Thursday blues

[Glen M]

Been feeling really burnt out of late. Just can't be arsed. Sat in the cave last night staring at the collection for an hour without turning anything on then just went to bed.

I was going to write a full post of woes, in fact I did write it then delete it cause that's my problem and not yours.

So many great ideas floating around my head and naff all energy to get things done.

Not even sure what the point of this thread is. Maybe just to get it off my chest a bit...

[chip]

I usually do a long walking when there are too many things in my mind


Just to put things in better order

[Glen M]

Originally Posted by chip

I usually do a long walking when there are too many things in my mind


Just to put things in better order

I normally play golf but the weather has been all over the place of late and I haven't been out. Hoping to get 9 in tomorrow afternoon though. Maybe that's all I need, a bit of fresh air!

[Daedalus]

Yeah, I hear ya. It's especially tough when you have very little time free to do things after the day job, getting kids to bed etc., and then have a huge list of things you need to do, a separate huge list of things you want to do, and no energy to do any of it so you end up moving a mouse pointer around an empty desktop a few times before calling it a night.

Best bet is to not even bother for a few days - crack open a new box set on Netflix/Prime/whatever and work through that instead (The Expanse / Halt & Catch Fire / Fleabag / Peaky Blinders / The Let Down / Love-Hate / Fresh Meat are some recommendations). The urge will return naturally at some point and you'll be back in the mancave again

[sparhawk]

Originally Posted by Glen M

So many great ideas floating around my head and naff all energy to get things done.

Glad that I'm not the only one with this feeling. I have so many ideas what I want to do. When I'm out with the dogs, or at work, I would like to try all the ideas that are floating in my head. And when I finally have a little bit of time, then I sit there and can't be bothered much.


I'm glad enough that I managed at least to work on my library, but to be honest, what I wanted to do was a game. But there is so much work involved, when starting from scratch, that I always have to do some other stuff which I will need and I have the feeling that my actual goal (a game) is not really going forward and I'm just procrastinating.

[Glen M]

Originally Posted by sparhawk

Glad that I'm not the only one with this feeling. I have so many ideas what I want to do. When I'm out with the dogs, or at work, I would like to try all the ideas that are floating in my head. And when I finally have a little bit of time, then I sit there and can't be bothered much.


I'm glad enough that I managed at least to work on my library, but to be honest, what I wanted to do was a game. But there is so much work involved, when starting from scratch, that I always have to do some other stuff which I will need and I have the feeling that my actual goal (a game) is not really going forward and I'm just procrastinating.

Currently I'm tossing around ideas of building a full arcade cabinet to house my arcade stick. Building a C64 power supply but properly and not just a usb charger in a box, need to do some learning first. Building a C64 mechanical keyboard (because reasons), plus I want to get back into coding (still done nothing about it).

I want to make a few videos on some recent Amiga stuff and I've got a C64 keyboard to repair plus 2 more boards but averaging 100 views per video I'm starting to wonder whats the point. One of my main reasons for youtube though is it forces me to do stuff.

I went and bought a 20" 4:3 dell monitor last night (biggest one I could find for sensible price) so I'll maybe make a start into the arcade cabinet design. Long term project though not rushing, still 10 months to Amiga Ireland 2021

Topping that off in work I have to spend the afternoon writing a response to a contractor who claims he is in delay because I won't approve his attempt to change my lighting specification. "Just provide whats named on the drawing and everyone will be happy" how do I write that professionally....

[Glen M]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Yeah, I hear ya. It's especially tough when you have very little time free to do things after the day job, getting kids to bed etc., and then have a huge list of things you need to do, a separate huge list of things you want to do, and no energy to do any of it so you end up moving a mouse pointer around an empty desktop a few times before calling it a night.

Best bet is to not even bother for a few days - crack open a new box set on Netflix/Prime/whatever and work through that instead (The Expanse / Halt & Catch Fire / Fleabag / Peaky Blinders / The Let Down / Love-Hate / Fresh Meat are some recommendations). The urge will return naturally at some point and you'll be back in the mancave again

I have been meaning to start the new series of altered carbon so might take up your advice with a beer or 2 later.

[sparhawk]

Originally Posted by Glen M

but averaging 100 views per video I'm starting to wonder whats the point. One of my main reasons for youtube though is it forces me to do stuff.

LOL! Same for me, just on github instead of youtube. I recently noticed that I have three followers, so it seems there is at least SOMEBODY interested in what I'm doing, which gives a little incentive to keep going.

