chores. In those cases "pick the bit you like first" may be the way to go.
Frogs are delicious. At least their legs are. A little greasy I suppose.
@@1pcfred I've never heard the expression before, but I think the idea is that you're eating a frog that's still alive and squirming in your mouth.
@@einootspork oh no. You have to fry them.
I have the opposite problem (as a person on the autism spectrum) - generally the difficult bit *is* the thing that interests me. If I start with that, then I often find I lose the motivation to actually finish the project - so even if the easy part would only take 10 minutes to do, the project will sit unfinished for months or years because I've done the part that interested me in the first place. This is especially true if the completing the challenging bit gets the project to the point of being functional but unpolished. As an example - I pulled ethernet through my house during the summer. It's all working but there's a single spot just has a wire coming out of the wall and isn't in a proper box and jack. It would take less than a half hour to finish it properly, but since it's all functioning properly I haven't had the motivation to actually take that half hour to fix it.
With that said, I definitely agree that starting with the boring stuff makes actually getting started a lot more challenging, so it's a difficult balancing act.
@@masaufuku1735 Absolutely. The best advice may be "find the thing that works for you", but finding it can take a lifetime.
The hard part is the part I'm most likely to stuff up. If I'm gonna stuff up, I might as well not also take good work down with it. Having already finished work that's good on the piece already just raises the stakes for me.
The "hard part" is the bit that has the most risk and is most likely to go wrong, thus you tackle that first because you then have more time to solve problems and get it right.
Working in a school, I see the need for education to adapt more to kids with ADHD. The system favours the kid that sits down, asks no questions, and makes no noise. I have ADHD and so does my son and talking to some teachers. I have to remind them how painful, physically painful it is to sit still.
I've also got ADHD. I still take Ritalin, and have done so since I was in my early teens (currently in my mid 50s), but not on a constant basis. I have had to instill a significant amount of self-discipline and working habits to overcome my natural tendencies and be a productive person for those periods where Ritalin was not an option (such as during military service, because military doctors were then all still in a 1950s mindset). Education systems often combine the worst of bureaucracies and academia, neither of which really tolerate the mannerisms of most ADHD-affected people, and I don't think that the typical existing systems can genuinely modify themselves to the necessary degree. It has always seemed to me that education systems need multiple avenues of approach, tailored to categorical variations in learning schema such as those afflicted with ADHD & its cousins, etc.
@ absolutely! Well said! That’s exactly right!! Have you had any side effects from long term Ritalin?
@@TheBennedy85 Nothing that stands out, really. Probably the only prescription med I've ever received that doesn't have noticeable side effect, unlike my damn gout medicine and others. The generic chemical name is methylphenidate, FYI. I have developed a fairly sensitive awareness of when the med starts to kick in after consumption, in that my self-awareness is far more present.
I love you Adam. Thank you for being a beacon of transparency and valuable wisdom in the realm of making. You are in my personal “Hall of Fame” including Hank Green, John Green, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Michael Corrie, Plato, and Gene Wilder.
I needed to hear this video today. There is an interview coming up for me next week, and I have many questions which require answering. Being a person who thinks too much, I know of many angles which could be taken. Something you said was and is a good reminder. More specifically, "what is mission critical". When I think about the questions again, I will be verifying them against the former saying.
A craftsman attains a high level of skill and is satisfied with their product. An artist can ALWAYS see that their work could be a little better. You can’t even start to become better, until you can SEE that someone else did it better, or that your own work is lacking something you can’t quite put your finger on, but you know is falling short. This is why I tell apprentices do not try to make any project perfect, because you are never good enough to make anything perfect. That you only improve in retrospect, for every project you finish, deliver, and move on from.
You know you are growing as an artist when you look at your own prior work and all you can see is what you would have done differently if you were to do it today.
And like Adam, some of my best moments are when I am looking at someone else’s work and asking myself “ HOW did they DO that?”
Make priorities through planning then do the highest priority first. Use the easy stuff as a mental break from the hard stuff to keep momentum going when you need to step away from the hard stuff.
-heavy equipment field service mechanic.
Everyone does that with their past work. I’m a digital creator so I know it’s not exactly the same, but the recognition that you can always be better is just so important
I don't know if its an entirely fair question to ask regarding starting with the hard part or the easy part. I find that oftentimes I start with the part that gives me a sense of progress or achievement first, so that the project 'calms' the demons of distraction and inspires me to continue working on it. If its a hard, time consuming slog but gives me that first visions of where I need to get to, I want to get that done first.
