ENFp organization skills and lack of follow through

[Simon Ssmall]

Hi Deltas,

Hi

It seems like this particular IEE needs to be chained to a piano and closely supervised until the project is done.

not recommended unless she is into bondage

I am curious to know how the IEE/SLI duality would work in this situation. Would an SLI really want to provide that level of supervision?

No, the SLI would leave you alone and not mention it unless the IEE would be whining about not finishing the project constantly.

Is this a job for an LSE activity partner?

Not that kind of task/work. A strict schedule is not something that would help here, can't force creativity etc.

Overall though finishing something that was started is certainly a weak area of IEE's. I eventually found my inner discipline but I save it up only for a few of these tasks. All I need from a dual/whatever person is support when i'm trying to achieve it. Be it physical, psychological or other support depends entirely on the situation. However forcing progress is something that would not work and would add to the fact that the task is something I don't want to do.

[SyrupDeGem]

Lost count of the amount of projects, courses, papers etc that i have not seen through to completion. I have given myself a ridiculously hard time about it in the past but now i realise that i really need time to think things through befor i commit to them. I still have the capacity to mess up but not nearly as much or as severely as befor... and i certainly do not scold myself as i was want.

Today (imagine the joy!) i actually found out that i completed something i thought i hadn't... just a short course with a very small amount of credits back in 2001, yeah...pat on my own back time.


EDIT: Hezeus!... never attempt to chain me to anything... i will plan drastic escape plots, including your own death if absolutely necessary.

[Absurd]

I'm not IEE, but I recall getting somewhat pissed at myself for burning my laptop motherboard first with vodka and after with instant noodle soup when writing my very scientific thesis, so ye, I know what IEEs come through.

[FoxOnStilts]

My ILE friend is like this. I hate it. Don't fucking say "let's do this" and talk about it for weeks/months just so the next day you can say "fuck it, let's do something else" or "I'm not interested in doing this anymore" when I finally construct a practical plan and begin working on it.

Sorry. I apologize on behalf of my type.

I just remembered my IEE friend tends to get REALLY EXCITED and then just forget and lose enthusiasm and start thinking about the practicalities of things and "Well, actually I probably shouldn't do this...can't afford it....etc", so when we were planning a trip, LSE and I were planning, but I had the side job of keeping the IEE excited. So I'd call her like every other day and be like, "Hey, what do you think about going here and doing this?" or "What do you want to do in California??" or "I just bought all this stuff for the trip, do you want to come look at it and see if we can think of anything else?" And she ended up going, thankfully. Basically, leave her alone to think about it, and she'll come up with a lot of reasons as to why she shouldn't do something.

[ClownsandEntropy]

I have an Alpha group of friends with whom I spend most of my time discussing ideas for films/games we could make. None of it is ever serious even though I sometimes say stuff like "That actually sounds possible, all you would do is [blah blah blah]," and then we start planning how it would work. Which I guess is distinctly different from actually making it seem like you plan on doing it and having other people start doing research about it. But still!

[Iris]

Thanks so much, everyone, for your replies. It is going to take me a while to look through them closely. To those who offered suggestions, I feel encouraged that maybe the key to a finished project lies in one of your ideas. To those who shared about struggles, I really appreciate the insight.

All of your posts made me curious about your various projects (perhaps creations is a better word,) so please feel free to tell more about what you are working on, if you want to.

To the musicians who responded, part of her problem is high standards for herself as a singer, and not being satisfied with how she sounds (she sounds really good.) I am not sure how that can be overcome. And I would like to hear some of your creations, by the way, if you can post them.

[Kim]

I can finish anything if there is enough pressure, but without pressure, I have no follow-through. Thankfully, I work well under pressure, but it's stressful.

My project to finish today is grade 43 midterm exams, which is about the most painful thing I could be asked to do (I hate grading). I finished 33, I have 10 more to go and I am HERE instead of just getting it done!

