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Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

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Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#101

Post by tpeo »

weinzierl wrote: post #97
y0y wrote: post #54

Do you often show up to work late? Are you seen as generally unreliable? (Be honest with yourself.) Do you procrastinate a lot? Do you have a hard time transitioning? Are you late for things because you a) can't accurately estimate time and b) can't pull yourself away from the thing you're doing at that moment even though you know you're going to be late if you don't? Do you have a very unstructured sleep schedule? D…

Serious question: How is the following quoted paragraph linked to ADHD? Do you have a hard time transitioning? Are you late for things because you a) can't accurately estimate time and b) can't pull yourself away from the thing you're doing at that moment even though you know you're going to be late if you don't? Sounds more like extreme focus. Isn't this the exact opposite of ADHD?

Extreme but contingent focus can actually be a symptom of ADHD.

http://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/adhd-symptoms-hyperfoc...

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#102

Post by neya »

tudorw wrote: post #95

Hunter or farmer? The hunter seeks new challenges, is less risk adverse, needs to be good at responding to the unknown and seeks the thrill of the pursuit and catch. The farmer is more risk adverse and has the patience and diligence to gain satisfaction from seeing plans develop, mature and deliver results. For me, while a definition of ADHD delivered by someone trained in identifying personality traits might be usef…

Good advice. Thank you :)

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#103

Post by badpenny »

jng wrote: post #99

Fixing that may take a long time, but it will probably fix your whole life, so it's worth it to just focus on this instead on software or work. Dedicate to work only the minimum necessary time for survival. There are probably a number of causes, but coffee may be one of them. Don't be radical, but if you're having too much coffee, I'd suggest cutting down to just one coffee in the morning. It will take a bit of effor…

There are probably a number of causes, but coffee may be one of them. Don't be radical, but if you're having too much coffee, I'd suggest cutting down to just one coffee in the morning. It will take a bit of effort but may help you concentrate.

I'd suggest gradually cutting down to none. Apparently the alertness and general cognitive enhancing properties of caffeine don't really exist and all that people are noticing is the effect of the caffeine on their caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#104

Post by angdis »

I have some similarities with you. 8 full-time jobs in 15 years all after a 9 year stint in graduate school where I quit a PHD program. I also crave trying new things even when they're risky, much to the horror of the people I work with (I'm in manufacturing, so I deal with operations and supply-chain people everyday).

You cannot "cure" what you find motivating. Just learn to live with it and perhaps force yourself to take longer "tours of duty" in jobs. Consecutive jobs held less than 1 year is universally considered a red flag by employers, as is getting fired. Engagements lasting 2 years in fast-paced industries are generally OK. If you're good at what you do you can probably control your urge to quit for a bit longer and do enough to not get fired. 2 years is not a long time and if you're able to do other things besides work, it can be a great advantage to have a job while exploring new things.

Another thing to consider is your life outside of work and your relationships with family or a significant other. If you're defining yourself strictly through work and ignoring the role you play in the lives of others, you're going experience some profound disappointments. In other words, perhaps your career decisions aren't really the root cause of your turmoil-- perhaps it is something far more personal? In that case nothing you do related to work will resolve your issues. YMMV-- just a thought to consider.

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#105

Post by atemerev »

jng wrote: post #99

Fixing that may take a long time, but it will probably fix your whole life, so it's worth it to just focus on this instead on software or work. Dedicate to work only the minimum necessary time for survival. There are probably a number of causes, but coffee may be one of them. Don't be radical, but if you're having too much coffee, I'd suggest cutting down to just one coffee in the morning. It will take a bit of effor…

Looks like a great advice, thank you.

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#106

Post by atemerev »

randomacct1234 wrote: post #100
atemerev wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are not any bootcamps like that in Switzerland. Probably a good idea to organize one and hope I don't fail in organization minutiae again. :)

While reading this I wondered in what country you life. If it has more to do with the expectations from the people around you. I quite given up a so called regular life. I'm very interested in new stuff too (although I'm able to get through some boredom) and even start to appreciate this side of myself. I probably never will be the best in anything, but I never was anyway, so in the end it's for me just what I enjoy.…

Will be happy to partner with (or just talk to) locals. My email is sorhed at gmail.

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#107

Post by atemerev »

lordnacho wrote: post #91
atemerev wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I own a one-man consulting company, through which I am doing some contract work (mostly in algo trading / finance, and yes, I do realize that poor financial software engineer sounds like a joke, which I am). But finding new customers and _especially_ managing the administrative side of this business is getting increasingly harder for me. I do see therapist occasionally, but it is quite expensive (especially given my…

Hey, you're in Switzerland? Near ZH? I'm doing something similar to you, multiple irons in the fire. Maybe we could meet up?

In Geneva, but I visit Zurich occasionally. My email is sorhed at gmail, I'd be happy to hear from you.

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#108

Post by duncanawoods »

I have found people like you really useful to know because you have had contact with such a broad range of techs that when I have a problem, I can quiz you and get some killer pointers for where to look next.

I wouldn't want you to change, just to find your place in the world and satisfaction in being naturally you. Its like you have pockets full of keys and really good at finding new keys just no locks to use them with. There are other people who have the opposite problem and have locks they obsess over but find looking for keys exhausting, frustrating and confusing. You can be a force multiplier for them.

One idea, if you wrote a blog about each new thing you try, you accidentally create something "you stick with" because its about all the things you are not sticking with :) When your attention moves on, its not a failure any more because each article is a success. Documenting what you are doing might also let you spot some patterns that take you to the next level.

I wonder if you might find teaching \ training a rewarding occupation. Keeping up with continually moving tech and having a breadth of knowledge might make you excellent at that.

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#109

Post by keithpeter »

atemerev wrote: post #70
colordrops wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting. My answer is an emphatic yes to all of those questions. In the back of my mind I've always suspected that I would be diagnosed with ADHD, but never talked to anyone about it. In the end I just chalked it up to being a different kind of person and catered my life around my behaviors instead of trying to force my behaviors into some ideal notion. Looking back at the age of 40, my life has been much richer…

OP here — I am on treatment now, including medication. Didn't help me strategically, but it was worth it being diagnosed nevertheless. At least, medications helped me stopping losing things.

That $50K hole needs filling next I think.

Just a suggestion from an outsider (I'm not a programmer). What is your 'time constant' (like an RC circuit) in terms of getting bored? You mentioned a month up the screen. Can you get contract work on tiny projects that last less time than your 'time constant' and thus generate some income and give yourself time to see how the treatment goes?

Re: Ask HN: Novelty addiction is ruining my life and career. What should I do?

#110

Post by i336_ »

innertracks wrote: post #46

I can relate I think. Whether you need a cure or not is probably a question for you and a therapist. Ask about sliding fee scales and other options. My story and maybe something for you to explore. I never held a job longer than 24 months when I was younger. Not being able to figure out a career direction and trying to get some direction in 2000 I sought testing at a great organization called Johnson O'Connor Researc…

I agree with hanniabu that this should be higher up, this is definitely the kind of thing I come to HN for.

I'm definitely going to have to follow up on aptitude testing! I reckon I fit the description of sled dogs to a tee; I actually have absolutely tragic committal issues and I wonder if that might be the cause.

Link to website for Johnson O'Connor: http://www.jocrf.org/

Testing is apparently $675, $750 in NY.

FYI, this particular group doesn't franchise outside of Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D. C. - and sadly I'm in Australia.

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