Whats your current hyperfocus?

xkforce@lemmy.world to ADHD@lemmy.world – 103 points –

This week mine was homemade soda. Fermented sodas, citric acid + bicarbonate sodas, different juices and flavors like lime + lemon + cherry and pomegranate or mango peach or cola (homemade knock off)

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An entire fucking fantasy world that started about 4 months ago and now has evolved into a trilogy. I've been writing several stories of key moments working on my writing style. I've never written anything before.

do not read the comments in this thread if you want any hope of achieving anything today

Job search. Wish me luck!

I wish I could force internship applications as my hyperfocus right now. If I could pick what becomes hyperfocus (to a more specific degree) that would be a superpower.

Edit: good luck in your job search!

For the past two weeks it's been Legos. I always wanted to build big kits as a kid, but they're way way too expensive, even for me today now that I'm making decent money. Well lo and behold, there are tons of knockoff Lego manufacturers, many of whom will just sell you 100% ripped off sets for dirt cheap. I just put the final piece on the new Rivendell set today, and I'm going to start the millennium falcon UCS here soon. Unfortunately, it'll have to wait until my thumbs heal up from all the damage - placing tons of bricks really chews up the tips of your thumbs and index fingers

The damage to your digits might be due to the knockoffs. They are cheap and look like Lego, but Lego is still way ahead of them. Worth the extra money is debatable, but try grabbing even a cheaper Lego set to compare. The knockoffs haven't figured out the tolerances and possibly also haven't figured out the materials themselves, so pieces might take more force to place and still not sit as well.

You'd be surprised! I have a few smaller Lego sets (and I have tons of spare from childhood), and the quality of some knockoffs is basically identical to the real deal. Trust me when I say the knockoffs have figured it out in 2023. The real differentiator comes in packaging and quality control. It's not uncommon for a set to have a few missing or incorrect bricks, which you need to order or replace from your own collection. In the end ABS is ABS and this molding tech is literally 50+ years old; there's nothing holy about Legos process.

If you do a quick search you'll also find tons of people complaining about sore thumbs and fingers, particularly after putting together large sets. There's plenty to flame the knockoffs about, but this ain't it

Not at expert myself - but according to my sources including the German youtuber "Held der Steine" Lego is not the top quality brand. Sure the very cheap ones are likely worse, but e.g. the polish brand "cobi" has as far as I heard better quality (I mostly heard about the difference in colouring though).

Oh there’s an online auction like eBay just for Lego bricks. Edit to say you’ve probably figured that out by now lol my bad

Photography has got me pretty good. Specifically old interesting concrete, graffiti, decaying structures, that kind of thing. Been at it for a good while too, this is one I can hopefully string out to just become a long-term hobby!

I'm rooting for you, just don't fall too deep into the rabbithole that is vintage lenses^^
But if you do, here are my personal favourites:

  • Minolta MD Rokkor 50mm 1.4 (Or the 1.2, if you find one at a good price)
  • Pentacon Auto 50mm 1.8 Multi Coating
  • Helios 44-2 58mm 2.0

I imagine old lenses in general would work wonderfully with the motives you mentioned, with all their little quirks and design flaws that give the image extra character

Ha, that rabbit hole yawned right in front of me almost immediately! I’ve ended up with a few, but I’ve sort of stuck on a couple - the Helios 44-6, and a Helios 28mm that turns out to be a Tomioka in disguise (and about 1/5th the price!), and a Nikkor 50mm 1.2, and Nikkor 300mm. The 300mm especially is phenomenal, easily the nicest manual focus I’ve ever encountered, it’s a joy to use and takes absolutely awesome pics. There are a couple still itching at the edges of the irrational-craving container, but I think I’ve managed to rein the gear acquisition in, in general, and am trying to focus on composition, and learning FOSS editing tools like Darkroom.

Fountain pens and the band Talking Heads.

Whats your favorite one currently? I think mine is a new one, from Motor City Pens

I just got into them so I’m using Lamy Safari and China pens from AliExpress right now. Want to see if this lasts or passes before I sink some serious money into a good pen haha

Lamy safari is great! If you wanna try out bottle ink, look at the twsbi eco too. Same price range, real great writer

You can also buy a converter for your Safari that will let you use bottled ink. I have like 7 Safaris. Love them.

AI. For some reason I’m looking at taking a degree on it next year like I’ll still be interested then.

As someone who studied data science up until a year ago: Consider that carefully. The whole space is moving so ridiculously fast that half the stuff you learn will be outdated in 2 years.

If you want to get a job in the field right after getting that degree, it makes sense. But if you already know how to program, learning AI stuff for 2-3 months can also get you that job. It's quite a new field, so the requirements aren't formalized yet. That path would probably make more sense for ADHD.