[Kim]

I am also good with clear-cut hands-on stuff (like putting together furniture or picking up rescued shelter dogs).

[Iris]

My project to finish today is grade 43 midterm exams, which is about the most painful thing I could be asked to do (I hate grading). I finished 33, I have 10 more to go and I am HERE instead of just getting it done!

Here, let me help you delay a little longer by asking about the subject of the exams, and whether they are short answer (hope not for your sake,) multiple choice, or fill in the blank.

[Kim]

Two essay questions...

[Iris]

Two essay questions...

Ooof.

Rescuing dogs and putting furniture together is way better than grading essays. So sorry.

[woofwoofl]

As another IEE music person, I find that I lose interest in activities that lack significant (perceived) potential for growth and progression. It's not so much that I get distracted easily, rather I need change in some form or another. But change doesn't have to come as a shift in hobby, I can perceive change just by making note of slow and steady progress in one area of life. For this reason, completing projects can feel very limiting to me, because once something is finalized there's no more room for it to grow.

Jesus H. Christ! This sounds exactly like my biggest issue ever! I play guitar and I am trying to write some original songs on one. It's difficult though because it is very open-ended and because of that, it's hard to accomplish something that is complete. In other words something that I am satisfied with enough that it can be published. I often find myself playing the same fragments of a "song" over and over and failing to generate a bridge between the two because I play simply what I find most interesting at the moment. That and the ironically self-limiting desire to make something the best it can be discourages me at times.

IEEs are divergent thinkers by nature, their way to solve problems is not to confront the issue head on, but to find alternatives instead. To focus into a problem with the intention to solve it without diverging is more a Se trait.

Hezeus!... never attempt to chain me to anything... i will plan drastic escape plots, including your own death if absolutely necessary.

All of this reminds me of my times making and playing music with my Ne/SI dudes.

All of them thought I was dictatorial and overbearing and all I could see was them getting jack shit done and having the nerve to criticize my way forward, which was the only one constructively provided to the group in a sea of indecision and nitpicking.

Me and the Si-LSE hit a pretty good rhythm and we more-or-less saw the other person as having their shit together, though sometimes in an odd way. He really got categorical with supposed genres and sub-genres, going into differences between Delta (not socionics related in this usage of the word) blues, British blues, etc.; I saw the differences when I looked for them after the fact, yet didn't really give a damn about them; I made the notes do whatever I wanted them to do and put them there for my own purposes. He ruled at guitar and had this massive, massive knowledge down to the last detail when it came to blues, and some about jazz and rock; those were peripheral to the central point of blues and things only strayed so far from that anchor. He was terrible at bass; not due to lack of technical ability, which he had loads of, but he flopped and fluttered around on the high strings, which gave no anchor or solidity to the music.

Me and the Si-SLI didn't get along for shit at the beginning. We each thought the other person was a fucking asshole. Things got better as time went on, and eventually we were pretty good friends. Never could get him to push the music's tempos much, and I suspected he wanted more of a certain kind of subtlety out of me, which I had to strain to get and the IEE dude just kinda naturally let that stuff out. The point where we knew we were done was when he passed out on the floor and the cat walked on him; this sapped my energy too, and I was on the ground too, and I didn't even feel enough energy to reach for the cat to pet him.

With the IEE? Wow. The SLI dude said I was like the IEE guy, and I kinda saw it, and we were into a lot of the same music more or less. We found out we were in it for completely different reasons. Every time I reached for a really awesome dissonant as fuck chord to rip shit up, he started making faces and looked simultaneously wounded and disappointed. I got bored of and irritated at him for draping these minor-key melodies like wet blankets on music that was supposed to pound like jackhammers. I got sick of nothing getting done and nothing getting solidified.


