I have a tendency to binge-write. When I remember how much I like writing, I do it prolifically for a series of weeks. Later, some other poorly-regulated passion will take its place, and I'll only sit down to write once or twice in a week.
I was thinking about starting another binge when I realized that my blog-writing behavior parallels many aspects of my life. My binge right now is in sensor design - yesterday I started working on a new design early in the morning and continued almost non-stop until 2:00 AM the next morning. I was quite oblivious to the passage of time. Otherwise I might have been a little more responsible and stopped before midnight.
Another favorite binge is practicing jazz piano. Usually I get around two hours of practice in a day, but sometimes I completely lose myself in it and spend as many as six hours a day - to the neglect of everything else I am supposed to be doing.
Last week, I binged on my research - one night, I came home at the reasonable hour of 8:00 PM, but I was so mentally engaged with the problem I was working on that I went back at 9:30 and worked until it was solved (about 1:00 AM).
In the past, I've binged on swing dancing (REAL swing dancing, not country swing), but its been a while since I got into that.
On the positive side, I tend to get good at the things I do because I can focus intensely on them for arbitrarily long periods of time. On the other hand, it isn't at all conducive to forming long-term relationships. Past girlfriends objected to my staying focusing so exclusively on things other than them. For good reason, I suppose.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I remember when you told me about your proclivity to pursue lots of different passions it made me feel terribly inadequate. I tried to think of the things I was that passionate over, that I dedicated myself to them exclusively. I could only think of one. How sad...
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, you should definitely go on a dancing binge! And I think most people do this same thing to perhaps a lesser extent. It is totally normal to go through phases when different interests are occupying your mind.
Maybe its a happy thing that you could only think of one main "passion." If you are passionate about one main thing, you can invest enough time on it to be exceptional.
ReplyDeleteSomeone with multiple passions, on the other hand, has to pick and choose. Finite time prevents mastery of all passions, so you are doomed to have a number of things that you really care about, but that you can't really develop fully. That's the sad thing!
For example, I think I have the capacity to be a professional jazz musician, but I haven't the time to invest in it. That part of me will therefore go largely unfulfilled in my life.