Not finishing things

I pick up interests and activities as I go along in life and have them in a sort of toy box of the mind, or in a file systems in my brain. I can return and pick interests and activities up again as my mind and circumstances suit.

I do end up "finishing" activities, I may just take a little longer than your average bear. I do have to admit that having everything burn in that fire clarified some things for me, like what I need to really let go of - including cherished values I did not know I had been harbouring and which I had out grown.  a few things in my mental toy box have been donated back to collective unconscious, some files pulped to make room for new understanding.

Some of my interests will be lifelong and I will never really be 'finished', like learning a language, studying a subject. I will always finish things like writing a story through to submission, making a meal, painting a painting, keeping appointments (with lots of alarms and reminders on my phone) and taking a round of meds til the bottles empty. For me it is the sensation of enjoyment in the adsorption in the activity or interest in the moment.

If I had a business card it would probably read "Dharma Bum" as a job title, I suppose.

Of one thing I know for certain, I am an eternal being so, no rush.

Another member said about ADHD as well it's something I'm going to mention to my mum and see what she thinks. I'll be looking it up as well I like to research things in detail especially if it's something I might have. 

It's so cool you do graphics! What kind do you do? I love graphics, I want to start doing 3d graphic designing. But so far I've never started it... I'd love to do it in the future as a job. But again starting and not finishing puts me off big time.

Something my mum says is doing things little and often maybe that might help you like with your book. You could set aside 5 mins a day... might help to do it. I do this with my own writing it doesn't work all the time but it has helped me at times. 

For me this issue occurs only if I do some project and someone interrupts me. At work it’s hard but at work things have to be done. So I force myself and finish asap what I started. But private projects… there is one drawing I started 5 years ago. There is very little left to finish it and I know how and what to do there. But I can’t start. Maybe one day I will finish it and then I will publish it in our creative space. There is also a novel that I started and struggle to finish although I have idea. And some other unfinished graphics on my pc. I guess this is the inertia. If someone interrupts me then I have problems to go back to that previous task. But otherwise I have no problem to get things done. What you described sounds to me more like ADHD but im not sure. 

I hope so and yeah really glad I stumbled across this site. I did try social media but I found it so overwhelming and at times destructive I couldn't stay but here feels calm and happy.

That's cool, you must have some awesome minifigures! It is an expensive thing to buy lol all my pocket money is spent! I love the Harry Potter and Star Wars sets most of all. 

So excited for you going to the Lego House!!! I really want to do that to one day!

Wow nearly 50 that's so cool!! You must have done lots and lots of interesting things! What's your favourite thing you've done?  

When I'm older there's so much I want to do! I always want to do so many things but when it comes to I normally don't do it. I put in loads of time and effort in planning things though! I'm interested in gaming and games, and I've thought of learning to do 3d graphic designing but so far I haven't even tried. 

Your definitely right you should talk about the things you love and find interesting!! Embrace who you are, be proud. At school I used to try and be like everyone else and try to fit in but since my diagnosis last year I be myself now. I spent so long trying to be like everyone else I felt like I wasn't being true to myself. 

Everyone should always be true to themselves  

Awesome shout with phone reminders! That's defos something I need to start doing! I let so many things escape me because I'm busy with something else so this would definitely help me out in a mega big way. 

Thx for the awesomeness suggestion!  

I try to remember to take breaks with a lot of activities I do. I don't always think to but when I remember it helps me pace it out and stay interested. 

I do finish most things, but sometimes it does take a while, and a bit of a break. Unless I can hyperfixate. 

I wouldn't be too hard on yourself about it though, I imagine it's how we find our lasting interests and hobbies, by trying some out.

I'm almost 50 so I have a long list of tried out ones, a loft full of bits of them I didn't sell, including a surfboard, wetsuits, bike parts, guitars, etc.

I always go back to a bit of lure fishing, so I don't mind spending on that. But I'm careful with others so I don't get too obsessed or waste money on them in case they don't stick.