Next band had me with a partially unsorted Ne-ENxp (maybs Ne-IEE, probs Ne-ILE) and a definite Si-SEI. More blues. First band practice had an IEI guy connecting crazy awesome with me and we pounded the shit out of some metal. He promptly got booted from the band. Next practice had me going ballistic on the drums with the Ne-ENxp on guitar. He hated my red cymbal. He wanted me to do all sorts of silly shit like incorporate a boxing bell into the kit and use a fuckton of tom drums, nevermind that these things would have to be lugged around everywhere. Ugh. Practice after that had them stocking up on ear plugs. I closed my hi-hat most of the time. I did good on lots of blues stuff, left them some space, and rocked the motherfucking shit out of Purple Haze! I got the boot after that and they got this Si-ESE guy who hit like a nine-year-old girl. Wimpy. Intricate, though, and skillful. He got the boot and now came in this Si-SEI dude and I hope it works because they rule.



In none of these bands was I able to get anything solidified or set-in-stone as far as songs go.

In one of the last band's practices, I beat the shit out of the beat from Van Halen's Panama for four straight hours without doing a single drum fill. Something tells me the group found this to be more bad than good.

[HandiAce]

Well sure, but that'd be terribly confusing for my audience and it would just be me tweaking minute details for 40 years with nobody ever noticing. How does copywriting music even generate a new perspective on it in the first place?

I was thinking more along the lines of live performing as opposed to composing and recording your music. In your case (at least from what I know about you), you're a composer, not a performer.

The better way to go around thinking about the problem is to realize that growth manifests in heightened skill, morphing aesthetics personal or otherwise, etc. and not with the one song I'm/you're/one is working on in the moment. Contextualization is king.

By contextualization, do you mean that one should focus on how you as a musician/artist are impacting your audience?

[Park]

Sorry. I apologize on behalf of my type.

I just remembered my IEE friend tends to get REALLY EXCITED and then just forget and lose enthusiasm and start thinking about the practicalities of things and "Well, actually I probably shouldn't do this...can't afford it....etc", so when we were planning a trip, LSE and I were planning, but I had the side job of keeping the IEE excited. So I'd call her like every other day and be like, "Hey, what do you think about going here and doing this?" or "What do you want to do in California??" or "I just bought all this stuff for the trip, do you want to come look at it and see if we can think of anything else?" And she ended up going, thankfully. Basically, leave her alone to think about it, and she'll come up with a lot of reasons as to why she shouldn't do something.

By the sound of it, I can't really imagine getting along very well with ENXp's, at least in the long run... you weird, unrealistic, inconsistent, shallow, head-in-clouds, easily distractable, completely lacking follow-through people, you.

Or maybe I'm just a mistyped LSI.

[Park]

I have an Alpha group of friends with whom I spend most of my time discussing ideas for films/games we could make. None of it is ever serious even though I sometimes say stuff like "That actually sounds possible, all you would do is [blah blah blah]," and then we start planning how it would work. Which I guess is distinctly different from actually making it seem like you plan on doing it and having other people start doing research about it. But still!

That's where I come in.

Sometimes I just use other people's ideas to plan and execute awesome stuff on my own. Problems arise with group planning, where I end up doing most of the work myself, and I get really pissed at people for not sticking to their responsibilities, assigned duties, and ESPECIALLY things that THEY had promised and said will do by their own initiative. Like, I would do thorough research and plan extensively just to have morons who were supposed to be involved in the execution quit and flake out on me in the last minute.

[Suz]

One thing I've noticed is that Ne types spend more time trying to find a way around doing something that the time needed to actually do it. In my case, I make an effort to avoid preparing myself to do something and simply do it.

I've come to realize the need for doing just this very thing as well... And it usually ends up being not as bad as I thought it would be!

[Park]

You still aren't black enough for WA even after that edit.

Is 10 inches black enough?

[Suz]

That's where I come in.

Sometimes I just use other people's ideas to plan and execute awesome stuff on my own. Problems arise with group planning, where I end up doing most of the work myself, and I get really pissed at people for not sticking to their responsibilities, assigned duties, and ESPECIALLY things that THEY had promised and said will do by their own initiative. Like, I would do thorough research and plan extensively just to have morons who were supposed to be involved in the execution quit and flake out on me in the last minute.

