Is it normal that when working on a project I am excited at first but start losing interest half way through?
Posted by justjustin10@reddit | learnprogramming | View on Reddit | 27 comments
For some reason most projects I start the first 2 weeks I’m excited, working on it constantly, trying to go above and beyond but after the 2 week mark it goes from being fun to being a chore and I definitely feel like I start slacking on it and being more annoyed to do it.
ffrkAnonymous@reddit
Just imagine it being your job where it was never fun and a chore from the start
Etastic20@reddit
Kinda takes the fun out of it
MisunderstoodBadger1@reddit
Hopefully being paid is enough motivation in that insurance
kodaxmax@reddit
depends how much, the environment, the hours and the people your stuck with.
poply@reddit
its_all_4_lulz@reddit
The project I worked on all day every day for weeks thinks so. It’s around somewhere… some of it anyway.
The-Oldest-Dream1@reddit
Yeah. Every new project is like having a new toy to play with. It eventually gets boring. Most of the projects I make are usually for my portfolio so I often have to push myself around the end to complete it
Crypt0Nihilist@reddit
I often lose interest in projects once I've solved the main challenges.
However, it's also very common to be motivated by your initial enthusiasm and then kind of...you know....
Blando-Cartesian@reddit
When a project is just an idea, it is ideal. With every thought about it, it morphs to perfectly handle that new case or issue. Once you start to work on it, it begins to shift from an idea into reality. And real things are imperfect, they suck, every correction requires more and more work.
Only suggestion I have is to scale personal projects so that they do something you wanted as soon as possible.
CryEducational1270@reddit
Yeah, I feel the same, and it’s completely normal. The excitement usually comes from starting something new, but once the novelty wears off and the work gets repetitive or harder, it can start feeling like a chore.
deftware@reddit
Happens to just about everybody I've ever met. Sticking with a project is what separates the successful from the mundane. Project ideas are a dime-a-dozen but realizing an idea into an actual thing is what is valuable.
ViolentCrumble@reddit
yeah this is called motivation vs dedication.
Personal projects take work. I have fun solving problems, so I come up with a game idea and think damn how the hell would i make that, that sounds super complicated. I spend 2 weeks having so much fun solving all the problems and now all that's left to do is make the actual game. the hard problems are solved. the mechanics are made. now its just "data entry" and i lose interest and run to the next shiny thing!
i found ways around it. by using trello as a checklist of features and marking them off one by one, slow but consistent progress is satisfying in of itself.
Also it just take dedication to work when motivation runs out. relying on motivation is awful for work that might not see any payoff.
Achereto@reddit
It might be normal. However, here are a couple of questions you could answer just to yourself:
- How often do you forget your laundry in the machine so you have to wash it again?
- How much stuff is on your desk that doesn't belong there and should have been cleaned up months ago?
- How often do you end up being late despite trying really hard to be on time?
- How often do you end up doing stuff last minute instead of doing it early so it's done?
- How often do you forget doing stuff just because you told yourself to "do it later" or "do it after this"?
- When you actually finish something, does it file like a success ("yes, I did it!") or more like relief ("finally, it's over")?
ha1zum@reddit
It's not even about programming. Life is that way everywhere.
ZelphirKalt@reddit
It is very normal. Usually, I only get to some imagined proof of concept kind of stage, at which point I hopefully learned something. However, on the job it is different. If you have that feeling on the job, you at least have the additional motivator of getting paid.
barkingcat@reddit
completely normal.
-------------------7@reddit
Having ideas is fun, committing is work
AlSweigart@reddit
The first 90% of the project is 90% of the work. The last 10% of the project is the other 90% of the work.
(All projects, not just programming...)
KnightofWhatever@reddit
From running a studio and mentoring juniors, this is very normal. The first two weeks are dopamine. After that, it feels like work, so your brain goes hunting for a new shiny thing.
What helped me was changing the game from “stay excited” to “finish small”. Scope projects so they fit in a couple of weeks, pick a clear finish line, and keep working even when you are a bit bored, just like a workout.
If you want a bigger project, slice it into tiny versions that you can actually ship. Finishing a lot of small, slightly boring things is where real progress comes from.
CosmicDevGuy@reddit
Consider the setup and structure of your project - if it is detailed, written down and you are adhering to a scope then the enthusiasm shouldn't drop nearly as much.
Where I feel that you experience this loss of enthusiasm most is projects with poor or no planning, as it invites unrealistic expectations and approaches towards the development process. The more you understand about your project and what milestones you need to achieve at each step, the less boring it should get.
Of course it's important to always accommodate for creativity and flexibility in a project, but ensure it maintains scope and meets milestones. Knowing what you want and how you'll step towards it is a lot more doable than just envisioning the goal and not being able to detail each step logically if asked. Because if you can't explain it to yourself days or weeks later as if you're someone else learning about the project, then you'll be frustrated over the fact you don't know what you're really trying to build.
TL;DR: check your project planning. If it's not detailed and realistic enough, the euphoric feelings you get in the beginning will not only go away but you'll not know what you are doing anymore and become more disillusioned with your project.
Difficult-Ask683@reddit
I hope it's not med side effects or burnout
Zentavius@reddit
That's how ADHD feels with everything I do.
bullmeza@reddit
You need to find a reason to be excited. After the 2 week mark, you should be excited to show everybody!
martin@reddit
Just plan out projects to be twice as ambitious.
That way, when you lose steam halfway through, you're done.
Affectionate-Lie2563@reddit
yeah, super normal. the excitement wears off once the “fun” problems are solved and the boring glue work starts. finishing despite that phase is basically the real skill.
JohannKriek@reddit
Happens all the time with online PluralSight and OReilly courses and with any textbook I open. You are enthused with the idea of mastering a subject and the initial lessons and readings are easy. Then the difficult parts start to seep in, the coursework becomes mentally tedious and you lose your fervor to learn the subject because YouTube shorts about people falling flat on their faces beckon.
The idea is to keep plugging away with the project, find ways to be motivated and not give up. Ensure that everyday you have learnt more than the day before. Try and keep unnecessary browser windows closed and any other distractions away.
CrAzYmEtAlHeAd1@reddit
That’s just the nature of personal projects in every medium!
You either want to make smaller, more approachable projects, or learn to be ok with abandoning projects. If you have a project that you really want to finish, then it’ll need to become a habit instead of thriving on motivation because that will always go away.
Good luck! 👍