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How to stop quitting things when they’re boring?

Anything related to matters of the mind

RamboCambo

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I have a big issue which has held me back all my life. I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring. It doesn’t even matter if I’m competent in the topic or not, as soon as it’s familiar in some fashion, I usually quit 99% of my endeavours. These endeavours range from fitness, online courses, goals, etc. Has anyone been in this place and successfully reprogrammed themselves not to quit even if stuff is boring? Thanks
 
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Mathuin

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Be more disciplined

(easier said than done)
 

LiveEntrepreneur

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I have a big issue which has held me back all my life. I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring. It doesn’t even matter if I’m competent in the topic or not, as soon as it’s familiar in some fashion, I usually quit 99% of my endeavours. These endeavours range from fitness, online courses, goals, etc. Has anyone been in this place and successfully reprogrammed themselves not to quit even if stuff is boring? Thanks
I have no idea what the solution to this is, if you find out please let me know lol because it's a bitch to figure out. It makes me think, if I find the entire process boring am I even in the right space?
 

RamboCambo

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I have no idea what the solution to this is, if you find out please let me know lol because it's a bitch to figure out. It makes me think, if I find the entire process boring am I even in the right space?
Trust me, if I figure it out, I’m selling a course on it. I’ll give you 50% off haha.
 
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biophase

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I have a big issue which has held me back all my life. I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring. It doesn’t even matter if I’m competent in the topic or not, as soon as it’s familiar in some fashion, I usually quit 99% of my endeavours. These endeavours range from fitness, online courses, goals, etc. Has anyone been in this place and successfully reprogrammed themselves not to quit even if stuff is boring? Thanks
Make sure the goal is something you really want.

If you train to run a marathon, and you run 3x a week for 3 months. Guess what, it will get boring by week 2.

Every goal or accomplishment involves repetitive tasks. Every one.
 

krypticsilver

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I have a big issue which has held me back all my life. I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring. It doesn’t even matter if I’m competent in the topic or not, as soon as it’s familiar in some fashion, I usually quit 99% of my endeavours. These endeavours range from fitness, online courses, goals, etc. Has anyone been in this place and successfully reprogrammed themselves not to quit even if stuff is boring? Thanks
Have strong reasons for why you're doing what your doing and frequently remind yourself of them. I think in unscripted MJ mentions something that goes like "A WHY will justify any HOW" and that cleaners and service people can be very fulfilled/happy when doing things for the 'right' reasons. Good luck to you.
 
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SDE

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+1 on what Biophase said

Things get boring at some point. Push through.

Here's a tip: When you don't feel like doing something, just watch a video about it. It could be a motivational video related to your project or an interview of some one who accomplished what you're trying to. Just don't fall into the rabbit hole. Stop at some point and get back to work.

Motivational content can be consumed to keep us in motion but the important thing to remember is 'consistency beats the shit out of motivation, every time'.
 

James007Hill

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I think the other responders have pretty much nailed it - have reasons for doing what you are doing that get you fired up, and if those reasons for doing something are NOT motivating you through the inevitable boredom you will experience at some point, then think of more powerful reasons. If you can't think of powerful enough reasons, then question whether what you are doing is truly something you want or that fits in with your vision.

Having self-discipline is ultimately a combination of internal motivation (which will come from your reasons, your "why you are doing this" and what the overall goal is) and habit. The best book I've read on habits (how to start and maintain good ones and eliminate bad ones) is Atomic Habits by James Clear.
 

MrGeist

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I have managed to do improvements in this area, and would like to share some techniques I used. Hopefully they might help.

Motivation is not a reliable long-term ally, but a tool to create and automate a habit. Then, when motivation fades (as it always does) the habit will be there and make you keep going even though you don’t feel like it.
Basically anything you set your mind to can be translated into a daily habit. A fitness goal translates to going to the gym x times per week and eating according to whatever diet you belive in. The trick is to focus on creat and engrave the habit itself first, and then expanding the habit to a core unit of progress that will actually move the needle on your goal. To do this the habit must at first be rediculiously easy. Like, day 1, put on your workout outfit and go out the door, done. Take a few [whatever constitutes your preferred diet] with your dinner, done. When your mind eventually accepts that you are a person who always without exception put on your workout outfit and add a few dietary correct things to your meals every day wether you like it or not, then you no longer need motivation. You are automated. You can now build further on this habit.