Well, speaking for myself anyway, when it comes to other people (or a group) depending on my work, that particular work is #1 priority for me, just because I would never forgive myself if I let down people who are depending on me. Likewise, if I promised I'd be somewhere, it would have to be a really good reason for me to cancel. I feel likewise about people who "flake out" on me as well.

I actually think this is a NTR trait. Its just about being a person with a strong sense of responsibility and consideration for others.

[Park]

I actually think this is a NTR trait. Its just about being a person with a strong sense of responsibility and consideration for others.

It's about character and integrity.

[Suz]

I can finish anything if there is enough pressure, but without pressure, I have no follow-through. Thankfully, I work well under pressure, but it's stressful.

My project to finish today is grade 43 midterm exams, which is about the most painful thing I could be asked to do (I hate grading). I finished 33, I have 10 more to go and I am HERE instead of just getting it done!

Well everyone needs a break!! You'll be more productive now!

p.s. I hate grading too. In college, given a choice between tutoring & grading, I tried both and I absolutely preferred tutoring by a longshot! Grading took me hours and hours, mostly because I was being too detailed about it, and i wanted to be fair. My peers would just rush through, i'm not even sure how they got done grading so quick! I ended up having someone help me grade just cause i would get so behind. (it wasn't because I was flaking out though!!)

[Suz]

I'm not IEE, but I recall getting somewhat pissed at myself for burning my laptop motherboard first with vodka and after with instant noodle soup when writing my very scientific thesis, so ye, I know what IEEs come through.

Thank u for understanding, Absurd.

[Galen]

I was thinking more along the lines of live performing as opposed to composing and recording your music. In your case (at least from what I know about you), you're a composer, not a performer.

Right? Where were you going with this?

By contextualization, do you mean that one should focus on how you as a musician/artist are impacting your audience?

I mean contextualization of how one song, or rather the act of completing one song, plays out along my whole career: how it's indicative of a change in style, what opportunities can arise later on from this song's existence (licensing, pitching to a company, using as demo fodder) etc, as opposed to incorrectly thinking "once this song is over, it's done and I have no more music to write."

[ClownsandEntropy]

That's where I come in.

Sometimes I just use other people's ideas to plan and execute awesome stuff on my own. Problems arise with group planning, where I end up doing most of the work myself, and I get really pissed at people for not sticking to their responsibilities, assigned duties, and ESPECIALLY things that THEY had promised and said will do by their own initiative. Like, I would do thorough research and plan extensively just to have morons who were supposed to be involved in the execution quit and flake out on me in the last minute.

True, although in the situation where a group of people are organising something and that thing needs to get done, I'm most definitely one of the most responsible and reliable members of a group. If it's actually something that people expect me to get done, or that people are collectively trying to achieve, then I'll realise that I'd better actually do the work.

Which is distinctly different from deciding to do something (take, for example, recording a CD) where it isn't so much the fact that people are relying on you and doing work, but that you want to get it done. In that situation your only obstacle is overcoming your laziness, and maaaaybe that could be type related?

Both of which are distinctly different from the attitude we take during what I shall call our "game brainstorming sessions," in which no one has serious intentions to actually go out and do any research or work. So we're not letting down anyone in the group - because none of us are expecting anything from others - and we're not letting down ourselves - because there's no real desire to see our ideas realised. I mean, if someone said, "Hey, that was a really good idea. If I could do graphics could you do coding?" then it's a whole new story where we might actually work.

On that subject, group projects are the worst. I was often paired with the students who did the least work in the class (maybe I was supposed to be a "good influence"), and I usually ended up telling them, "This is my part of the project, this is your part. We'll integrate slides/presentations at the end." So half of the presentation would be (adequately enough) prepared, and the other half would be a solid copy of Wikipedia.

