[jemka]

Although I think you're baiting, I'll bite.

I really enjoy eating, but if I'm caught up in something I don't always remember to do it. Sometimes I'll go hours past my regularly scheduled meal times. Then I'm sitting at my desk wondering (only for a short time) why my stomach hurts. Oh ya, food.

While this is a extreme example, the logic still applies to coding/writing or anything else. Sometimes the tasks you should do are side tracked by other tasks. And if you're deep in thought, you might not have the internal alarm to switch to something more of a priority. Hence external alarms.

[alaskamiller]

I don't think that's the right metaphor.

In the process of eating you have access to many choices. You have good food, you have junk food, and you have bad food.

Some people lack self control and discipline so they end up eating more junk food and bad food than good.

Same goes for the process of productivity. You have work, distractions, and hinderances.

If this is what you need to build up a habit of self control, then good for you. If not whatever.

But it also somewhat true. If I love music I would be playing my guitar every single day. Being a rockstar is sometimes both incidental and consequential.

[jemka]

My example doesn't mention making a choice of what to eat, only becoming "aware" that one is hungry (needs to eat). The joy of eating (independent of choice) has little to do with recognizing that it's time to eat. Likewise, the joy or writing/programming has little to do with identifying and prioritizing those tasks efficiently.

I could have said it simpler by stating that one would be foolish to rely on emotions to schedule his/her day.

[benthumb]

It's interesting you bring up food. Everything goes much more smoothly when I'm fasting: I'm way more focused, and the problems that do crop up, I feel I'm able to negotiate more effectively. I tend to look at it as a kind of perverse karmic trade-off, but that's just me...

[lawn]

Let me just counter that with my experience. I can focus better and I get things done much better when eat regulary and when I eat well (no fast food, not too much fat etc). If I eat to late or if I only eat a sandwich for breakfast the whole day can become ruined and if I completely skip a meal I'll be worse off for a day or two.

But that's just me.

[mdm_]

I experience this too. The period when I arrive at work before I've eaten anything is usually my most focused. I feel calm and I would describe my mind as "quiet". Once I eat, it's like everything gets noisy and I have a really difficult time concentrating for longer than about a minute on anything.