I have this huge desire to learn programming but its stopped by me not being able to sit down and say “now its studying time” any advice is appreciated.

  • kglitch
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    1 year ago

    One of the limitations that people with Autism and ADHD often struggle with is that it is harder than average for them to imagine the future. Without that, it is more difficult to have a vision for oneself that is different from the present and consequently difficult to gain motivation to change. It’s a form of mental blindness that is very subtle until you notice it.

    Try to find ways to get really clear about the future. Define what your vision/goal is and then at the start of every day remind yourself what that is. You need physical reminders, in multiple places and forms. Objects that represent your goal, displayed in a prominent place in the home, pictures of the goal (or benefits of the achieving the goal) on your desk, a computer desktop background that is a collage of different facets of your future life, and so on.

    Make it impossible to forget how awesome your life will be if you make the decision right now to open your IDE and do 5 minutes of study/practice (which will hopefully trigger your hyperfixation and turn into an hour or more). Getting started is the hardest part.

    Find a way to hack your brain to make it do what you want.