For years I have always been focused on several interests. When I was a kid, for example, I was either collecting trading cards (like, Yu-Gi-Oh, Duel Masters and so on…), or playing video games.
By seasons my mind have organized those interests. And I say “my mind” as a third-party entity… (Just meaning my unconscious ¬¬). For those I can recall, drawing, playing Pokémon, reading Harry Potter, watching Harry Potter (season which came back a few days ago with my “near blind experience”), watching TV all day-long “as a hobby”, so to speak, coding (or learning to; I’m still on the basics), creating websites, blogging, among others, I can say everything have happened by seasons.
The first time I met HTML I was on 5th or 6th grade, and well, I’ve got this great idea for a site, a whole community and ok, you can say it: “what a fool…”. Anyway, I started reading a lot about HTML coding and servers and hosting and everything. To let you know how interested I was, in those months the only fully working computer was on the only room of the apartment with no air conditioner (and well, It’s a warm weather), so…
But after months, as I said, I quit, never built a thing and left the “project”. I forgot about it until a friend asked me if I could start a website (or something like that) and… actually I don’t remember what I answered, what matters is that I started reading again and began writing my first webpage, fully HTML-powered (that bad it was).
The web is up, no traffic, no visitors, and huge mistakes on design, SEO, writing (typos, cruel typos). I quit a month later. The thing was supposed to be what then I didn’t know to be called blog. Neither I knew I should have used PHP, or some platform like WordPress.
I was somehow like this, very stressed. This pic: "28.09.2009 extreme programming" - by Markus Hametner
I created 2 websites after that, same story. Then, a real blog, read about PHP, understood the basics, chose to use WordPress, created a blog about Mac. Mistakes? Using my name too much (I “think” I do the same here but whatever…), the topic (I just got a Mac / the topic is full of other really famous blogs / I wasn’t quite an expert) and most importantly, a single person can’t handle fill categories of Mac Apps, iPhone Apps, reports about new updates and everything, and post with some frequency. I believed I was choosing right by shutting it down. Now I understand I just did it by nature, kind of (Nevertheless I don’t regret freeing my self of that).
And that’s the point of this article. People usually do quit. I mean, obviously not in the same way, nor with the same frequency, but they do. People learn from being kids that if you don’t want, don’t feel a thing for something, quit. If you can’t (like school), just complain about it and / or do it badly.
And, that’s not good. Yet it is how things work around here…
So, establishing some goals, first I’m still writing, keeping up with the blog and almost getting to the hundred post. For me that’s quite an achievement, even if the bloggers around think it’s not. Secondly, I’m cutting interests. Sounds bad, ugly or just weird, so let me explain.
How does “cutting interests” works? (And by the way, What the **** is that?)
Cutting interests is a metaphor for trying to pass over some interests that for some reason you don’t see yourself in more than on others. Yes, you’re interested in something you should pursue that thing. Yet, it is different when you feel you’re interested in many things (like me, photography, drawing, blogging, tweeting, reading, watching movies, listening to good music, studying, …). And no, I don’t see studying as an obligation as many. If so it’s a “life obligation”, life asks you to study so you can be someone, and know about general things at first, and more specifics then. Let’s try an analogy:
You know what’s an RPG? (Look for it on wikipedia), well, if your life is an RPG, a game in which usually your goal is some huge mission and getting a higher level, then let’s say the huge mission here is defined by you, not the game, and that, for getting that mission done you must get a higher level.
In a second instance, you’re getting older. If you see that as the game turning up the difficult level, then becoming better and better (leveling) becomes harder with every year, so, for example, graduating from highschool is easy (or well, normal) at some age (different in each region, mostly 18, 17, or so). What if you fail to graduate? You don’t go to college (from which you would be graduating at age 22, or so; first years). What now? That’s the problem, “now” becomes harder. you stayed on that level and getting higher scores will be even harder now, not only because you are not a higher level (that could use other skills), but you’re getting older, and by not going to school your learning rate is substantially lower.
So, the RPG analogy would apply for several other moments in life. So by now, the number-one thing every student should have for interest is to keep studying, getting a higher level while you can. Study the things you like, of course, because you have other interests, but keep it clear
that you don’t pretend to fail.
Getting back to the “cutting interests” thing. It’s not always about forgetting an interest (it’s not even forgetting about it, just keep in on second or third instance), sometimes it’s about reorganizing your interests or activities.
I like to see it as a timeline, keeping “studying” on top (not to always study, just setting importance), and have other 3, maybe 4 lines of interests, or activities, I should pursue that day/week. Most of the time I include blogging, networking, reading, social engagement (trying to solve some troubles there…), and in certain occasions drawing and some “productive thing” like thinking of an idea for a story, which I do kind of constantly, not only thinking of new, but fixing previous ideas.
Reorganizing your priorities is good, it reminds you of what they are. Organizing your interests is something different, as with it you manage your day, or not to say day, your time. You’re constantly aware of what you should pursue, develop in your head. If your interests are food and traveling, go on, read travel blog, set a flight to the next destination and start stumbling for new recipes; leave, as you mat, other interests aside, for a while, while you enjoy the “travel & food” interests. Enjoy life, learn to enjoy life. but hey, what do you do with your interest?