Emulating Switch games on my phone. I've got a Switch, and I'm emulating the games that I own, but because it didn't immediately work on the phone, it's started that little obsession.

The most relatable thing is this thread.

And once you get them working flawlessly, you'll never play them again, right?

How did you know?! 🙈🤣

Because I just spent hours configuring and troubleshooting NixOS to make a perfect little Steam box for my TV.

Works great, feels like a game console. Couldn't ask for better.

Zero desire to actually play anything on it.

I always set things like this up fully expecting to actually use them. Somehow it just doesn't happen.

Building the LEGO set is more fun than playing with it when it's done.

And you know what? That's perfectly fine^^

That's a good analogy, I like Legos as well. Perhaps I am more of a builder and tinkerer than a player. Unless it's Cities Skylines, I play the shit out of that!

I had no idea that was even remotely plausible. Super cool.

It's plausible, but slow so far. I can get some of the games running, but slowly. Others crash, and I have no idea why

I got angry at my cell phone bill and started researching switching. But then it was time to go home from work, so I might be over it. if anyone has suggestions for wireless service, or something else that'll help me waste some time, throw them at me!

I went down that path about 2 years ago. Working from home and generally being a homebody, I'm basically on wifi all the time. I made the switch to Ting (from Sprint) and pay $15/mo, maybe $20 if I go over my 1GB data on 5G (I have alerts set up). It's not ideal if you drive a lot and stream music on Spotify or whatever (or if internet/power goes out), but if you literally have no life, don't go anywhere, and basically have nonstop wifi, Ting is pretty cool. It uses T-Mobile towers, so your mileage may vary. There's a few places it gets a little fucky, but it's been pretty reliable overall. I thought about looking into Mint recently, but decided not to even dive down that rabbit hole.

I was just looking at Mint, I'm kinda leaning that way, but I still have quite a bit to pay off on one of my phones, so the big question would be keeping that one on Verizon for a while and switching the others or just hold off.

I was able to shave a bit off my current bill by changing plans, but these new VZW plans really suck.

I’m quite happy with US Mobile. Runs on Verizon towers (I think there’s an option to do T-mobile instead?). We have 3 lines sharing 12 gb for $41.

Dragon Ball Z. I finally watched everything I missed as a kid, all the way to the end. Just started watching Super and the new animation is great, but I can see why people miss the old style.

Watching the silly Arale episode and the baseball episode, I don't think I've ever laughed so hard watching DBZ!! Highly recommended, if you haven't seen them!

I want to go back and start DBZ from the beginning, but my anime backlog is almost as bad as my video game backlog 😢. I'm currently trying to work through One Piece but I refuse to watch the dub, which means I need to give undivided attention 100% of the time, which is nigh impossible.

For DBZ however I think I'd be fine with the dub, since that's what I grew up with on Toonami!

If you wanna kill two birds with one stone (or maybe more likely just make both lists longer), DBZ Kakarot goes through the entire DBZ storyline. It's not as detailed as the anime or as funny as the abridged version, but it did satisfy me and I've only seen the anime up to around the start of the Android saga before watching super.

I'm currently trying to learn music theory. Finding it hard to concentrate at work because the pieces have finally just started falling into place in my monke brain and I'm sucking up as much content as I can find.

I'd like to compose stuff at some point for video games that I will eventually develop, but if nothing else I'm dying to be able to know why I like my favorite music other than "that part sounds good." There are too many "composer reacts" channels on YT and not enough people who truly break down the concepts. My favorites that I have found are 8-bit Music Theory and David Bennett.

Keep it up! A lot of people in music school struggle with Theory as well so doing it on your own and succeeding is quite the achievement.

Thank you for the encouragement! I had attempted this years ago and bounced off, but at this point I have a muse that gives me a huge surge of momentum (plus I've grown into a much more patient person when it comes to my own artistic expression). It's such an incredible feeling

that part sounds good

Then you have to ask why does it sound good?
Because it makes you feel a certain way.

Which way does it make you feel?
Happy/Sad/Powerful/Powerless etc

Why does it make you feel that way?

And so on and so forth. Try finding a few examples and compare what they all do similarly to achieve that same effect between them.

It's so rewarding to track things down on your own, and then you can complete the knowledge by watching videos on the topic.

Does that make sense? I never know if I articulated my thoughts in a way other people can actually understand

Also, check out DaveWaves' Explained in 2 minutes series

Why does it make you feel that way?

This is the one thing for which I want a concrete answer, and I feel like without the tools I'm currently gaining from these videos I can't really come to a satisfactory conclusion. Sometimes I'm able to find similarities between songs, like the same chord progression, or key signature, etc. but never the complete answer. I've come to the conclusion that I'll have to transcribe my favorite things and grind out the answers myself (I can also just search for the sheet music for some things, but I think I'd be doing my future self a disservice).

