Why You Never Finish What You Start
Why do you jump from one obsession to the next, leaving projects unfinished? Maybe it’s not a flaw—but a strength
Ever since I was a kid, I've never been able to stay in one place for too long. There's always been this restless urge to keep moving, to chase the next new thing - something to obsess over for two weeks before losing interest and moving on. When I stay in one place for too long, it feels suffocating, like I'm drowning.
Getting diagnosed with ADHD as a child explained so much. That constant need for new stimulation, the struggle to stick with things, the racing thoughts that wouldn't quiet down - it wasn't a character flaw. It was just how my brain was wired. But understanding the "why" didn't make the challenges disappear. My desk still became a graveyard of half-finished projects: the guitar I swore I'd master, three different journals I'd start and abandon, countless books read halfway through.
The ancient Stoics taught us that true freedom comes not from fighting against our nature, but from understanding it and working with it wisely.
As Epictetus said:
"Don't seek to have events happen as you wish, but wish them to happen as they do happen, and all will be well with you." — Epictetus
This perspective transformed how I saw my restless mind. Instead of seeing it as something to overcome, I began to view it as something to understand and direct. The Stoics believed that every challenge carries within it an opportunity - if we have the wisdom to see it and the courage to seize it.
"What stands in the way becomes the way." — Marcus Aurelius
What I've learned over the years is that this endless motion doesn't have to be your enemy. History is full of restless minds who changed the world precisely because they couldn't sit still. Seneca himself wrote about the importance of engaging with different ideas and experiences, though he cautioned against doing so without purpose or reflection.
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