[caymanjim]

> I also find out that once I know how to implement something on paper (e.g. if I can draw the process of an algorithm on paper), I usually lost the interest to implement it in code.

This is a perpetual problem for me. I start out interested in a lot of things, but once it's clear how to proceed, I get no pleasure out of the rote work required to implement the solution. Whether it's writing code, building something physical, playing a game, putting together a puzzle, or any other activity that involves some degree of thought or problem solving, as soon as there's nothing left to think about, I lose all interest. If there's a chance of an alternate outcome, I remain engaged to the last second (so I can finish PVP games, win or lose, but almost never finish a game of Civilization). It plagues me at work, too, but at least with work, I've got external motivating factors (insofar as I won't get paid if I never finish things).

[markus_zhang]

Yeah exactly. I have been going on like this for almost 40 years and recently I decided to take a different approach:

- Stop working on projects that I know for sure I can't finish, basically that means I'll work on zero CS projects.

- Start hobbies that are either 1) Not of same type of CS projects, or 2) Something that takes a long time to understand.

I have been collecting fossils and learning Geology for a few months and so far it goes well: - Collecting fossils is easy to start

- It's very difficult to find good places to collect and even more difficult to collect very well preserved fossils

- I don't get to collect fossils every day, not even every week if the whether is bad, so zero chance of burning out

- Geology is not something that one can "figure out". In general science is not something I can "figure out" and then apply. It's not engineering.

However I still want to work on CS projects because I need an in-door hobby for the winter, maybe some day I can figure out a way :)

Good luck on your side too!

[caymanjim]

Interesting that you chose geology, as I often think that I'd have been happier as a geologist. I imagine there's a risk of getting bored with that as well, if it's your day job and you're doing the same sort of rote work all the time. In my fantasy, the primary appeal is that it's almost the opposite of sitting at a desk, except I suspect most professional geologists spend most of their time sitting at a desk looking at data on a computer. Seems like a fun hobby though!

[markus_zhang]

I browsed through some books and websites and figured that most of the work of a "general" geologist is still indoors. Some sub-variants such as palaeontologists are exceptions, but still I figured most of time is still spent in labs, not in fields.

So yeah I agree it's a good hobby.