I agree though that it's one of the most fulfilling things to come to the conclusion on my own. I just need the right tools first! I'm no Beethoven after all 😁

Thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check it out!

The difference between a major and minor chord can do so much, add in tritones and you've already got quite the toolset to create very specific emotions.

You've got the weight of a sound to work with, a good example would be the soundtrack of Interstellar. Contrasting a meaningless and powerless humanity in form of simple melodies on a piano with the absolute might and unfathomable size of space, brought to life with a massive organ.

Soooo much good music. On another note, check out The Good, the Bad and the Ugly played by the Danish National Orchestra, their channel is called DR Koncerthuset. If that one part doesn't make you feel things, I don't know what will

Dude that's sick! Out of curiosity do you also play any instruments? I'm neurotypical but learning bass aswell as trumpet really made a bunch of theory stuff click for me

(Feel free to ignore this if it doesn't work ADHD wise) Also a quick note on composition- if you hear something in a song and go "oh that's a good idea" totally steal it, or a bit of it and repurpose it for your own songs. The best songs I've ever written were a bunch of cool bits from different songs and my own ideas. For example on a piece I'm just finishing I stole the chord progression from a j rock song I like (changed it a bit to make it better) and I stole a bunch of chord structures from a guitar solo, and stole a bit of the drum pattern for a bunch of different songs all mashed together. Robbery is cool

Hey fellow trumpet player! I played it for 7 years through middle and high school, and I even did jazz band in HS. I was third- then first chair in our top band, yet I still didn't learn anything deeper than musical notation and major scales... Things like the circle of fifths, modes, even chord progressions? I now know they're all pretty basic concepts, but back then they were a form of mysticism reserved for the gods of music. Thankfully all the basic stuff has stuck with me as if I never stopped playing, which has provided a priceless foundation. Oh, and very strong relative pitch!

I definitely plan to take ideas from here and there and evolve them, if only as homage to my composer heroes. Just as in game design, nothing is completely original anymore, and everyone "borrows" ideas all the time. Regarding drum patterns, definitely gonna tap into the works of Peart and Portnoy!

Thanks for the inspiration, by the way. It really helps keep the fire going!

I want to recommend Perfecto De Castro's guitar tutorial too. While he is teaching music theory for guitars, it helped me to understand some basics applicable to music in general as well.

Thanks for the rec! Not sure why someone downvoted you, but I was able to find his playlist with music theory concepts after some digging. I'll use this to supplement the rest of the material I've found.

Geology. I found a professor on youtube (Nick Zentner) who puts up lecture series and seminars. There are so many mysteries and amazing things to learn.

I just moved and won't have home internet until tuesday, so I downloaded his entire geology 101 to watch while unpacking.

I bought a gaming computer. I made spreadsheets comparing the parts and prices and everything.

This week: my depression.

Next week: probably the same.

The all too relatable negative feedback loop of self obsession whose only function seems to be to make me increasingly more depressed until the heat death of the universe. I'd say thank goodness for drugs except sometimes they make it even worse...

Ebikes. I'm in the middle of building one

I already have a pair of nice Road Bike and MTB, which I have neglected for a while. Now I want to buy a cheap MTB in OfferUp to convert using one of those bafangs wheel hub motors.

I don't need another bike, but it would be nice. Let me know of your progress/setup. I think I'll jump on buying once I find a good candidate.

The Walloon language! The historical and almost extinct language of the region I've been living in for some time but from which I don't really have ancestry (more from the other region of the country).

The language has a really bad reputation (it's supposedly rude, so different from city to city that it's useless to communicate, etc.) Almost nobody is left speaking it and the overwhelming majority thinks its good thing.

It's fascinating, there's a small group of people trying to standardize it. There's some drama because the other promoters of the language are academics who want to preserve the local varieties, the opposite to standardization.

Getting hold of my Elvanse medication

Have you tried other medication before? I wonder how it compares. I felt like Concerta didn't help me with a lot of the things I'd hoped it'd help with.

CALISTHENICS

i just achieved my first pretty clean free standing handstand pushup

i also just planched for like 2 seconds yesterday but i havent replicated

and i did 10 muscle ups in a row (8 strict 2 shitty) among some other fun stuff

Motorsport Manager. Incited a hyperfocus in me a lot like Paradox games always have.

Marvel Champions. Excellent game I can play solo or with friends. Tons to collect without feeling like I'm getting ripped off. And I weirdly enjoy organizing it while ignoring how messy my office and the rest of my house are.

All things AI. I've been hyper focused on LLMs, and stable diffusion, to the detriment of my work... I cannot focus on anything else right now, I go to sleep thinking about it, and I wake up thinking about it. Sometimes I wish I wasn't like this, but tbh, in the moment, I really don't care.

Control system design at work and workshop build at home. It's been a great week. Tell you what isn't hyperfocal, cooking, cleaning and taxes.

