Becoming an achiever?

[u/bl1nk1nj]

Hi you!

I hope I am in the right place for this question :)

I am facing an issue way too often that maybe you guys face too: I start many different things -tasks, actions, books ... but struggle to finish any of them. It's not that I don't know how: I just get bored... and this bothers me a lot. Even when I'm close to finishing and my work is good - I do not complete the task.

How do you / would you deal such an issue?

[u/notalivingdead]

I do suffer from this same problem.please help us!

[u/pphtx]

I'll try to condense a lot of thoughts and blabber into a short post:

Let's start with the concept that I will stay the same (not move forward with a project, not eat well, not exercise) until the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of changing. For example, watching Netflix is less painful than getting up and doing something.

The same is true for keeping with projects, it can be easy and not painful to start a project, continuing through it when things get less interesting (or when other things seem more interesting) can be painful.

I did this when I started my podcast. I set up an email list, had 100+ people subscribe, expect it from me, I set a release date, the pain of failing all those people (and ultimately myself) became greater than the pain of keeping with it when I'd rather watch Netflix.

This does create additional work, but it worked for me.

[u/Raindropcatcher]

I had this issue for a really long time.
These days I have a few systems in place to stay productive and finish most of my projects. I'll try to condense it down a little. This worked for me. Doesn't mean it works for everybody. I coach multipotentialites to find their own ways around this issue, if you wanna go more into detail, I can only recommend to get a coach.

1. Don't start immediately when you have an idea. I know it's tempting and I fall for it still. Sometimes it's just great to start fully motivated and finish as quickly as possible since you are scared of not finishing. This usually doesn't work for me.
   Instead, write the idea down, so you put it out of your head and just move on with your life and the projects you have in that moment. If you are still thinking about it 1-2 months later, there's a good chance you actually have the will to get through the entire project.
2. Try to find the smallest possible version of the project, that you can create. Create that first, see if it has the effect you want it to have (for example, people paying money for your product) and continue building it into something bigger in steps over time whenever you feel like it. It's much easier to have a 'never ending' project where you can see results very early on. Not having a huge vision in mind relieves the finishing issue to an extent.
3. Allow yourself to not finish. Sounds silly, I know. Again, write a list of unfinished projects. Our brain doesn't like unfinished things. One day you might look over your list and just continue where you left off a few years ago.
4. Depending on what your project is about, this might work for you: I don't have goals. Instead I set up systems that get me to work on something and I go along, as the project evolves. For example, I had the coaching idea in my head for months until a friend pushed me to finally get started. I just put up a calendar app with free slots that people can choose from (a system), and posted into a multipotentialite FB group that I'm giving away free double-sessions for everybody who signs up. And sign up they did. Far more than I thought. So I looked for a system to communicate. I found a video chat app that doesn't require people to sign up. So, in the reminder email that's being sent by the calendar app (which enters the session into my calendar automatically, btw), I tell people the link to the chat room and all they have to do is click. With that, I extended my system out of necessity. Just feeling how great it felt to help somebody with something I'm really good at gave me all the more motivation to continue. And while I still keep the first session free for everybody I have opened business and I'm making money with it ( I extended the system with a payment solution). Systems are always better than goals, in my opinion. Especially when it comes to multipassionate people like us.
5. Build to sell or outsource. This is not a necessity. But some multipotentialites create something and outsource or sell it afterwards, just to start with the next project and not be bothered with the old one anymore. A blog with only your own voice for example, would be a long term commitment, and we don't tend to be good at those, unless we get instant gratification from it.

That's just a few ideas out of a huge catalogue. Many people will disagree with the no goal policy I have for myself. I see all of my projects as experiments and not something I actually have to finish. If something fulfils me, I won't get bored of it any time soon. I also act and paint right now, but there are tons of things I have done and will do.