I've probably bored a fair few people senseless talking about cars, cycling, fishing, guitars, all sorts over the years, I felt a bit embarrassed about it when I got diagnosed so made an effort to not go on talking about stuff too much, but then it makes us who we are so we shouldn't really hide it.

As for the other stuff I find using my smart watch to remind me of things Is handy, just setting a timer or a reminder on my phone, wish I'd done that with the pasta, worked out ok though, once Id made a sauce and thrown some meat in the kids enjoyed it! Working from home alone during the week means there nobody to remind me. I'm sure there's an app you can get to help manage these things too. I'd just forget to use it some days :) 

Haha that made me laugh

I’m sure they will understand more as they learn, like you say… and you’ve always got this community that can help you on your journey to! 

That’s awesome you’re into Lego too  I’ve only started collecting mini figures over the past year, but now have all of series 20 onwards. It’s such an expensive habit though lol. What sets you into? I’m planning a trip to Billund soon to the Lego House, I’m well excited. 

Well, it is interesting that you have raised this matter now, because I am really ,, ,, ,    ,       ,

Woah! So sorry about your pasta! Tho I completely get this...sometimes I get so absorbed by something I forget everything going on around me. This is one of the reasons why I sometimes don't drink enough. My mind is so transfixed on whatever got my attention it's like it can't compute anything else. 

Can be annoying, can cause issues like your pasta!

I'm like that with hobbies as well. Go through loads rapidly but stick with only a couple lol. Sometimes I go back to hobbies I used to have but again they don't last. Guess I get bored or find interest in something else. 

I guess it can be caused by different things like boredom or I feel I've done enough or it's time for a break... it's just a weird thing. I have this list of unfinished things and it's always getting longer. 

Tuesday morning I put some pasta in a pan and turned it on knowing I'd need to go back ten mins later and sort it. Went upstairs carried on working. 

Went to make a brew a few hours later, water everywhere, pasta dried out overcooked in the pan, hob thankfully had turned itself off, I assume an overheating safety measure kicked in.

I sometimes get so focused on something else that ends up the reason other things don't get finished. 

Hobbies I pick up and obsess about madly , then get bored. Very few stay for more than a few months maybe a year. I have sold countless bikes and have 4 guitars left to prove it!

Sometimes I bore of things when I feel I got as far as I wanted to with them, other times I get stuck and think I can't do more.

Guess it's all about working out why you don't finish stuff , is it boredom, distraction or something else?

I'm sorry this is something you struggle with to but glad it's not just me! I'm still learning a lot about autism and hoping I'll find better ways of dealing with these things. It's definitely the case for me as well if I'm interested in something then I'll be more likely to see it through and give it my full attention.

I also only do one thing at a time otherwise I can't focus I've been like this all my life! 

That's mega cool your in to lego! I love lego to! I have a few sets, loads of the minifigure collectibles and play the Lego computer games on my computer. 

Se like you that's something I always put all my efforts and attention in.

Good luck with your ADHD diagnosis. I hope you get the answers your looking for. I don't know much about it tbh but I'll look in to it as like my autism it might explain a lot about my situation. 

Most of my school teachers are pretty understanding actually TG but one or two can be disbelieving unfortunately...But luckily most get it or sympathise.

I'm hoping as I learn about autism my family will understand it better to. Rn I feel like there still processing it like I am. Hopefully as I learn more they will as well. 

I can totally related, and I forever start things and get bored quickly or lose interest and give up. As autistic people, we often have a narrow scope of interest and tend to focus on doing certain activities that interest us, and struggle to concentrate on things we're not interested in. 
I often try things, realise I’m not interested in it and then give up, but I hypofocus on the things I am interested in, such as my Lego. 

I’m also waiting for an ADHD assessment because of the similar struggles you also have said, so it might be worth you looking into ADHD, as it’s a common co-occurring condition for autistic people.

Im sorry to hear you’re not getting fully support from school or parents. But you’re certainly not alone with this.