The discussion on the lists resonated with me; I feel that sometimes merely writing that list cements the information in my head and it becomes something I don't need to refer to. And 95% of the time my long first lists become a second (refined) or third (breakdown) list, which go a long way to keep me on the trail.
Same
3:20 “Screwed I up have to do it again” You’re not alone I feel the same way, gets me every time. ❤ To counter this I next say to myself “it’s going to be 2x as good” and most of the time it does turn out better. 👍
9:00 Oooah maah gaawd!!
For myself, it was photography that required enough step-by-step thinking to allow me to concentrate on the creative side.
I think the advice about lists is profound, I'm so used to flying by the seat of my pants that it never occurred to me that I always have the high priority things worked out but not the fine details. I think I'll start doing that myself.
There's an art to punch lists.They're how you get the big jobs done. You eat an elephant one bite at a time.
thanks, i never understood what writing lists is supposed to do or help with when i already feel like i'm drowning and now saying 'they become part of your embodied knowledge' makes a lot more sense.
Adam, just a great encapsulation of how much a forcing-function can really provide *focus* and (at least for me) fulfillment. _The show must go on_ kind of mindset.
Having to say that starting with the easiest thing to the hardest feels objectively better at some cases, where warming up is beneficial, or where doing an easy task would give you insights on doing the hard one. Most straightforward example is beating a videogame.
Honestly havent watched the vid yet. But from the titlw this has happened to me multiple times. Moving as kid from small to big town, kid to highschool, highschool to college and a few times in my career. Stay humble and open minded.
I'm self-taught and have been working professionally in my field for 26 years. Quick tip: No client wants to be impressed by a display of your skills. They want what they want. I probably don't know half of the stuff written in the 1st year textbooks. My success comes from knowledge and empathy of my clients needs, and then applying my skills and technique, however limited, to fit. I learn new things on almost every project, but its typically driven by the needs of others.
I learned a long time ago through kitchen work. Worst worst first!
Your brain is amazing! You have so much knowledge about things and processes. I'm in awe.
One day I'll feel like I'm master of my domain, then when I'm given a new task or decide on one for myself that is new, I feel like I have to prove myself all over again.
I haaaaate redoing work
As a VERY general rule, I will try and get all the easy, quick parts out of the way first, then if the hard part gets bogged down in "issues", I don't have the other stuff nagging at me, waiting to be done. It take some of the pressure off.
I like to tackle the hard part first but I also reserve a super easy portion or two that I can do when I need a break from the hard part. A little win can really help put the wind back in your sails and allow you to go back at the hard part with a little more enthusiasm.
Idk, I find that starting with the easy stuff is best exactly for the reasons u said for the opposite. Very often, what ur doing will change once u get into it. And there's nothing worse than wasting a lot of time
But the real answer is "do the things that won't change first". Every project has parts that might change and parts that def wont
Another great thing about making lists is that when I cross an item off, I get an endorphin jolt from the idea that I accomplished a task, and the completion of the project is that much closer.
It is nice to see progress
See, I get no endorphin from the list, only the accomplishment. I make them. Then never look at it again, until I rewrite with 2/3s of it accomplished
@@Heyitsallgoodman I do. I love checking things off a list. Maybe more than I should but that's just how it is.
Hard part first means less loss of work if a mistake happens, easier to judge how much time is necessary to complete the project after hard part is done, and if there is a time crunch, i'd rather be up all night or working overtime doing easy/fun stuff rather than struggling through hard stuff with fatigue. But, starting with the hard part may occasionally make it more difficult to get started, so forming habits and routines help with getting started.
"The Valley of Despair" is a necessary step in the march towards mastery.
This video and the video about not knowing what to do with your life have inspired me to teach myself game design. Thank you Adam.
I write a lot of things down and in most cases never look at them ever again. The act of writing something down burns it in my brain.