[Iris]

The thing is, Ne base get REALLY EXCITED ABOUT the IDEA of having or doing something but then when it comes to actually doing the work we lose interest and just stop with the idea that "meh, I'll go back to it eventually" and never do. We like thinking about doing something and having the end product, but putting the time/effort into it just isn't as cool. Work is boring.

This was a great reminder to me. I am being all serious about this, with reason, but the element of excitement has been missing. @anndelise -thanks for the suggestions about facilitating fun! @Raver thanks for giving this problem a Name: Incomplete Project Syndrome. Perhaps some of these uncompleted projects need to be reclassified as play, which is necessary for mental health and fostering creativity.

[Park]

Which is distinctly different from deciding to do something (take, for example, recording a CD) where it isn't so much the fact that people are relying on you and doing work, but that you want to get it done. In that situation your only obstacle is overcoming your laziness, and maaaaybe that could be type related?

My only obstacle is overcoming my perfectionism, or figuring out ways to meet my self-imposed expectations, without letting these things prevent me from getting things done. If it's a personal project, I will inevitably get practically stuck on detail work. I want to dedicate special attention and effort to each aspect of the process, so that the final result reflects my real potential, skills, and abilities. I have to be satisfied with my work, and this is unachievable with a half-assed approach. I am naturally inclined to take things to an extreme in the opposite direction, which isn't always that helpful.

To record a CD, I need to play, record, compose and/or make an arrangement, do sequencing, mix, and master every track. This is a huge DIY project, and even if I have other people to collaborate with and/or assign some of the tasks to, it's still a huge time and effort-consuming process. Especially if you're a nitpick and every single thing matters.

Both of which are distinctly different from the attitude we take during what I shall call our "game brainstorming sessions," in which no one has serious intentions to actually go out and do any research or work. So we're not letting down anyone in the group - because none of us are expecting anything from others - and we're not letting down ourselves - because there's no real desire to see our ideas realised. I mean, if someone said, "Hey, that was a really good idea. If I could do graphics could you do coding?" then it's a whole new story where we might actually work.

Yeah, you have a point. One should be clear and upfront about their intentions. You shouldn't get other people excited about something you know is unreal, or get involved in something you're not prepared to undertake and take responsibility for. You shouldn't let people down just because it's easy.

On that subject, group projects are the worst. I was often paired with the students who did the least work in the class (maybe I was supposed to be a "good influence"), and I usually ended up telling them, "This is my part of the project, this is your part. We'll integrate slides/presentations at the end." So half of the presentation would be (adequately enough) prepared, and the other half would be a solid copy of Wikipedia.

I know what you mean.

[Eliza Thomason]

Yes, I procrastinate too. I start a lot of things and have many things going at once. I get stuck. @k0rpsy's suggestions for helping one get unstuck are the kind that work for me. Guilt-inducing lectures or pep-talks slow me down. (I feel bad, and don't work well when I feel bad). I think my SLI helps me be my best because I just feel great around him.


Projects Completed:
- An oil painting last year
- Three years ago a very large fiberglass art project (painted) commissioned by the local power plant (included me converting the garage to a winter workspace and learning about how to do fiberglass from a boatmaker on youtube)
- lots of home interior redecorating/recorganizing/overhauling/etc.
- upholstered chairs, made my own curtains, drapes and pillows
- Completed major outdoor garden projects in the courtyard and patio converting from plain and uninviting to really nice destinations you want to stay awhile in, with rock walls and rock-edged beds from rocks I collected from nearby lakes and streams
- planted thousands of spring bulbs, also several trees and shrubs
- In the past I have picked and canned great volumes of about every kind of fruit and vegetable, many deer (in homemade BBQ sauce - delicious), and tons of homemade tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes and tons of grape juice annually from grapes I picked.