It is also a mind trick to use elastic habits. Som days you will feel strongly motivated, others not at all. Elastic habits has a predefined mini, a plus, and an elite level. Mini: a truly easy simple action you are able to perform even on your worst day. Simply to never break the habit. Plus is your core unit of progress. A real step towards your goal. Go to the gym and do three exercises. Eat 2 out of 3 meals fairly according to your diet. Elite is when you are motivated as hell and/or enters a flow state. Then do whatever your dream self would do. Do your entire workout routine. Eat every meal to instragram-level perfection.

Habits are the true game changer for myself, and I was a sorry case of procrastination.

Some exceptional resources if you feel like learning from the masters: Atomic Habits by James Clear, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, The Procrastinator Matrix by Tim Urban (Wait But Why-blog The Procrastination Matrix — Wait But Why ) and a great youtube clip on elastic habits
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8SehiX7Bjc
.

Good luck
 

Angler

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I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring.
Do YOU truly want to achieve those goals?
Most of the time what we think we "want" is not what we truly desire. What do I mean by that? On a varied degree all of us are influence by our surrounding. That means some of the goals you have and "want" to achieve, but failed to do so, do not inspire you enough to actually go through the glass-swallowing process. The "boring" work. And without the process, you can't enjoy the event. But why did you actually fail? It's because they're not your goals to begin with if I'm being honest, the one you commit to and truly want. Rather they are a reflection of what other people around you want. what you consume influence your thinking man. Take fitness for example, people go to the gym at the beginning of the year because "OH, everyone else is setting goals" for the new year so maybe I should too. Then they quit because they didn't bother asking "am I ready to sacrifice the slovenly lifestyle that I have now" or "Do really I want to get fit enough to work out 3x a week?". Bottom-line, you are almost guarantee to give up on your goals, if the deepest level of self-reflection is "X is doing X, And X is getting results. Maybe I should too" without asking "why does this sh*t matter to me". If what YOU WANT is more than WHAT YOU CURRENTLY and YOU BECOME OBSESS WITH GETTING IT, then boring work means nothing. Find what you really want. And you do that by figuring yourself out. Soul-search. Journal. Write. Reflect. You already got the answer unknowingly. Read books for inspiration, but all of the true motivation comes from yourself my friend. Hope that helps :)
 

Antifragile

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I have a big issue which has held me back all my life. I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring. It doesn’t even matter if I’m competent in the topic or not, as soon as it’s familiar in some fashion, I usually quit 99% of my endeavours. These endeavours range from fitness, online courses, goals, etc. Has anyone been in this place and successfully reprogrammed themselves not to quit even if stuff is boring? Thanks
You just don’t want it bad enough.

There was a young man, you know,
who wanted to make a lot of money
and so he went to this guru, right.
And he told the guru you know
I wanna be on the same level
you are and the guru said
if you wanna be on the same level I’m on,
I’ll meet you tomorrow at the beach.

So the young man got there 4 A.M. he already to rock n’ roll.
Got on a suit should of wore shorts.
The old man grabs his hand and said:
How bad do you wanna be successful?
He said: “Real bad”.
He said: Walk on out in the water.
So he walks out into the water. Watch this.
When he walks out to the water
he goes waist deep and goes like this guy crazy.

Hey I wanna make money and he got me out here swimming.
I didn’t ask to be a lifeguard.
I wanna make money he got me in
so he said come on a little further
walked out a little further
then he had it right around this area
the shoulder area
so this old man crazy
he making money but he crazy.
So he said come on out a little further
came out a little further, it was right at his mouth
my man, I’m not about to go back in this guy is out of his mind. And the old man said:
“I thought you said you wanted to be successful?”
He said: “I do.”
He said: “Then walk a little further.”
He came, dropped his head in, held him down,
hold him down, my man (kept scratching) hold him down,
he had him held down,
just before my man was about to pass out,
he raised him up.
He said: “I got a question for you.”
He told the guy, he said:
“When you want to succeed as bad as
you wanna breathe than you will be successful.”

.







This thread is boring, I’m quitting ;).
 
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srodrigo

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I have a big issue which has held me back all my life. I find irresistibly easy to quit something as soon as it’s boring. It doesn’t even matter if I’m competent in the topic or not, as soon as it’s familiar in some fashion, I usually quit 99% of my endeavours. These endeavours range from fitness, online courses, goals, etc. Has anyone been in this place and successfully reprogrammed themselves not to quit even if stuff is boring? Thanks
Read (and apply) Atomic Habits. And, as others said above, make sure what you do aligns with your purpose/goals.
 

RamboCambo

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You just don’t want it bad enough.

There was a young man, you know,
who wanted to make a lot of money
and so he went to this guru, right.
And he told the guru you know
I wanna be on the same level
you are and the guru said
if you wanna be on the same level I’m on,
I’ll meet you tomorrow at the beach.