I love guys like you, I ever loved it since your role in Mythbusters. An intelligent guy, AD(H)D, I totally recall that. Thank you Adam🙏🏼
There is definitely a hand-brain connection with lists when it comes to creativity and problem-solving. Sure, I like making check-off or to-do lists on my phone. But when it comes to brainstorming, conceptualizing, synthesizing knowledge, etc., doing it on paper or whiteboard sparks connections in my brain that just don't happen with screens. Being in the IT world, my way of doing things is often viewed as an anachronism and I'm often forced to adapt to accommodate others. But it's what works best for me, so I will still grab a notepad behind the scenes.
I was taught by my Grandpa to always do the most difficult tasks first. They are the most likely to have problems and you want the most time to solve them. Front load your day, coast in the afternoon.
Love the new Membership toss!
Maybe you're clever and that's great. Never count on being clever though. Just do the work. Try to eliminate being clever from your process. If you're clever while you're doing the work then that's great too. Be clever by trying to keep things as simple as possible. So any idiot can do it. Because that idiot is going to be you. Then when you execute everyone's going to think you're clever. Dumb things down as much as you can though. Maybe you can keep a list of 200 things in your head but why? Write it down. Draw arrows pointing up. Whatever it takes to reduce the brain load. When it comes down to it we're all capable of screwing up. So be clever by doing everything you can to avoid making mistakes.
You become a seasoned expert BY making mistakes and putting the time in. And, if you are smart, by learning as MUCH as you can from others when and if that becomes something you can do. Every expert or professional was a noob at one point or another. And in my experience, the truly expert in their fields don't call themselves that. Learning so much of a skill so that you can see a glimmer of how much MORE there is to learn is a truly humbling experience.
14:40 "Everyone finds the career dovetails with their pathologies..." is very astute, but I think it's actually something many people *don't* do, for various reasons, and that's the cause of a lot of unhappiness.
I've come to realize that I often can't do a job not because I don't have the skill but because I don't have the tools.
I read the script, and in my best Arnold i say, "NOW IS THE TIME TO PANIC! "
As a dev, when I've estimated work, uncertainty and risk elevates the priority of work. If an approach is not going to work, or it is gonna take longer, better to tell the client 5 days in, than 5 days before the deadline.
5:15 Apart from laziness and procrastination, the lack of ability to see reality (in whatever context), is the single biggest thing that holds people back from success. Applies to every professional and artistic skill.
The challenge is to see the flaws and weaknesses and go forward anyway, trusting the process and that’ll you’ll get better over time, even if you keep seeing flaws (which you will).
I’m in event production and I’ve never loved a job more and other than the general interest, I really think about 90% of it is that it fits my particular flavor of ADHD brain very well.
Adam, please drift off topic as often as you like, I could listen to you all day mate.
I always read nearly all the comments and I'm starting to suspect that many of us here are wired very similarly (neurologically).
I always feel like I fit in here, regarding both how I'm made and being a fellow maker.
I hope others feel that way too 🙂
Another important question is "what to do when you realize your skill has plateaued at a middling level and you should probably do something else"
Or "What if the impostor syndrome is right? How can you avoid wasting years or decades in a field you're not really suited for."
I am in the title and I don't like it.
Worst mistakes I've ever made is thinking there's an easy part I can knock out in a few hours.
I also always attack the hard part first…I also have always volunteered for the missions that no one else wanted.
Now I am retired and do what I want, when I want.
One of the rules of lean is "no batch work" specifically to avoid cutting a bunch of wire short and having to make bunch more
I used to also do it like that until I realised that I had done 1 job that took me forever, and now required 30 more to complete the project... It was a bit discouraging to say the least.
So now I do more a time management assessment: I tend to do the fastest (not necessarily easiest) thing I can do first, to clear about 50-60% of the "to do" list, and them I tackle the hard/longer jobs.
I know I'll take longer but by then my schedule and mind are clear to just focus on that 1 task to completion.
I have a desire to build something but all the designs are in my head.
The more I think about it the more ideas I come up with and of course the more complicated the item becomes. Yes I want to build models but I have ideas that make it more dynamic and less of a static display.
My problem is I think I have more fun thinking about things than I will probably actually building something.
I started actually building something, obtaining the parts, modifying the parts, but stopped the build because I convinced myself that the item was no longer necessary.
I'm the opposite, do the easy part first, feel accomplished so it isn't hanging over your head. When the hard part takes longer, i get anxietiey like "and then i got this other thing to do after"
Every time I am in the shop. I can't recall anything I have made that I wasn't disappointed with in some aspect.
