Finding motivation?

[mrnutty]

What's up ladies and gents. I've been lacking motivation to program lately. I've been doing a little programming here and there, but I work so I mostly program for my job. However, whenever I have free time, I use to program a lot, but that motivation and has been gone lately. I simply cannot find enough motivation to start some project again. I use to be addicted but now I don't find anything interesting to program. Maybe its a lack of ideas. So I ask how do you guys find motivation to program? Any advice?

[Ancient Dragon]

My advice is to take a vacation from programming for a little while. you sound burned out and that could be disasterous for your job if you do programming there. All work and no play makes a very boring person.

[<M/>]

Your probably too stressed or your aging/losing interest due to other events in life. I am younger than you (just finishing up freshmen year in High School) so me mentioning stressed and losing interest/aging would sound weird because people my age say 25 year old people are old.

Remember low motivation = smaller results and High Motivation = Great Results.

[BigPaw]

I don't know what realm of programming you normally work with, but you might want to consider experimenting with something different. For example, if you normally work with the likes of databases or something similar that can become a little 'samey', why not venture into writing something for hardware? There are lots of electronic projects out there that aren't too expensive, and you can connect it to your PC and code for it. The best projects are those you build yourself. You will pick up yet another skill and interest in programming.

Or, you could write an educational program for children, that would be a test for your imagination and creativity.

[mrnutty]

Welp the thing is, I am on my vacation, which is soon to be over in 2 days. I just haven't had a interesting project I wanted to work on. I usually work with C++ and web stuff. So I tried learning about networking, which was cool, got some chat app running. Learned something new. Idk, maybe I need to think of something creative to work on. I think my problem is that if I believe I can do that project then I don't have any motivation to work on it or start it, because it seems trivial. I think my problem is that I need to sort out my other issues i have in my life. Maybe my concentration has been thrown off because of my other life issues.

@firstPerson

I think my problem is that I need to sort out my other issues i have in my life. Maybe my concentration has been thrown off because of my other life issues.

I feel talking might be the best solution for you to get back on track. Since you got 2 days left talk to someone. It wouldn't surprise me or any other Daniweb member that you will feel better after the New Year. I hope you sort things out.

[Ancient Dragon]

you will feel better after the New Year.

Unless he has a huge hang-over :)

This is not uncommon, especially as you get older. You'll find yourself segwaying from one desire to another... It may be relationships, it may be money, it may be your health.

If you already program for a living this will compound your lack of desire. To be honest, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. As a young man you are tempered by many emotions and driving influences. Your lack of desire is your unsubconscious telling you that you do NOT wish to do this. Simply accept this emotion and move with the flow.

If however you really, really want to program in your spare time think about setting one time goals and following through. Think about projects that you either earn money from or interact with people. I find that motivation comes with knowing you have made someone else's life easier or amazed them.

Oh and Happy New Year.

[Ancient Dragon]

You'll find yourself segwaying from one desire to another..

Very true. I am segwaing between Jack Daniels (Hickup!) and Irish Mist. :) Happy New Year!

[aditd]

Motivation is about motivation ( programming in your case ). The lack of ideas ( what to program ) is big buster as no matter how motivated you will be ( let's do it ) it will all crash in ... what to do.
The good thing: sometimes you make breaks in doing what you love and those are just breaks.
I remember I had to write my 3'th book ( Happy No2 ) in order to boost up my motivation and come back to what I was doing.

[kemcar]

I think it is just a passing phase and chnaging your routine for quite sometime will help you get back to work with more motivation. Try taking a long break and live completely different to what you have been living like, so that you are all charged up to get back to your normal routine.