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Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

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Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#1

Post by annie_muss »

I am constantly coming up with new ideas. I read about a new language, a new framework, a new API and immediately I feel compelled to build something with it. I start planning the project, thinking up a design, a name. I set up the new codebase and feel completely consumed by this new project, even to the detriment of my day job.

After a few days or weeks I completely forget about it, having not really made any progress on the project and not having released anything.

Looking through my github I've done this nearly 100 times. Each time I feel like I'm really gonna finish and release something. I intentionally plan to have extremely minimal features, cut corners because this is just a first attempt and yet still it fizzles out.

How did you go from a chronic project starter to actually finishing and releasing projects? What can you do to keep your focus on one thing long enough to bring it to fruition?

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#3

Post by iefbr14 »

I have a lot of those unfinished projects too. I regard them as PoC's and that gives me a better feeling about it. If you want a better chance of finishing one them, then start with the parts that you regard as the least interesting and most tedious. If your initial enthousiasm survives that phase, the rest will be a lot easier.

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#4

Post by skipintro99 »

Write down your ideas somewhere, but force yourself to not start them right away.

If after a week, two weeks, or a month, you still feel the itch / need to start them, then you can start.

This helps me.

A lot of time, having the idea sit on a list and simmer in your brain may make you decide it's not worth it to pursue.

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#5

Post by jpalomaki »

One thing to try: Pick one idea. Book recurring time (does not have to be that long time) to work on the project. During that booked time, do something that pushes the project forward. Draw concrete UI diagrams, write real code, design a few database tables. Do not spend that time on "research".

Start by keeping those timeslots so short you must get to work quickly to finish at least one thing (artificial deadline looming there).

Finish each slot by writing a note about where to continue next. Or leave code broken or a unit test broken. Next time you come back, you should have something simple and obvious to start.

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#6

Post by Dalewyn »

Change your focus from how to instead what you are making.

Taking what you've said at face value, you don't have a clear idea what you are doing so it seems inevitable that you would "fizzle out". You don't have a goal, you are just wandering around aimlessly with your new tools of the week.

So stop making "something", try and go make a thing instead. Make a specific goal and strive towards it.

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#7

Post by hknmtt »

"After a few days or weeks" that is quite pathetic dedication. In my case, it's months and years. Even a decade for one project. The problem with you and me is that we like the creative part of problem-solving. We like to think about solutions. But once we figure it out, we are bored with it and want to move on to the next challenge. And there is nothing wrong with that, that's a role that not many fit and most prefer instructions to do their job. And it can be very lucrative role to play in the industry, if you have the skill and knowledge for big and mid tech companies. So my advice is to do that - become a part of a project where you will be the architect or hire people to help you materialize your projects. That way you take your creativity and problem-solving skills and join them with the skills of people who like to code by the book.

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#8

Post by mdp2021 »

There is plenty of literature, especially practical literature: an example can be "Eat that frog ... Stop procrastinating" from Brian Tracy. There are also related YT pieces, one sees from searching for "brian tracy procrastination".

Maybe you could benefit to refine your framework of practice (i.e., in a way, the "coaching" literature that spells out the beneficial attitudes)?

Because the direct reply would be "choice and discipline - you do things that you elected as priorities by actually doing them, "staying there" until satisfactory completion".

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#9

Post by blablabla123 »

Used to be the same for me and in a way it still is. It's nice though to have a long-term project to deep-dive into. The last time I started a longer term project, I've set myself some sort of deadline, if I can pass this critical problem to get a first proof-of-concept after a month or two I continue. So I had a hobby project for a few years.

Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything

#10

Post by nerdchum »

You quit right when it gets difficult whether through fear of failure or laziness or not having a skill set or some internal flaw you have.

Hard work is painful. Don't expect accomplishing things to be fun. Sometimes instead of asking people online how to do hard work you just need to conquer the demon inside you and do the hard work.

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