I learned to do the part I really hate and dread first. And I'll cuss my way through the whole process knowing that when I'm done my stress level will drop 90%.
Do some easy bit first to get moving and into flow state, then the hard part goes easier than trying to dive in head first to the hard parts.
I spent 40+ years as co-owner of a costume shop, and my main job was pattern making and cutting. A hard lesson learned over the years was to take the time to cut ONE and make a sample to make sure it fits / works THEN cut the rest - what ever number that may be. I've had cases where there was not an issue with the size or pattern, but with what some manufactuering processes can do to fabric... like applying steam when pressing that shrinks the fabric. For ex: I once had that happen where I cut out dozens of Civil War uniforms from a wool that was never treated, and as soon as we started pressing seams open the fabric was shrinking.... like REALLY shrinking. We had to scrap what was cut and had to order some other fabric and recut. Of course we were then behind the 8-ball with time. BTW... over time we ended putting the shrinking jackets together and washing them. What were like a mens size 48 were now a large boys size. 🙂
You were just going for historical accuracy with respect to people's sizes!
Adam I have watched you since I was a kid, Mythbusters was always the first show on the TV for my brother and I. I can't tell you how awesome and helpful this video is for me right now!!!❤🎉😊
A phrase I love:
You can either say: OMG, what an idiot I was!
or you can remain that idiot.
I do my best work with a team. Doesn't matter if I lead the team or not, but I seem to to much better if I have people around me, and depending on the work I'm doing. Then I can do what I am good at because the others in the team do what they are good at.
ADHD and burnout is no joke tho. Sometimes the most important thing to do when you have to deliver and have adhd is to sit down and rest for a while. Some have voices - I hate thos voices - telling you you're not good enough. It's important to see where your limits are, and where you want to improve. But that's not what I'm talking about. Knowing that one is good enough as a human
If the "hard part" seems hard enough that it discourages you from even starting, it's totally fine to do the easy part first to gain momentum.
Hi from the uk
I have worked in engineering all of my life and have seen people not offered a job just because they have a better qualification than the engineer doing the hiring, I'm an old git now and welcome working with a fresh new mind because there is always an opportunity learn and that learning is bidirectional.
The Adam mannequin in the back ground looks like something out of the band Kraftwerk
For me its do 1 or 2 easy ones to start, to get warmed up get the brain juices flowing. Make any adjustments needed. Then do the hard part and work down from there. Saving easy things for off days like Mondays or days I know im not at 100%.
Ask yourself the question: "Am I suffering from Dunning-Kruger right now?"
If you haven't heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect, look it up on wikipedia!
It is essentially the sociological concept that people with low competence in a given field, overestimate their competence in that field; because they lack the skills to correctly estimate their own competence. I have been there for sure and learned the hard way. Sometimes it is the ONLY way to learn.
But if you are aware of this concept then you can ask yourself the question: "Am I suffering from Dunning Kruger right now?"
@@futurecaredesign It's amazing how many experts there are on the Dunning-Kruger effect after spending 5 minutes reading about it on Wikipedia. But the more I find out about it, the more I have my doubts. ;-)
I think professionalism really stems with detail of a mentor. Everyone needs more opinions to help them appreciate the level they are working. Equally, poor mentors will answer their student's direct question rather than answering the question you know they should be asking. The student should never be blamed for asking the wrong questions, that is crux of mentoring. Lots of people want to run before they can walk and that is human nature. To hold them back is just frustrating. Instead, focus their desire for knowledge in a positive and engaging way the student doesn't yet understand they need and allow them to take ownership and see their base knowledge expand in a way they don't expect.
You're still a SAVAGE Adam
I like to do the difficult part first and get it out of the way then I can get the easy stuff done without to many problems
Remembering all the post-it notes around my computer crt.. lists do help
I’ve always said, if you want to piss me off, make me do something twice. Especially if it’s of no fault of my own. The worst.
This episode really speaks to a lot of us.
I always do the hard part first, as well, unless it's a new skill that I'll learn from the easier parts.
Generally the hard part is hard because it involves the most variables and the greatest likelihood of screwing up. So yeah, get that done first. Then you can set your watch by how long it'll take to do the rest.
I find that mistakes, or less than ideal work product can be an excellent lesson. If you consider it so.