midnight

The learnings of a young Engineer

The problem

(Unfinished Projects)

The 'vibe' I get on the internet is that there are countless engineers, makers, and creative types who have endless backlogs of half finished projects. I would consider myself to surely be one of those. Think of an idea, get 70% of the way there, lose interest in the final 30% (thank you ADHD), and then be forever haunted by the ghosts of these projects which float around taking up space forever.

This blog post my very well become one if I don't set a publish date.

My research on the issue

I came across some youtuber guy who makes rockets (will find later) by a recommended video of his second channel. It appears to be mostly a therapeutic exercise for him to get his mind back on track. He has talked about this experience, and has a lot of useful tips.

Personal Experience

  • Context switching drains energy

  • I am a person who is obsessed with knowledge, and sometimes the need to make sure that everything is correct and right is a hindrance.

  • Taking on a solo project means thinking about all of the different aspects.

  • Physical Aspects: mechanical, electrical, physical context, use of the product,

  • Abstract Aspects: Theory of operation (what, when, where, why, how) , optimisation(is this the right tool for the job?) ,

  • Focusing on too many aspects of a project can lead to becoming overwhelmed.

  • Becoming overwhelmed can lead to not making much progress
  • Not making much progress can lead to stress.
  • Stress can lead to procrastination.
  • Procrastination can lead to more stress.

The solution

  • Compartmentalise the project.
  • Reach out to a more knowledgeable friend.
  • Say 'good enough' for the moment so you can move on.