Projects uncompleted:
- I hand-painted an entire bathroom-full of border tiles, everything done 3x over because the glaze has to be thick, and had them fired and they're ready-to-go. And I never put them up. I have moved since I did them but I have a powder-room here about the right size but I never get around to it.
- I made a storyboard and two completed illustrations for a friends book, and he took it to a major publisher who said they did not like the story but their art department really liked my work and would like to see a portfolio of my work. I don't have one, and have intended to create about 10 appropriate pieces of art, which I should be able to do with this excellent piece of encouragement, and since its one of my life-goals, to illustrate a book.. but somehow I just can't get this going.
[for both of these projects, they involve some decision-making, like what else to do in the powder-room besides tile, and what illustrations to do. And I think I get stuck on decision-making, and nothing gets off the ground.]
- For all the organizing I do and home decorating, the basement is a wreck and so is the garage. In the basement, among other things, is my art supplies so getting that stuff out for a project is a pain, and my gardening supplies are all over the garage, and it makes gardening inconvenient. But I just can't get started. Always seems to be something else to do.

[Eliza Thomason]

Then there is my bed. I intend to create an upholstered headboard, which means researching how to do that (shouldn't be hard) and how to make the rest of the bed and my woodworking tools are pretty elementary, so I will probably have to borrow something when I figure out what I need to do it, and I haven't chosen a color/design theme (more decisions) so 3 years and nothing happened except the bed frame I bought at Salvation Army that sort of goes with my dressers has completely come apart at the base - the posts are severed from the frame at the base, and its a complete mystery to me why the bed doesn't crash to the floor. I did slide a plastic storage box under before it got too bad, just in case it went crashing in the night, but for about a year now I ask St. Joseph to keep my bed from busting every single night before I gingerly get in it. At least til my SLI can come visit and tell me how to fix it. Which we now think is December. I honestly think only St. Joseph is keeping the bed from crashing.

[Korpsy Knievel]

Is 10 inches black enough?

Only your mother knows.

[Suz]

What WA is saying is that she needs someone to provide her with smooth jazz, whiskey, and beef jerky to remain on-task to completion.

In a more long-term sense, but essentially yes...

[Suz]

My only obstacle is overcoming my perfectionism, or figuring out ways to meet my self-imposed expectations, without letting these things prevent me from getting things done. If it's a personal project, I will inevitably get practically stuck on detail work. I want to dedicate special attention and effort to each aspect of the process, so that the final result reflects my real potential, skills, and abilities. I have to be satisfied with my work, and this is unachievable with a half-assed approach. I am naturally inclined to take things to an extreme in the opposite direction, which isn't always that helpful.
.

I approve. I have a similar perspective about any work i tackle as well..similar standards for myself and others I happen to be working with.
I did notice with the several SLIs i've worked with, a similar approach as yourself, which is one of the reasons it's easy for me to work with them. With SLIs I dont tend to get annoyed about work getting half-assed or them not doing justice to the work they are supposed to be doing (perfect way to annoy me, and happens with relative frequency with some others i work with). Also the communication tends to be good (i.e. notifying each other of important things, or at least things each person expects to be notified about) -- bad communication is another way to really annoy me.

[Suz]

Then there is my bed. I intend to create an upholstered headboard

Oh yeah, that's really easy to do i think! I once saw it done on a DIY show on TV (a while back so I dont remember the details), but I thought it was pretty cool. i think it went sort of like you take a big piece of wood or wood-grain (the size you want to make the headboard), you take a fabric (sized bigger than the board), put a bunch of padding on it (board sized area), then lay the board over top of the padding + fabric, fold the excess fabric around the back tightly, staple the edges around back with one of those big staplers. Then flip the board over and staple the fabric + padding in some nice pattern (like a diamond shape). Then you can glue pretty buttons over the staples.

I'm sure there is a youtube video or two on it.

[Eliza Thomason]

... Then flip the board over and staple the fabric + padding in some nice pattern (like a diamond shape). Then you can glue pretty buttons over the staples.

I'm sure there is a youtube video or two on it.

