I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help me. Please.

Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by llimllib on Saturday February 20, 2010 @01:10PM (#1139203)

1) Have a blog

2) write something (do not finish!)

3) release it (minimally, stick it on github or something similar)

4) blog about it (and post the blog entry somewhere where people will see it, aka here)

5) guilt will drive you to make it better

6) work on the project and blog more about it

7) Either people will get interested, you'll start getting links or it won't go anywhere

8) decide whether to continue it or start the cycle over again at step one with a new project

If you do this a few times, I guarantee that you'll have a blog with readership and a better idea of what people want/wnat to work on.

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by xtho on Saturday February 20, 2010 @01:30PM (#1139241)

Oh come on. A blog is a highway to eternal procrastination.

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by llimllib on Saturday February 20, 2010 @05:49PM (#1139653)

I think you underestimate the differences between people; that has definitely not been the case for me.

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by nico on Wednesday February 24, 2010 @07:53AM (#1147844)

You are also underestimating the differences between people, because if it's worked for you, it doesn't mean it will work for the OP. I did what you suggest, wrote some code, started a blog where I wrote 2 tutorials and now, in spite of getting comments of people saying the want the 3rd tutorial, I can't get myself to do it, don't ask me why, I just can't, I'm a professional procrastinator!

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by llimllib on Wednesday February 24, 2010 @02:58PM (#1148914)

I'm just presenting a method that's worked for me, not saying it'll work for him.

(I know that feeling of being an impressive procrastinator though. I think I fuel on guilt due to my catholic upbringing, that's why it works for me :)

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by shill on Saturday February 20, 2010 @04:44PM (#1139543)

There is some evidence that announcing your goals to the world reduces your probability of completing them.

http://mindoversports.com/2009/09/07/why-you-should-never-go...

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by gometro33 on Saturday February 20, 2010 @01:31PM (#1139243)

While I think you may be right that guilt can motivate, I prefer the idea of being able to finish a project because I want to (rather needing to).

My advice, as others have mentioned, is to start small ("Hello, World!" if you will).

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Re:I need to find out how to finish anything I start. Help m... by llimllib on Saturday February 20, 2010 @05:48PM (#1139651)

Some things work for some, others for others. I can promise you guilt works for me.

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