Your attention-span and your projects

[Ratmaster]

I have learned over time that I can never really stay attached to an online project without finding out something new to do. Eventually I start up the next project and I gradually stop updating my older project. What I am really talking about is websites. I find myself either closing the older website and either giving it away or selling it. If I am really attached to something, I may work on it for 6 months and give up afterwords.

I was wondering if anyone else has this problem and what they do to cope with it?

I know some of you may say something like "clear your mind" or "focus on your goal", but I don't believe that really helps (maybe not me anyway) because it really is to vague. I have ADHD and I find it hard to try to stick to one website project. I want to know if anyone has any other, maybe odd, ways to cope with that problem.

Thanks.

 

[enlytend]

I wouldn't shut the old sites down - let them sit there, someday you'll have a fresh idea for something to add and go back to them.

Stick to sites that don't need a lot of care and feeding. "Evergeen" topics (things that never really change, like "how to" topics), seasonal sites (update once a year)...

Make lists ... and use them!

Make a deal with yourself that you're going to do something you AREN'T motivated to do every day BEFORE you can do anything on the project you WANT to work on. That way, the fun task becomes your "reward" for doing the not-so-fun task. Like getting to have dessert after you finishyour broccoli .

 

[Barrucadu]

As a project nears completion, my interest decreases exponentially. I don't make things for clients, or to sell, and so once the difficult bits are done, the fun of developing is over.

 

[Ratmaster]

@enlytend - Wow, that is the best answer I have gotten to this question yet. The reason I had shut the sites down was because I had bought a domain for them and it would seem wasteful for me to renew them when I wasn't even using them anymore. Thanks a lot for the suggestion. Rep+ added.

@Barrucadu - That's my problem exactly, you probably worded it a little bit better than I did though. It really leaves me depressed when I leave something, especially since I worked so hard on them and they were so active (as a community) at first, but then they always die down to nothing...

 

[Morph]

I'm terrible for that, terrible.

 

[-REECE-]

First: I'm not a pdoc -- just someone who has for a long time had focusing trouble and been interested in maximum mental performance :]

I don't know if you're already using one of the meds I've mentioned below but I thought I'd post it anyway in case it might help.

If nothing has been working for focus, you might want to look into an amphetamine-based medication such as Dexedrine, Adderall or Vyvanse. A lot of people with bad ADHD swear by amphetamines... You're pretty young so your parents might be worried about abuse/addiction potential -- Vyvanse would probably be a good option, having much lower abuse potential than Adderall or Dexedrine (or Ritalin/Concerta for that matter) due to the way in which it's metabolized. Not sure if your pdoc has talked to you about it but these drugs (just like Ritalin/Concerta) don't get metabolized the same way in someone with ADHD as they would in someone without it, so it's not like taking the prescribed dose would "get you high".

 

[Keral_Patel]

I don't launch it until it is done enough to generate some revenue.

Sometimes in a bigger project there are many tiny small things that keeps on coming up. I feel like it will get done but it never reaches the end. So when I am frustrated with it. I take a break. Do some other projects. Time always comes when I am over excited and more energetic and feel like I want to do something. So this is the right time to go back to that unfinished project. Again I sail smoothly across many points and if again I am bored or frustrated. I repeat the above scenario.

I had a project Sponads.com which took me 3 years like this. Out of which 2006 I just did was change Copyrights 2005 to 2006 and then in 2007 I changed it to Copyrights 2006 to 2007 :D

But never gave up on it

 

[Ratmaster]

@REECE - I have taken most of those medicines at one point, now I'm on something called Focaline or something. I have to get a new kind of medicine, as I believe my body has become tolerant to it, which may be another reason I can't pay attention.

@Nick - That's really what I try to do, but for some reason I never usually have the will to go back to the older project. (Also, I don't know how it would affect me if it was a project that produced revenue, as I have never done one)

 

[Keral_Patel]

@Nick - That's really what I try to do, but for some reason I never usually have the will to go back to the older project. (Also, I don't know how it would affect me if it was a project that produced revenue, as I have never done one)

Well you need a carrot dangling somewhere so you can run towards it It can be a project that could pump up your ego. Your pride or can make you revenue No matter what but if there is some carrot dangling at the end of it. You will get the energy from within to finish it.

 

[dotker]

i thought i was the only one having this problem im extremely bored here at work now yet lots to do and i find myself posting in namepros.. :P

getting myself motivated has always been half the battle

 

[Ratmaster]

@Nick - That may be my problem. I don't necessarily have an actual goal for most of my projects (which are mostly just websites) that I just want to get a little bit popular. They never usually do and eventually I just close them. I have never done one for profit.

@kerco - I never find the motivation hard. It's just keeping the motivation that I find difficult.

Well, recently I got my medication increased, so hopefully I will concentrate more on what I am doing now.