That was one of the parts I was wondering about - I thought I needed to pull the buttons through, as in upholstery, and wondered how that would work against a large plywood under-board...but stapling it right into the board - perfect and easy! and shortcutting by gluing the buttons down - great idea!

yes, there probably is a youtube video.

Thanks! One problem solved.

I should take a picture of my ridiculous about-to-crash bed so I can post it here when I figure out how to post pics.

[HandiAce]

Right? Where were you going with this?

I'm a performer, you're not.

I mean contextualization of how one song, or rather the act of completing one song, plays out along my whole career: how it's indicative of a change in style, what opportunities can arise later on from this song's existence (licensing, pitching to a company, using as demo fodder) etc, as opposed to incorrectly thinking "once this song is over, it's done and I have no more music to write."

I see. So is it OK for a song you compose to have mistakes? Some mistakes might actually take you somewhere.

[Galen]

I'm a performer, you're not.

Oh

I see. So is it OK for a song you compose to have mistakes? Some mistakes might actually take you somewhere.

Are mistakes every inherently good or bad? Happening across fluke accidents mid-process can easily spark new ideas for progression, although there probably many more possibilities for error.

[applejacks]

Hey Delta Friends!

First off, I love you guys. This forum has been an incredible resource, and all your discussions have really helped me further understand myself and those around me. So, thank you!

Secondly, I came across Beskova's description of HUXLEY here and was absolutely floored by how accurately it portrayed me. In fact, I couldn't have written a better description myself, and when I read it to my husband, he was amazed and agreed how eerie it was that something like this could be so accurate. It's actually been a relief to read, because I now understand why people are so essential to me. As the article pointed out, even the way I dress is for the benefit of people, and in expressing my individuality and authenticity. I've been dealing with a lot of isolation and stress lately as a result of moving to a small town, and have been trying to be consistent in a few programs to help cope.

All that said, here's my question:

As IEEs, do you struggle with consistency? I am perhaps the most inconsistent person alive. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot keep a regime for myself for longer than a few weeks, UNLESS I am held accountable by a friend, teammate, or employer. It's been this way all my life. I simply become interested in something new, or just forget to follow a protocol I've set for myself, and wander down some new rabbit hole. I don't have ADD, it's simply as if holding a strict routine or staying closely connected to a schedule just isn't wired into my brain.

For example, I might take vitamins every day for a month, and then the second month I'll just forget if something spontaneous comes up that I decide to pursue in the time when I normally take then. My husband calls me a butterfly, as if I'm happily roaming to a new flower, collecting all the good things from the previous flowers, and moving on- again.. UNLESS I have external accountability.

Most programs that are successful for me (on my own) are usually shorter than 2 or 3 months. P90x is probably the only workout program I've successfully completed. Other programs I may start, but then I may decide that a bike ride or a kayak trip are more important than what I previously planned for the day, and I detour from the plan all together afterwards.

Have you discovered any tips to cope with a lack in consistency?

Now that I'm working for myself as a piano/guitar teacher, I'm finding it harder and harder to keep myself motivated and on a strict schedule. More often than not I wake up, have coffee, see what interests me on the internet, and then plan my day and my workout based on whether or not it's sunny outside. The second half of my day is a little more structured, since it revolves around my students, but my first half is a complete, spontaneous mess.

I have no problems maintaining my focus and rhythm when working on a team. Working with people helps keep me on routine simply because I fear what others may think if I show up late or turn out to be non-dependable, and love to be viewed as someone that can pull more than their share of the weight.

Being on my own however is a different story.

Help a girl out? : )

[Kim]

My life exactly

[anndelise]

A description i use about myself is that the only thing I'm particularly consistent in is my inconsistency.

Edited to add: Since you recognize it, learn how to work with it when you can.

For me, I jump from project to project, being unable to maintain attention/energy for an extended time. So I try to set myself up to be able to move easily between them, and to end a session where it would be easy to pick up again from where I left off.