[Anubis]

I have those days... and they come and go.

Lately I've been so busy that I just don't have time to feel anything... and 1-2 Melatonin pills help get to sleep / stop brain from overloading at night...

Usually if I have some extra time, I would play some game (currently still playing Far Cry Primal and/or lots of chess, mainly while I am waiting for different things kids do)...

I loved first season of Altered Carbon, will have to find time to watch new season. I listened book few years back. (tried new library app for android at the time)

I have 2-3 projects with some old hardware, RPI I have not start in a while,... just don't feel starting anything new atm.

[Muzkat]

Motivation is hard to come by. In particular when a busy working life sucks you dry, leaving you with very little energy come hobby and recreation time.

My only advice is to muster up the will, courage, and determination to just start. Just make a start to whatever you wish to do. Then see if you can gather some momentum.

It may sound cliché, but starting is the hardest step.

[DDNI]

Glen, what’s needed is an Amiga Belfast meet in June. That’ll motivate us.

[E-Penguin]

There's definitely something in the air (other than covid-19). Today I cycled into a bollard and broke my toe.

[SquawkBox]

@Glen M; sparhawk
Feeling any better guys ?

[gimbal]

I recognise the energy bit, an extreme daily routine which is mostly about staying at home makes you so darned lethargic. Sleep, eat, work, cook, eat, play, sleep. Day in, day out.

I picked up jogging again to help resolve that, a little stress to the system helps to combat Covid-belly due to WorkingFromHomeSyndrome and it revs up the engine. It's working quite well I must say, I'm still gaming too much but I do other things too like writing and learning Spanish. Plus I have fresh motivation to go all out when cooking.

[DamienD]

Exercise is vital to keeping healthy / stimulated / motivated.

I usually run 8.5 km 3 times a week. Takes about 38 minutes; not bad for a 44 year old, who's unfortunately been a smoker for 28 years.

I really need to quit smoking, very bad habit

[VladR]

Originally Posted by DamienD

I really need to quit smoking, very bad habit

Uhm, don't. Like, don't even try.

I stopped [cold turkey] about 15 yrs ago, after ~7 yrs of smoking. My last year was 2.5 packs. A bloody day !

If I wasn't a stubborn bastard, I wouldn't have resisted for over 2 years.

Because that's how long the shit is in your system. For over 2 years I could not go out and have a beer without a brutal desire to smoke.
Or drink a coffee every day without brutal desire to smoke.
Or get angry by exwife and not be able to smoke.
Or <insert 50 other activities>...

Really, only after about 2.5 years, the cigarettes finally started to smell uncomfortable. That's when I finally stopped having 50 urges to smoke per week.


From all of my friends and colleagues, I remain the only one who didn't start smoking again. I totally understand how can someone start smoking even 1.5 years after they quit.


As much as I don't miss the smell and money burnt away, the breathing exercise and related relax is something you will miss forever.

[gimbal]

Don't project your own experience onto others and give them extremely bad advise.

[Muzkat]

How do you guys run so far without getting puffed?

I run for one kilometre, feel like I am about to die, stop and hate myself for not being able to go further. Then I give up on running entirely and feel incredibly disappointed with myself.

[jmmijo]

Originally Posted by Muzkat

How do you guys run so far without getting puffed?

I run for one kilometre, feel like I am about to die, stop and hate myself for not being able to go further. Then I give up on running entirely and feel incredibly disappointed with myself.

I'm pretty much with you, I've not had any running jogging for awhile now due to my piss poor knees

[VladR]

Originally Posted by gimbal

Don't project your own experience onto others and give them extremely bad advise.

Except that from the whole group of all my friends and colleagues that smoked, everybody who tried to quit had basically same experience and within 18 months everybody started smoking again. So, no, it's not just my experience...


You don't know your genetic profile. I've known people who died of lung cancer that never smoked and lots and lots of people who smoked till 80-90.

Everybody who tries to stop smoking thinks that they will be happier when they stop. No, that does not happen. You will loose a major daily chill occasion. Sure, you can attempt to replace them with other things, but you won't truly replace it. Not really.


According to latest research, I practically reduced my cancer risk by mere ~35%.

That does not justify the amount of self-abuse you have to go through to pull it off.


If you're ~50 and still smoking and still alive, the benefits of stopping are disproportionate to what it really costs you.