I don’t actually like doing this. The issue isn’t that I think I ought to. It’s that I think I can.
What I’m hearing is that you don’t enjoy “work” in general, but you need a way to support yourself and you think this is the least unpleasant job—correct?
I’ve enjoyed programming in the past. I’ve spent a week doing almost nothing but eating sleeping and programming, entirely for my own enjoyment. As I am now, I dislike doing anything productive
So...why is that? Was it always that way, or did something make you that way? Do you just have a lack of motivation for non-interesting things in general?
What I’m hearing is that you don’t enjoy “work” in general, but you need a way to support yourself and you think this is the least unpleasant job—correct?
Correct.
So...why is that?
I don’t know.
Do you just have a lack of motivation for non-interesting things in general?
I’m not motivated to do most things, if that’s what you mean. Something being interesting can be a motivation. It doesn’t seem like it’s motivating me to do this project right now though.
Was it always that way, or did something make you that way?
If this is an enduring trait for you, the way I see it you have two options:
1) Treat it as a disorder—go to a psychologist, let them test for ADHD, schizoid, anhedonia, and other motivation effecting disorders. There are lots of relatively safe drugs that can give you motivation. If you’ve got some sort of ambition in programming or a similarly taxing field, this is probably the best route.
2) Learn to live with less money, and find a way to not “work”. There are multiple ways to do this—the hard way is to be self-employed and/or attempt to create some passive income streams. If you’re an “I’m only motivated when its fun and self initiated” kind of person, this could work.
An easier route is to do something a bit less intellectual than programming. If you want to get low-effort money, you can seriously do better than programming. Lots of jobs require very little in the way of motivation. Walking people’s dogs pays surprisingly well if you live in the right area, since you can charge a reasonable rate per dog, and then walk a bunch of dogs at once. If you’re physically adept, you can get a job which forces motivation by putting you in high-pressure situation—firefighting, ER, etc.
Look for jobs which are physical, or jobs which involve bursts of activity with lots of waiting in between, or jobs which allow you to passively sit at a desk and read comics or something until a customer comes.
Programming and similar “creative” jobs require a person to operate largely on their own initiative—if you don’t have much initiative, why not just do something else? Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you have to do an intellectual job.
It doesn’t seem like it was always that way. At least, I’ve spent large amounts of time on a single project before. I do tend to get very unproductive during Summer.
1) Treat it as a disorder
I have Asperger’s Syndrome.
2) Learn to live with less money, and find a way to not “work”.
I plan on being a professional donor. I can live with less money. Unfortunately, there are others who will not live if I have less money.
Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you have to do an intellectual job.
I have some resistance to doing a job like that. I think it’s because I just want to create something. Somehow, this doesn’t seem to do a lot to translate into me actually creating something.
What I’m hearing is that you don’t enjoy “work” in general, but you need a way to support yourself and you think this is the least unpleasant job—correct?
So...why is that? Was it always that way, or did something make you that way? Do you just have a lack of motivation for non-interesting things in general?
Correct.
I don’t know.
I’m not motivated to do most things, if that’s what you mean. Something being interesting can be a motivation. It doesn’t seem like it’s motivating me to do this project right now though.
You didn’t answer
If this is an enduring trait for you, the way I see it you have two options:
1) Treat it as a disorder—go to a psychologist, let them test for ADHD, schizoid, anhedonia, and other motivation effecting disorders. There are lots of relatively safe drugs that can give you motivation. If you’ve got some sort of ambition in programming or a similarly taxing field, this is probably the best route.
2) Learn to live with less money, and find a way to not “work”. There are multiple ways to do this—the hard way is to be self-employed and/or attempt to create some passive income streams. If you’re an “I’m only motivated when its fun and self initiated” kind of person, this could work.
An easier route is to do something a bit less intellectual than programming. If you want to get low-effort money, you can seriously do better than programming. Lots of jobs require very little in the way of motivation. Walking people’s dogs pays surprisingly well if you live in the right area, since you can charge a reasonable rate per dog, and then walk a bunch of dogs at once. If you’re physically adept, you can get a job which forces motivation by putting you in high-pressure situation—firefighting, ER, etc.
Look for jobs which are physical, or jobs which involve bursts of activity with lots of waiting in between, or jobs which allow you to passively sit at a desk and read comics or something until a customer comes.
Programming and similar “creative” jobs require a person to operate largely on their own initiative—if you don’t have much initiative, why not just do something else? Just because you’re smart doesn’t mean you have to do an intellectual job.
It doesn’t seem like it was always that way. At least, I’ve spent large amounts of time on a single project before. I do tend to get very unproductive during Summer.
I have Asperger’s Syndrome.
I plan on being a professional donor. I can live with less money. Unfortunately, there are others who will not live if I have less money.
I have some resistance to doing a job like that. I think it’s because I just want to create something. Somehow, this doesn’t seem to do a lot to translate into me actually creating something.
Depending on the extent which you are willing to tamper with yourself to upregulate motivation, here are some things to look into:
adderall, ritalin, vyvanse, modafinil, nicotine, caffeine, piracetam, CDPCholine...