So the young man got there 4 A.M. he already to rock n’ roll.
Got on a suit should of wore shorts.
The old man grabs his hand and said:
How bad do you wanna be successful?
He said: “Real bad”.
He said: Walk on out in the water.
So he walks out into the water. Watch this.
When he walks out to the water
he goes waist deep and goes like this guy crazy.

Hey I wanna make money and he got me out here swimming.
I didn’t ask to be a lifeguard.
I wanna make money he got me in
so he said come on a little further
walked out a little further
then he had it right around this area
the shoulder area
so this old man crazy
he making money but he crazy.
So he said come on out a little further
came out a little further, it was right at his mouth
my man, I’m not about to go back in this guy is out of his mind. And the old man said:
“I thought you said you wanted to be successful?”
He said: “I do.”
He said: “Then walk a little further.”
He came, dropped his head in, held him down,
hold him down, my man (kept scratching) hold him down,
he had him held down,
just before my man was about to pass out,
he raised him up.
He said: “I got a question for you.”
He told the guy, he said:
“When you want to succeed as bad as
you wanna breathe than you will be successful.”

.







This thread is boring, I’m quitting ;).
This actually puts it in perspective really well. Anecdote aside, apart from what has already been mentioned in this thread, have you found anything else which helps with this lesson? Thanks
 

Antifragile

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This actually puts it in perspective really well. Anecdote aside, apart from what has already been mentioned in this thread, have you found anything else which helps with this lesson? Thanks

The lesson is have a plan. I'd start with reading MJ's books and prepare your 1-5-10. Then you'll have something to look forward to and aspire. But on the flip site of that coin is an FTE. If you haven't had one... desperation can motivate even better.
 
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MTF

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I think that I should write a separate long article about it but in general IMO it comes down to today's obsession with pleasure over virtue.

If something isn't fun, people don't do it. It doesn't matter how virtuous the behavior is or how life-changing the project can be. "I'm not having fun, let's drop it."

If your life revolves around pleasure only, you won't be able to embrace the grind = you won't be able to achieve anything meaningful.

How do you reprogram yourself to not quit when things get boring?

Embrace the discomfort. Keep doing stuff just because you told yourself you'd do that. Have some F*cking self-respect and keep going what you said you would do regardless if it's fun or not. Doing meaningful stuff is way more important than doing always fun and exciting stuff.

If you care enough about the mission you're on, it won't matter that not every day is a rosy fun walk in the park.
 
G

Guest-5ty5s4

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remind yourself of the goal.

You know we always talk about money chasing and how it's bad?

well... it's bad when you're talking about your plan... but it's GOOD when you're talking about motivation, to a degree..

When you start to get into the routine, the work, the boring part...

That's when you should think about the fun goal. The exciting blue sky, light at the end of the tunnel, money at the end.

That's why those "what's your lambo" threads exist.

excitement and motivation = bad planning and strategy

excitement and motivation = good for getting out of bed

follow your heart, take your brain with you... that sort of thing
 

a.nigg

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I'm guilty of this kind of "it's boring, I'll quit" myself. However, I found a tool to tackle this. Or actually two tools.
1. Having a clear and very attractive goal or dream
2. (and this is most important): Journalling.... Yes, I know... journaling, this boring method... But I daily journal about my dream/goal. I write down (with pen and paper, not a keyboard), why I want to achieve my dream or what I already achieved on the way to it. Not much, just a quarter page.
For me, this is the life-saver. Having a goal is too little. Daily thinking (and writing) about the goal is the (or my) key.
 
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WingClipper

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You just gotta master the mundane. Like how Ray Allen or Steph Curry get to the arena 4 hours before tip off and shoot a few hundred jumpers. It's boring but they need it.
Jascha Heifetz quote: "If I don't practice one day, I know it; two days, the critics know it; three days, the public knows it"
 

Vegeto

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Make a Vision Board & Meditate on It Everyday at a Specific Time It's Going to Be Better If It's Before Starting Getting To The Work Tasks.
 

LiveEntrepreneur

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Trust me, if I figure it out, I’m selling a course on it. I’ll give you 50% off haha.
haha, I don't believe in courses for stuff like that. I get the feeling it's just something that one has to experience to figure out.
 
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LiveEntrepreneur

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Make sure the goal is something you really want.

If you train to run a marathon, and you run 3x a week for 3 months. Guess what, it will get boring by week 2.

