WhiteShark wrote: ↑
March 29th, 2024, 08:44
I posted this in another thread recently:
WhiteShark wrote: ↑
March 28th, 2024, 02:03
Reviews rarely do me any good because they're not what determines whether a game catches my interest. I've probably played more games because of off-hand references in 4chan posts than I have because of reviews.
The reason is that I have a problem: my interests are mercurial and I have no control over them. Furthermore, when something does catch my interest, I want to do that thing to the exclusion of all else; it temporarily comes to dominate all my time and energy. The internet tells me this is called 'hyperfixation'.
The hyperfixation doesn't bother me. I like being focused. What bothers me is that my obsessions, often with little warning and after only a few weeks, end suddenly and nigh completely. Even if I consciously want to continue, my subconscious will shrug at the thought and rebel if I try. I know from experience that it goes in cycles and that I will eventually come around, but this can take months, or even years. It makes it very difficult to pursue any long term project.
I could give many examples, but to describe just one: last year my dormant interest in tabletop RPGs suddenly roared back into life. I spent weeks reading books and blogs on design and gamemastering, researching different game systems, writing macros for MapTool, searching out digital tools and mapmaking software, writing houserules, brainstorming a setting, generating token art with AI, and so on. Then, after real life circumstances kept me occupied for a few days, it was over: my interest vanished as quickly as it had come and I haven't touched any of it since.
Hence, my question: how do you deliberately cultivate or maintain an interest in something?
Depends on the person, and the cause will vary, but do you exercise regularly? Is your diet balanced (ie are you getting the right nutrients?). I know it seems trivial, but a lack of focus can be attributed to this to some extent. Also, remember that contrary to mainstream claims, you need at least 20 mins a day in the actual sun (even if it is cloudy) as that gives the body important vitamins that promote health and will cure many minor ailments. Also, give up processed foods, completely. The additives they put in those foods have been shown to cause a lot of these "lack of concentration" issues and this also occurs in various medicines as well, so be careful on what you put in your body as this will have an effect on you.
Do you moderate with other non-like activities? I noticed that if I do other things, completely different in focus, I am able to find more enjoyment in various things on the other end of the spectrum. If I find myself dragging with intellectual activities like programming, gaming, etc... I balance out with hunting, fishing, biking, running, welding, wood working, gardening, cooking, etc...
In some cases, for me personally, discipline to a task sees me through to interest. There are some things I know I like, or have an interest, but can't seem to retain focus in it, but... if I discipline myself to the task, the interest comes back as I force my focus to the goals of whatever interest (ie seeing it through).
Another possible issue is a lack of organization. Sometimes, setting goals, outlining your process to those goals in a format that provides stages of completion, etc... can help to keep you interested in various things. The benefit of this is that even if you decide to set aside the goal, you have an clear outline as to what you wanted to achieve so coming back to it at a later date makes is much easier for you to continue where you left off.
Anyway, just thoughts, may not be your issue, who knows... like I said, it can be a lot of things.