Getting hyped about the new thing and then quickly forgetting about it is a common trait among people I know with ADHD. Not saying that's the cause just that there's a correlation, you do with that as you please.
I almost always stick to my projects because they're almost always motivated by a need rather than a fad. The need is resolved when project concludes.
I use proven and stable tools that I'm proficient in like C++/Java (depending on project needs) that allow me to focus on "getting it done" rather than learning the shiny new thing that'll be superseded soon.
My projects also tend to be deliberately smaller in scope, and I actively reject project ideas that are too big because that's when they tend to fizzle out.
I have definitely considered ADHD, and while correlation != causation, the correlation is of note nonetheless.
> I almost always stick to my projects because they're almost always motivated by a need rather than a fad.
When looking back at my life I now see this pattern as well. The things you end up sticking to are the ones you 'need.' This is something worth taking a look at. Perhaps I should put myself in a position where I would 'need' to complete something, which then would spur me to get ore things done.
And definitely agree on keeping things small and on using the tools you know. These things sound 'obvious' but the temptation to use the latest fad is very strong. Thank you!
My wife and I have ADHD, and your description sounds exactly like our lives. Dive incredibly deep into a new thing because it's new and exciting, immerse yourself for a while, and then be completely unable, even if you really want to, to go back to it.
I've had more than a few projects which I did because I thought they would be interesting, but never did anything with; I learned XPath for parsing out character data from the FFXIV Lodestone: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/1569460/
Wrote a giant Python class to handle it all, parsed out all the data you could want, even to the point of almost being late for a social event because I wanted to finish the part I was doing (because I knew I'd completely forget). Then saved it and completely forgot about it for eight years until today.
In my case, I try to look at learning a little about a lot as one of my best resources; I can process information really quickly and learn a lot, build proof of concepts, etc., and while I might never "finish" a project in an absolute sense, if my goal is to learn just enough to be useful (use it in another project, help someone else with a problem, give advice, etc.) then it's a win.
Maybe it's just time to reframe your idea of "success" with regards to processes.
At this point, at least in my career, the ability to learn new things is my ability and 'selling' point. While I do understand this has great benefits and that there's few people like this, one can't help but wonder what being a specialist would bring. I should perhaps be less harsh on myself and reframe what I've done so far as being 'succesful'... with processes. Thank you!
There are lots of people who can specialize though; being the person who can bridge specializations (or determine what specialization even applies) is incredibly valuable. It's hard to reconcile that with our society's typical examples of success, but it's still valuable!
I almost always stick to my projects because they're almost always motivated by a need rather than a fad. The need is resolved when project concludes.
I use proven and stable tools that I'm proficient in like C++/Java (depending on project needs) that allow me to focus on "getting it done" rather than learning the shiny new thing that'll be superseded soon.
My projects also tend to be deliberately smaller in scope, and I actively reject project ideas that are too big because that's when they tend to fizzle out.