Every goal or accomplishment involves repetitive tasks. Every one.
This is a great point. It's pretty much impossible to avoid boring tasks. But the question is that, if the entire process is boring will it even be worth the end result? I thought that that majority of the process should be enjoyable in what you do. For example you might love working on car engines, but dread taking one out.
 

LiveEntrepreneur

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Do YOU truly want to achieve those goals?
Most of the time what we think we "want" is not what we truly desire. What do I mean by that? On a varied degree all of us are influence by our surrounding. That means some of the goals you have and "want" to achieve, but failed to do so, do not inspire you enough to actually go through the glass-swallowing process. The "boring" work. And without the process, you can't enjoy the event. But why did you actually fail? It's because they're not your goals to begin with if I'm being honest, the one you commit to and truly want. Rather they are a reflection of what other people around you want. what you consume influence your thinking man. Take fitness for example, people go to the gym at the beginning of the year because "OH, everyone else is setting goals" for the new year so maybe I should too. Then they quit because they didn't bother asking "am I ready to sacrifice the slovenly lifestyle that I have now" or "Do really I want to get fit enough to work out 3x a week?". Bottom-line, you are almost guarantee to give up on your goals, if the deepest level of self-reflection is "X is doing X, And X is getting results. Maybe I should too" without asking "why does this sh*t matter to me". If what YOU WANT is more than WHAT YOU CURRENTLY and YOU BECOME OBSESS WITH GETTING IT, then boring work means nothing. Find what you really want. And you do that by figuring yourself out. Soul-search. Journal. Write. Reflect. You already got the answer unknowingly. Read books for inspiration, but all of the true motivation comes from yourself my friend. Hope that helps :)
This is true. The hard part is knowing if you truly want it. This is still something that I don't know the answer to. I probably don't want it bad enough if I have been struggling as much as I am.
 

mr4ffe

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One thing from Unscripted that changed my outlook on life was the idea of changing your identity to form new habits.
James Clear refers to this as identity-based habits.

Do you identify as a winner?
Then do what winners do!
“— Who does he think he is?
— I just told you who I thought I was! A god!”
So your mind tell you to quit something because it's boring, huh?
Would a winner give up that easily?
I'm not telling you to constantly be on some sigma grindset, but take a quick break, then get back to it!

I never started smoking, and I barely ever drink, “despite” being a 20 years old non-religious guy from the projects.
The reason is that I asked myself questions like:
“Would a multi-millionaire who started from nothing really be out partying every weekend in his youth?” and
“Would a fit and handsome man who gets laid with ladies half his age twice a day in his 40s be smoking and drinking?”
Instead, I focused on studies and hobbies (although I regret spending so much time lifting or reading instead of socializing as much as my peers, so there's definitely a balance to be struck).
I used identity-based habits subconsciously by looking around at people around me and despising the idea of ending up like them.

It may prove as great of a tool for you as for me.
Just make sure to use it properly, so it doesn't end up doing more harm than good!

The reason I even opened this thread is that I heavily relate to this shiny object/ADHD phenomenon (yup, diagnosed).
I recently found out that people like us (sometimes known as generalists/scanners/wildcards/polymaths/Renaissance men/multi-potentialites/multi-passionates/multi-hyphenates/Jacks of all trades/Swiss army knives/Chief What The F*ck Officers/putty-peeps/multi-pods/all-rounders) are considered very valuable in early-stage startups because we tend to do be able to get stuff done at the "basic functionality"-level, even though we rarely possess deep knowledge.
People like us also tend to do much of the hiring, as we are often slightly knowledgeable about everything from engineering to marketing, at a level that is sufficient for evaluating potential hires (and if necessary, we can quickly deepen our knowledge).

Maybe these websites can teach you something about yourself and allow you to use your nature to your advantage instead of fighting it?
https://wildcardpeople.com/what-is-a-wildcard-person (especially check out the bullet list at the bottom of the page)
 
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Johnny boy

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When you quit and you’re doing jack shit, broke, a quitter…is that not even more boring? What else is your option?

Most things are not “quit” and most things don’t “fail”. They fizzle out and it dies silently with neglect.

You just stop getting new customers, stop responding to things, and when your friends ask about it in 2 months you say “oh yeah it didn’t really work”.

My business keeps rolling even if I don’t want to keep it rolling, not that I need it, but it’s kept things rolling along even when I wasn’t motivated. I’ve got a schedule, customers will start calling, the ads keep bringing up new customers, and I get quotes scheduled for me, zero motivation needed.
 

RamboCambo

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This thread has really blown up. Thanks everyone for their input so far. It’s the clarity and perhaps kick up the butt I really needed.
 

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