[Old Intern]

I relate to being more enthused at the beginning of a project (the middle is hell for me); and we can't all, in every case, be so clever or charming as to have someone else convinced that white washing the fence is fun. I'm reasonable enough to accept that sometimes the only way out is through, and like an entj I get a thrill from results. That moment when something goes from being a brain child to being something that exists and is useful in the real world is what I live for (the entp brand of drama?).

Delegation is an obvious answer but sometimes not financially feasible,

• if your prototype hasn't been tested enough
• you are accepting the grunt (entry) level for part-time or project work -to gain experience or credentials
• experts are only quick to give you the canned answer, and you have to be able to show what you are talking about to get the sale or the financing - so details need to be worked out.
• you wonder if you are too impatient or if you are working too hard at something that should just be done another way; you are wary of how silver-bullet seeking is costly too.

One thing that has worked for me is that I know that from halfway to third quarter completion of anything is where the self doubt and disillusionment hits me (entp?). I have learned to ignore it . . . and that works! This watershed moment always happens and I have to force myself through it. This is where I can already see a million new ways to have done it, and my solution no longer seems awesome to me. I know from experience that the flaws I get focused on at this juncture seem much larger to me than to anyone else, including customers.
I've learned to take pride in how "real artists ship".

My real question is that with opportunities and technology moving so fast today, how do you know when to buckle down and when to find a new direction? Also, do you have a baseline standard, something like a risk to stability ratio for your life?

 

[Lotan]

Unless you've found a gaping, fatal error that makes the project absolutely unworkable, it's worth finishing what you start before finding a new direction. I know we NTs love our ideas, but talking about all your great ideas only gets you so far. Having something to show, even if that something is flawed, is worth a lot more than a bunch of half-finished proposals. Completed projects can also be built on for further ideas, and returned to if you find that one of your other ideas is unworkable even if it seemed better in your head.

I think everyone is more enthused at the beginning of projects. I love starting new things, and what I love even more is finishing them and seeing my work. What I don't love - and what I think nobody loves - is the middle stretch in which it's not new enough to be exciting, but you haven't yet got it all figured out and put together, either. The grunt work phase. And this is the phase that separates the successful from the unsuccessful. Not saying that successful people never quit in this phase. I have, many times. But you have to follow through sometimes or you'll never succeed. And I can pretty much guarantee you every single project you work on is going to have the "boring" phase, and a phase where you have an idea you just think is ten times better. Work on more than one project at a time for variety if you wish, but buckle down and finish them.

As far as risk vs. stability goes, I have to have stability to a certain extent. I won't risk my life savings on something. I'm not going to quit my job and move to France in the hopes of finding some huge epiphany there. I'll take risks, but not possibly life-ruining ones.