No follow through with interests?

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Does anyone have a problem with following through with your special interests? It drives me crazy sometimes because I'll get super excited about some new project or area of study but then drop off with it. I still want to learn about it, but I just can't seem to focus on it after awhile. I think part of the reason is I just have so many things I want to learn about and I'm super super excited about all of them that I can't just pick one to focus on 100%, so I end up focusing 20% on 5 different things at once. I know I can focus 100%, because I've done so with some subjects that I'm completely passionate about (mainly my language studies in school), I just can't seem to for most things. Anyone else learn how to handle this?

~K

For me, it's really a matter of managing anxiety. The only time I have a hard time engaging in a special interest is when I am too anxious. That's why I'm trying so hard right now to break away from WP (one of the last things I can really do when super anxious) and make myself go down to the park where I can possibly write.

I'm the same way. I currently have a costume I'm making, and super excited to make, but for the life of me, I can't find the motivation to actually *do it* because I have so many other things asking for my attention. I tend to complete things at the last possible second, as a result (like I need the costume in exactly one week, and it's not even half done yet)

My mom was also that way. (I believe she had AS, as well) She would buy things for and start a ton of projects, and just never finish them, or take years to finish them.

I think the answer for me is making a set schedule to work on things, like 1 hour for one project (more if you get really in to it) then take a break and indulge another interest, etc. It also helps, for me, to have some show about something I'm interested, like a nature documentary, or foreign music -I'm studying 3 languages in school, currently- playing in the background, because then I can sort of indulge 2 interests at once. I also find that it helps to give myself a LOT of time to work on bigger projects, that way when I get bored or frustrated, there's always tomorrow, Like I always start my costumes 6 mths in advance of when I need them, because I know I'm not going to get it done in one sitting.

Wow, how's that going? I took three languages my last semester of school and had to drop one after about a month. It was just too crazy, and I only actually needed one of them.

I've noticed I tend to be more scatterbrained when I'm stressed. Maybe I could try to take away certain distractions or stressors when I know I need to concentrate on something, like what you said Rebel, to get away from the computer and go somewhere else to focus. I used to just blast my music to try to get more isolated feeling but I don't think my ears would appreciate me doing thay anymore!

~K

Not bad, actually. I have a passion and knack for languages, and want to be a multilingual translator/interpreter with at least 4 languages to semi-fluency, and 4 to complete fluency, and since I am taking completely different language types (Spanish, Japanese and Russian, all with unique alphabets and pronunciation/grammar) keeping them separate is actually pretty easy for me. I also technically only need one for a degree, but the whole reason I'm going to school is for the languages, not the degree, which I could care less about, and which my potential employers won't care about as long as I know my stuff.

Impressive. I was a classical languages major, and I've had a little French, German, Russian and ASL (ok, and Quenya Elvish) none of which I spent enough time on to remember much of (except the Greek and Latin). I'd like to teach ESL some day, so I'm taking Spanish this fall since I figure I need at least one spoken language. It's nice to find another language lover

-K

I do this also.

By accident I've found that the Pause Point is because of some inhibitor of the next step, or its followup.
- Like, a hole in my planning because I'm not sure exactly how to plan that part. I'm uncomfortable with 'winging it', but can't have experience until after winging it.
- Or the next step really kinda needs a buncha research but it's boring.
- Or I need to ask someone to help but. . . you know.
- Or it really does need something done first that seems -probably- impossible, and I could 'theoretically' work around it, but, (unconsciously) I pause in case a better answer happens to pop up.
- Or the next step needs a wad of cash thrown at it to do it right and I'm not liquid enough for the full amount.
- Or something else becomes subtly more emergent.

For some reason I start to get low background anxiety about some inhibitor.
When I finally find the reason, and resolve it, my enthusiasm immediately rockets again.

If getting it done *becomes an emergency itself, well, that helps overcome the anxiety of the inhibitor (sometimes) and I can complete, though unsatisfactorily.
In the business world it's called *'Emergency Management'.

For me, the inhibitor is always tough. Tough to find and/or tough to resolve.
Which is kind of a 'duh statement', because otherwise it wouldn't have inhibited me.



Edited for a ,

Last edited by 1401b on 26 Jun 2012, 12:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Yes. I bought everything I need to make some awesome jumpers for my daughters. It's all there, waiting. I read the instructions and studied the pattern and know EXACTLY how to do it and how long it will take me and what stitches to use for what part. I know where the elastic goes and exactly what setting I'll need for the button holer. Everything is ready. Everything has been ready for 3 weeks. I still don't seem to have any completed jumpers. Despite the fact I think about it every. Single. Night. I try to pick things I HAVE to follow through on like holloween costumes. I HAVE to finish those and there is a deadline, that way at least I didn't waste money.

Wow, am I on the wrong thread.
I usually consider English as my Second language and I don't have a first. =/

That's actually more insightful then you might think; I never thought about it that way. I generally lose a lot of interest in my activities when I don't have the right materials, or don't know the best way to do something.

Fortunately, my favorite part of doing things is planning them, so I don't mind spending a lot of time trying to come up with creative solutions to my problems.

(On a related side note, if you ever want help, I'm a fountain of creative solutions to tricky problems, and I'd be more then happy to assist if I can ^_^)

"Don't tempt me," He says in a mostly non-innuendo way.



Edited to add -mostly- after glancing her pic. . .

Last edited by 1401b on 26 Jun 2012, 1:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I love that you learned Elvish ^_^ My sister (non-AS but with issues of some sort) taught herself Klingon.

In middle school, I took French for a year, and did poorly until my teacher let me work ahead of the class, then I got straight A grades. Strangely, even though I don't use it, and didn't learn much of it (and it was..... 13 years ago?) I still remember almost everything I learned, which tends to cause small problems with Spanish, as I'm constantly tempted to substitute French words for the Spanish.

My ideal goal is to be able to read or hear something in a language I consider "foreign" (not English), and be able to translate it directly to another language I consider foreign without using English as a medium, at the same time translating it to ASL. Really this is just because I want to see if I can, and it would be really cool. ^_^

It's tough to find people who actually love languages, and aren't just learning because they feel they "have to". I've run into the same problem : (

I'm entirely serious, actually. I really enjoy helping people solve problems like that ^_^ Even if I don't know anything about what's usually done for things, I love doing research and coming up with easier/more practical alternatives. My motto in life is "Don't buy it if you can make it yourself with a reasonable amount of ease and dedication."

Nice =)
I've had to come up with, 'just because I can, does that mean I should?' just to try to slow myself down. heh.

I actually will think about your offer, because I am a bit stuck atm.
If I can come up with a concise summary I may just PM you w/it.

. . .
oh yeah, socially speaking I think I'm supposed to say something here, like thanks for the offer.

ahem,
Thanks for the offer.

and I even mean it. =)

Last night I had an interesting dream about me being in love with a gay Persian expatriate. When I woke up I thought it'd make a good short story so I wrote the basic outline down. Will I take this short story to completion? I sure hope so, considering my history of leaving my special interests hanging sometimes.

Sounds like a plan, even if it's verbose or incomplete, I don't mind, that's what questions are for ^_^

(also, I'd like to make a note that this offer is open to anyone, any time; I like feeling useful)