Lack of Discipline

[Mitsuki]

Not sure what would be the best and appropriate title for this, so I'll just put 'Lack of Discipline' although this has a lot more to do with talent-wise.

Have you actually found a talent that you're quite good at, and as you practice for weeks you think about how much you'd love to excel at that one particular talent...only to slack off the next day and the following months after and forget what you learned?

I've been thinking about this a lot these past few weeks. It really is annoying when this happens, but I can never stick to one thing and thoroughly expand my knowledge, experience, and skills on that particular talent. A lot of things get in the way eventually, whether it be school, problems, or having interests in other things. In the end I usually end up forgetting what I learned.

For instance, art (drawing and painting) has always been a passion of mine, but I tend to slack off with it. I'll draw and paint for a few weeks, but then I'll stop for some reason. Few months will pass, and I'll find other hobbies, such as GFX. I was into GFX (still am) for over a year and during that year I only picked up a brush once I believe...and so there I was thinking how much I'd love to expand on GFX and practiced for hours each day. Then I stopped for a few months. I got into piano (after a few years of not playing) and even took a class last year, which actually had my full attention. I found that I had forgotten the songs I learned how to play the previous years and kicked myself over it for not practicing. In class, I learned how to play without looking at the keyboard and I remember thinking, "Okay this is it, I'm going to finally learn how to play the piano like an expert!" Class ended in summer and I forgot about piano, along with most of the songs I practiced. I shifted my attention to GFX again.

The cycle repeats. A few weeks ago I got into art again and started drawing, and now I've stopped both GFX and art and I'm focusing on piano again. I started playing "Every Heart" by BoA tonight and it took a few hours just to smoothly play 1/4 of the song. As expected, I forgot how to play the other songs I taught myself how to play months ago. It's as if I'm starting piano all over again.

It's frustrating, but I can't just seem to just stay still and fully expand on the skills one talent at a time. And I'm not just talking about those three things either - there's others, such as writing (poems), singing, and I even started coding for a bit although that didn't go too well. So many things I would love to do and excel at but there's so little time and other things that occupy a lot of my time.

So, any similar thoughts? It doesn't have to be talent-wise, I suppose - just as long as it has to do with lack of discipline.

 

[John Marston]

I can relate, back when i used to play violin i usually played everyday.
But then i got into guitar and i just didn't touch my violin after that, it got to the point where when i went to class and instead of sounding better i kept playing it badly. Eventually i stopped playing for two reasons, one is because i didn't like playing the violin anymore and the other reason is at the time there were no advancing classes for it.

Now that i have a guitar, its the same thing all over again but this time for some strange reason i want to play violin again. I might just do that, but i have enough on my plate at the moment. I'm trying to better myself at creating things in photoshop, haven't been doing much at all with it since i'm easily distracted.

I'm usually browsing the net when i shouldn't be, like now i should be studying more but i'm not. Each hour i browse my chances of passing the test drop and i don't know why but at the moment i don't care. I should but i don't and it bothers me alot.


I'm having difficulties in photoshop when i shouldn't be, i had graphic design for a year back in high school. Thinking about it all, i don't know what happened that changed me to how i am now. I used to be really focused when it came to getting things done and improving on them.

I guess i need someone to keep me focused on whats important, but i'm afraid to ask anyone because i don't want to interfere with their lives and i don't want to be a burden.

 

[Kandy-Sugar]

I can relate to this.

I have a keyboard that I was given for Christmas two Christmases ago now. I had learnt a few songs beforehand and then was so happy that I got my own keyboard.

For the last year and a bit it has been sitting in it's original packaging in a cupboard. <_<

I really doubt I'll remember anything I learnt to start with.

Then I taught myself the alphabet in sign language, which I practiced for EVERY night before I went to bed.

Then one day I stopped and now I have no clue how to do it anymore.

I'm so annoyed. Little things like that lose my full attention because something else gets in the way and then all that hard work goes down the drain. v_v

 

[Talbain]

Pretty much every video game imaginable, I say I'm going to finish some game first and make totally awesome videos of it on Youtube, then I get bored by the third level. Happened in Persona, Monster Hunter, Serious Sam, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, and now probably this Glider game I'm trying to do a speedrun in. Kinda sucks.

 

[blakstang98]

I would say I'm pretty disciplined in general, but some things are still tough for me to keep focused on.

When it comes to video games, I'm probably the most disciplined person you'll ever know. I basically play a game until it's done, even doing all the sidequests and optional stuff that goes with it. I still have Assassin's Creed 2 which has not left it's case yet because of another game I'm working on (I got it for Christmas). Sadly enough I probably won't get around to playing it for a while, but once I am playing it, no other game will see playing time.

For other things I don't have a lot of discipline for. Practicing guitar playing is something I'm not very disciplined with. I do manage to get some playing time in, but I really don't discipline myself enough to play it. I always make the excuse that I don't have enough time to play to make big strides in improvement, which is true (due to responsibilities and such), but I really don't enough of an effort to play more. After 2 years of taking lessons, I really should be better than I am.

 

[bequiaboit]

I'm guilty! I've picked up so many interests, but I never excel in any of them. NONE! I need some encouragement, I can't be doing things like this the rest of my life.
Take, for example, musical instruments. I've learned to play the : piano, guitar, drums, violin, harmonica, flute. I quit all of them and now I can only remember how to play the violin (badly).

 

[Amizon]

Yeah, I can really relate to this. There are so many things that I've started to learn and then unexpectedly put them off without realising it at first.

I did start to learn how to play guitar, but I had college work and exams in the way to put it off completely. I've still got my own guitar at home and I'm determined to finish learning how to play someday.

Another thing is making music fandom videos. I've stopped doing this for a while because I moved into university and all, but now I think I'll get back into it since I've got lots of spare time on my hands right now.

 

[Rydia]

Definently with exercising.

I'll have a program that I follow religiously for a few weeks, my stomach will start to flatten and I will in general feel better about myself. And then one day I just stop. I'll promise myself that I will start again "tomorrow" but when tomorrow comes I'll be too busy. Then a week goes by, then two weeks, then a month and I'm out of shape again.

Sometime later in the year I'll feel the need to exercise again and follow a completely different program

Also school, at the begining of the semester I am on top of all the reading, papers getting written days in a advance, but after the first month, I'm slacking off. I completely quit reading, papers are getting started the night before they are due, and I am cramming for exams.

 

[Shu]

Definently with exercising.

I'll have a program that I follow religiously for a few weeks, my stomach will start to flatten and I will in general feel better about myself. And then one day I just stop. I'll promise myself that I will start again "tomorrow" but when tomorrow comes I'll be too busy. Then a week goes by, then two weeks, then a month and I'm out of shape again.

I know how you feel, and I definitely was like this at one time, until some fellow friends at work asked me to come them and run. Before though, I got really muscular bulky to around 223 ish, and then stop working out.. of course turning into a bit of chub.

I put my hard hat on though, and pushed myself down to the 200 mark with soccer and working out on the side.. but I could never just keep it up. Even now I find myself slacking on occasion... but as for work.. I tend to stay on top of it.

If exercising was more accessible.. then maybe. When it rains.. its so discouraging.