This is called undiagnosed ADHD.
Not every bad approach is some illness to pop pills about. Terrible comments
Nobody said to pop pills.
Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
31–40 of 174 posts
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#32I have the same thing, but it goes away after I launch something. So I always went from idea to launch in max 2 weeks, otherwise I know I won’t execute.
But what worked even better; having employees. Seems as a product manager (of multiple products), I don’t have this issue at all. I only have it if I am coding.
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#33Be patient... but not it the way you think of.
I started putting things on GitHub in 2012, and as of today, I have 55 repositories there. About 10 of them have releases. Exactly two of these releases are actually used by other people. The other 53 are experiments never has been or never meant to be finished.
However! This year I finished a book called Geometry for Programmers (and I'm proud of it so here's the link: https://www.manning.com/books/geometry-for-programmers). The game my brother and I started in 2009 was a failure sales-wise, but a pair of algorithms from it became a nice addition to chapter 8. The unfinished app that flattens curvy photos I made for my father back in 2013 became chapter 7. The thing that undoes projection I wrote for myself in 2012 - chapter 4.
Patience and persistence required to finish things come with age whether you want it or not. You're probably still at this magical phase of your life where you are allowed and expected to try new things with no tangible gain in sight, and that's great! Enjoy it! It's like planting lots of random seeds not expecting all of them to grow or bear fruit. Don't worry, the time to gather the harvest will come.
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#34That is a trait of ADHD. Hyperfocus until you find the next thing to hyperfocus on and then completely forget about the previous one. The best way to deal with it* IMHO is to have a long term goal - and a reason why you want to achieve it. The reason should be chosen so that it motivates you to continue with the project. If you cannot think of a good one that will meet that requirement, then consider switching to a p…
If this behavior is due to ADHD, then the best way to deal with it is to get diagnosed and then medicated, as medication is a really effective treatment.
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#35Stop having new ideas.
It sounds strange, but as long as you keep loving the idea that you constantly come up with new ideas, you will continue to do so, and the new ideas will distract you from the current project(s). Ideas always sound and feel a lot better in your head than when you're developing them. They are, in many ways, siren's calls.
You new ideas may be either (1) truly unique new things worth pursuing, or (2) rehashes of existing ideas where what sounds cool is shaping them to your taste and liking, or (3) just plain bad ideas. When you are already embarked in a project, the only reason to look for a new idea is if it's substantially better than the one you're already working on, i.e. if you're working on a (3) and you get a (2), or you're working on a (2) and you get a (1). Without being experienced and/or exceptional, you will almost never have a (1). And if you have a (3), you're probably better off not starting it beyond a weekend jam project. So you will almost always be working on a (2) and at best you would switch to another (2). Nope, looking for and having another (2) idea is not worth it.
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#36Create an achievable task list using INVEST criteria
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#37Stop having new ideas. It sounds strange, but as long as you keep loving the idea that you constantly come up with new ideas, you will continue to do so, and the new ideas will distract you from the current project(s). Ideas always sound and feel a lot better in your head than when you're developing them. They are, in many ways, siren's calls. You new ideas may be either (1) truly unique new things worth pursuing, or…
Or prioritize your ideas and discard the rest, use INVEST
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#38Focus on really short term projects first. Get those done before committing to larger projects.
If it is a large project, find a way to break it down in pieces you can call done, that can stand by themselves. e.g. MVP, service, etc.
At the end of the day, you're going to need discipline to ask yourself whether the project is dead because it turned out to be a bad idea, or whether the easy part is done and now you're in the deep pit of work that has to happen and are being lazy. Discipline is the only thing that will get you through that slog.
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#39That is a trait of ADHD. Hyperfocus until you find the next thing to hyperfocus on and then completely forget about the previous one. The best way to deal with it* IMHO is to have a long term goal - and a reason why you want to achieve it. The reason should be chosen so that it motivates you to continue with the project. If you cannot think of a good one that will meet that requirement, then consider switching to a p…
That's a very rash assumption. I'd go easy on diagnosing people with ADHD based on 4 paragraphs when it can be explained with either unrealistic expectations or lack of discipline.
I'm not saying it's not ADHD, I'm saying it's a risky thing to imply it.
Re: Ask HN: I am overflowing with ideas but never finish anything
#40I recommend spending more time time to plan and explore your idea or project before doing anything. As if you were considering it as a potential business. Even if it's just a personal project, think about the time and money you'll need to invest, and the benefits and value it will provide. Think on why you should prioritize this over other tasks or existing projects. Most importantly, sleep on it. Get away from it and do something else. Spend at least a couple of days on and off planning it. Outline and prioritize features and tasks. Decide on the most important ones and define the MVP.
If, after this planning process, you still feel motivated to pursue the project, go ahead! By now you should have a good reason and motivation to do it. Focus on finishing a simple MVP quickly and then iteratively improve it. This will give you the satisfaction of having a functioning product.