Thread: Help with Personal Problem...

  1. #1
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    Help with Personal Problem...

    At the beginning of anything i decide to do, i have a lot of energy and enthusiasm, like when i come up with a new game that i want to program, for example.

    the first few days are spent almost entirely on the project that i have set for myself. i cant even imagine wanting to do anything except that particular project.

    then, as suddenly as it came to me, my energy disappears. i begin putting off working on my project and eventually have a hard time getting back to it. this happens with everything i do. i wanted to be a writer at one time, and managed to write a few short stories. i began a novel and got about 30-40 pages into it and lost all interest.

    i guess what im getting at is, does anyone here suffer from this problem? and if so, do you know of any way to cope with it? I have heard that it has to do with my personality type (INTP for those familiar with meyers-briggs personality types). its frankly ruining my life and keeping me from doing anything worthwhile...[
    Last edited by ...; 11-23-2002 at 07:09 PM.
    I came up with a cool phrase to put down here, but i forgot it...

  2. #2
    End Of Line Hammer's Avatar
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    Yeah, I have similar troubles. I start coding something I think will be great, get 95% of it done, and never actually implement it. This is in my personal coding, in my job, I have to complete it....

    Ways round this..? Don't bite off more than you can chew I suppose. Do a few smaller projects that are easy to complete and build up a thirst for actually finishing things. Hey, I don't know really, I'm almost as stuck as you

    Oh yer, meyers-briggs, I'm an INTJ, IIRC. It was a few years ago I did it, but I think thats what I am.
    When all else fails, read the instructions.
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  3. #3
    Confused Magos's Avatar
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    Happens to me too. I have millions of unfinished projects, which all seemed really great and fun when I started but at some point I lost all interest in continuing with it...
    MagosX.com

    Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.
    Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

  4. #4
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    i just realized after reading that webpage that i have the same personality type as mary kate and ashley olsen :-\
    I came up with a cool phrase to put down here, but i forgot it...

  5. #5
    CIS and business major
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    It's called not having inspiration to finish a product

    I was talking to a guy that was writing a completely secure instant messaging system, that him and his friend were working on. They spent a long time on it, just to give up and quit.

    He said, (not his exact words, but...)"If I was getting paid to do this, I would've finished it!"

    Maybe that's the problem...? I guess Hammer's words summed it up...

    Or I should say, you're not the only with this problem!

    Anyways, if you have a lot of unfinished code, try putting it on the net in the public domain. Others might have some use for it
    Last edited by Terrance; 11-23-2002 at 07:43 PM.

  6. #6
    Refugee face_master's Avatar
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    I get bored after I have a problem in the code I cant fix. Some ideas (like my windows program that imitates the command line or my program that responded to user input like a conversation) just got boring after they were finished, so I never expanded them to make them better.

  7. #7
    Skunkmeister Stoned_Coder's Avatar
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    As an INTJ person myself I find I dont have this trouble. I have more the problem where I code too much and when I should be spending time with wife I'm actually coding.
    Free the weed!! Class B to class C is not good enough!!
    And the FAQ is here :- http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/smartfaq.cgi

  8. #8
    Shadow12345
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    Dude, we all have those problems, YOU AREN'T ALONE!!! Just remember that you don't absolutely HAVE to be interested ALL of the time.

    I wish you had told us more about your problem, i.e do you feel like you HAVE to be interested all the time, that if you aren't highly motivated that you aren't a good programmer or something? Or are you feeling overwhelmed, that maybe you have some cool ideas you would like to implement, but you feel overwhelmed because the ideas are too much to take on at once?

    I want to help you because I used to feel the exact same way. I don't think there is any easy cure because ultimately you are the one who has to end up doing the work. With that said and done I think we can give you tips that could change your thinking about programming and maybe make you more motivated.

  9. #9
    Guest Sebastiani's Avatar
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    Energy is very important. The best way to conserve it i think is to keep expectations reasonably low. I do have a lot of unfinished projects, but mainly because I cannot help it. I'm addicted! That's my problem!

    Anyway, I'm lucky to have been raised by such an energetic father. We had a machine shop that cranked out all sorts of parts and the like and let me tell you, that man was happy working all day! He always had time for you, but only so long as he could do so while inspecting a valve or something!

    On the other hand, sometimes I just feel exausted because I won't rest my mind in bed, and won't stop thinking about work even when I'm having dinner! I always seem to tell myself that "One Of These Days(tm)" I'm going to spend a good year or so just living life!
    Code:
    #include <cmath>
    #include <complex>
    bool euler_flip(bool value)
    {
        return std::pow
        (
            std::complex<float>(std::exp(1.0)), 
            std::complex<float>(0, 1) 
            * std::complex<float>(std::atan(1.0)
            *(1 << (value + 2)))
        ).real() < 0;
    }

  10. #10
    Unleashed
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    > Happens to me too.
    Count me in too.

    Although, it seems to only be with code that's redundant. Smaller programming projects that feature a wide-vareity of functions that aren't a mile long are far more interesting. I think it's the interesting, and fun part that keeps you in the game. The miles of tedious, and long code are what burns you out.

    It only happens to me with coding because often enough it's a long process that's tiring.

    I've done alot of other time consuming non-programming projects, but they were all several steps of different things. Most of those were completed.

    Redundancy is a compete turn off to the gifted, smart, and knowledge seeker. I think you might just be the type of person who wants to be challenged and keep learning new skills.
    The world is waiting. I must leave you now.

  11. #11
    Refugee face_master's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Sebastiani
    Energy is very important. The best way to conserve it i think is to keep expectations reasonably low. I do have a lot of unfinished projects, but mainly because I cannot help it. I'm addicted! That's my problem!

    Anyway, I'm lucky to have been raised by such an energetic father. We had a machine shop that cranked out all sorts of parts and the like and let me tell you, that man was happy working all day! He always had time for you, but only so long as he could do so while inspecting a valve or something!

    On the other hand, sometimes I just feel exausted because I won't rest my mind in bed, and won't stop thinking about work even when I'm having dinner! I always seem to tell myself that "One Of These Days(tm)" I'm going to spend a good year or so just living life!
    Wait, didn't you say your parents were hippies or somethin?

    [Towlie]Wanna get high?[/Towlie]

  12. #12
    Guest Sebastiani's Avatar
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    Not all hippies were lazy, yknow. The main thing that annoyed me about that was their goofy views, permissiveness, and yes, drug culture. But they are good people, and quite productive.
    Code:
    #include <cmath>
    #include <complex>
    bool euler_flip(bool value)
    {
        return std::pow
        (
            std::complex<float>(std::exp(1.0)), 
            std::complex<float>(0, 1) 
            * std::complex<float>(std::atan(1.0)
            *(1 << (value + 2)))
        ).real() < 0;
    }

  13. #13
    Refugee face_master's Avatar
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    [Towlie]Wanna get high?[/Towlie]

  14. #14
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    i kind of have the same problem as well especially when im sitting at school wishing i could just go home and play starcraft for a couple hours. star craft sure is fun. but getting back to your problem i sometimes that trouble, and ive done the writing thing too. i have several unfinished things at home. i just get started and then suddendly quit wor.............
    yum, yum potatoes!!!!!

  15. #15
    Hidoi Ryuujin
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    I seem to also have this problem. Lately I've been starting on second, third, eightieth... times through various rpgs and after about ten hours in, I just lose all interest. (Note that ten hour or less games cause this sooner).

    [edit]After looking at the personality type link, I'd have to say that intp sounds a hell of a lot like me.[/edit]
    Last edited by deathstryke; 11-25-2002 at 09:37 AM.
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