What kind of workshop are you building?

It's a former stable repurposed to be a flexible workspace. There is one large workbench on casters. Tool boxes, pillar drill, welder, etc, are all on casters. That way I can bring large objects into the room. I'm mostly making things from wood, steel and aluminium. Lately I made a loftbed from scaffold poles, pallets and road signs.

Stat Wars lore. I've been listening to so many playlists breaking down the history, politics, and economics of the SW universe.

lately I've been hoping between programming in Haskell and playing pathfinder with some friends. I also got into one piece a while ago and just a few days ago finished the Netflix series. I'm also procrastinating playing persona 5 the royale, even tho it may as well be one of my favorite videogames.

I have some many software projects and videogames pending (looking at you Disco Elysium). I've postponed so many activities from udemy courses (paid for by the company)

Computers. I know so much random stuff about them. That's why my friends ask me what to buy for their own.

Also reading about adhd on this community

Here's another random thing you should know: In the windows 11 explorer, you need to right click on the filename to get the proper menu. If you right click somewhere else on the line that isn't the filename text, it gives you the menu that is supposed to show up when you click on empty space.

Windows just isn't for ADHD people. There's so much crap you need to keep in mind to use it and every little thing is a distraction.

Thats why I use windows 10 and Linux at the moment. Xfce is pretty good IMO.

Same, but just at home unfortunately. Using windows for the occasional game that doesn't run properly on linux is fine, but actually engaging with OS stuff is just hell.

Today at work I spent an hour fixing onedrive and it turns out that the permissions for the root folder of onedrive are just fucked most of the time. Team microsoft's solution is to just put everything into the documents folder because that's usually fine.

I feel like windows specifically interferes hard with my ADHD because I keep thinking about this crap. My colleagues just deal with it and then do something else, but my brain keeps getting stuck on it. I'll sometimes even do stuff that would definitely work on linux just to test windows. Sometimes it feels like I actually learn something, but more often than not I just find another broken thing and get frustrated.

Today I even caught myself checking out the vscode-nvim extension just to use my mouse less but the setup for windows was two pages and the one for linux was like one command.

Now I'm looking for a different job and I hope they have proper tools. Not sure if I can bear much more microsoft crap.

Sorry for the rambling, in the middle of writing I just felt like I need to get this off my chest and kept going.

So I'm in school and we use ipads for some weird reason. And that iPad os shit is hell ro Use for productively. We need to use word and PowerPoint but most of the time I use the web version as they have the same interface as onlyoffice on my desktop.

And don't get me started on the inconsistencies in ios. Some apps looks realy good and works well together like the work office suite. Those are fantastic to use with touchscreens as they are optimized for it. But than we ms office. The apps have the same interface on all the apps but not the same as the desktop versions of them. I have used office since 2010 and the iPad apps just feels like the office apps before 2007.

Sorry if I was unclear with something and my rambling about ios.

ADHD and mental health in general. I just found out two weeks ago and now I'm binging Dr. K and whatever similar stuff youtube recommends.

I reckon it'll be a challenge to stay mindful of all that stuff when I find something new to hyperfocus on, but at least I know in advance this time.

My hyper focus is on a rotating cycle it seems, and I just switched from Mac to PC. And then I found this place. So I’ve been obsessing over FOSS alternatives to daily tools. Some of this list is obvious, but I had taken a break from experimenting with FOSS for a while due to work and the fact that a lot of FOSS products are harder for me to use. So I’m just seeing how much things have improved for my needs at least.

  • Reddit -> Lemmy
  • Twitter -> Mastodon
  • Discord -> Revolt (I can’t get signing up to work, but I hear good things?)
  • Spotify -> Nuclear
  • GitHub -> Codeberg
  • Serenade.ai for programming by voice (GREAT for pacing and working at the same time)
  • Microsoft Project - currently looking for something better than Project Libre UX wise

Omg thanks for giving me a safe space to word vomit. I needed that. 😭

This week I decided I was going to re-create the shared spreadsheet to my investment club portfolio, which quickly turned into writing a Python investment tracker

I've lost several nights to writing it so far, but it feels a little at the brink of disinterest now. There's only like a 5% chance I finish either the spreadsheet or the tracker at this point

--UPDATE--

I'm moved on to researching how car infotainment systems work and if it's possible to make your own. Guess it's just one of those weeks.

It is possible to make your own! You can use an old tablet, or even better a raspberry pi and touch screen. Then you add a hat with a better dac and send the audio to an amp. It's really cool, but I'm pretty sure just buying an actual aftermarket unit will get me a better unit for less money and much less work...

Those are a massive security problem if you connect them to the internet though because they never get updated and we tend to use them for much longer than any phone.

True, I was never going to do that though so it didn't matter for me. I just want a receiver for Android Auto and my phone will do all the connecting and thinking.