Regarding habits, it helps to consider them as a practice. You are practicing taking your vitamins every day. Sometimes you might take two steps back in that practice, but the more you practice it, the easier it will become to resume practicing.

(Sorry, I am distracted atm, I might have more to add.)

[applejacks]

A description i use about myself is that the only thing I'm particularly consistent in is my inconsistency.

YES! Consistently inconsistent!

[anndelise]

Oops, sorry applejacks, I added more into that post.

[Creepy-theticalanti]

Hey applejacks. I guess you saw my post in the other thread about IEE consistency already, http://www.the16types.info/vbulletin...721#post958721.

While that may be helpful, I wanted to add a couple more things specifically about your post:

As IEEs, do you struggle with consistency? I am perhaps the most inconsistent person alive. No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot keep a regime for myself for longer than a few weeks, UNLESS I am held accountable by a friend, teammate, or employer. It's been this way all my life. I simply become interested in something new, or just forget to follow a protocol I've set for myself, and wander down some new rabbit hole. I don't have ADD, it's simply as if holding a strict routine or staying closely connected to a schedule just isn't wired into my brain.

It's perfectly ok to use the 'accountability' of others to 'keep yourself focused'. Humans are very social creatures. While 'independence' is touted in today's media as highly regarded, 'interdependence' is even more important, as Stephen Covey talks about in '7 Habits of Highly Effective People'. It's not something to feel guilty at all about, but something to understand about yourself and leverage to be better. If you know you perform better when being held accountable, you can use that. Just as 'study groups' or 'peer groups' help students sometimes, adults need to create an environment around themselves that will help them pursue success. Environment is everything.

Especially for me as well, while I'm young, and still learning a lot and reading to become more effective, I need structure around me to stay consistent. I honestly get distracted sometimes as well if I'm left up to my own devices. If you're young in your 20s as well and feeling distracted, it may help to plug into the structure of a corporation to increase your confidence and develop better habits. The entrepreneurial, independent lifestyle is not for everyone, at least until you've had structure and time to develop more industrious habits of consistency.

Most programs that are successful for me (on my own) are usually shorter than 2 or 3 months. P90x is probably the only workout program I've successfully completed. Other programs I may start, but then I may decide that a bike ride or a kayak trip are more important than what I previously planned for the day, and I detour from the plan all together afterwards.

This part stuck out to me. I'm curious - is physical fitness really important to you? For me, fitness is just one aspect of life. I'm interested in the underlying reason you used it as an example.

Let's take a step back - I feel your post is different than Eliza's - she was an IEE talking about consistency, yes, but she finished her Master's degree and already had some plans to work to improve her finances, which seemed to be an underlying reason for her post.

Honestly, maybe I'm off, but I get an impression that you don't know what exactly you want in life. That's ok. I'd guess 90%+ of people haven't figured it out yet. But I get the impression that you feel 'restless' because you're moving in different directions without real control over the trajectory of your life. Maybe that's too deep for a 16types post. I hope I'm portraying what I mean in a way that makes sense.

See, it's tough to be consistent in anything if you don't know what you what. If you don't know WHY you're doing it. If you don't know WHY it's important to you. If you're not sure what you value, why you're here on this earth, what your purpose is, what you want that will make you happy.

So how do you figure it out? I'd suggest taking some quiet time, alone, and really think about how you want your life to be 5 years from now. Be as SPECIFIC as possible. Where do you want to be in your career? What will your marriage look like? Do you want kids? What kind of house will you live in? What kind of neighborhood? Where will you be living? What kind of shape and health do you want to be in? What will your finances look like?

Developing more long-term vision can really help you realize what's important. It's helpful in eliminating many of the 'distractions' that may stop someone from being consistent, if they know why they're chasing something.

This is starting to get pretty long, so I'll end it here. Just take some time to think about what you want & the environment you're in. Hopefully this post adds value to the discussion.