How can I stay focused on something for a long period of time?

I have the same issues as you. I found that I do lose interest in subjects after I learn the basics. I get a rush out of learning new things, but I quickly find I get bored.

What I do:

1. Make goals to keep me on track
2. Think of the benefits it will later serve me

Just think of how much your life will improve after achieving the degree. Also, I find if I can just stick with it past a certain time barrier, I can become more motivated as I see more results.

OK I’m starting to get concerned about our youth. Is there something in the water? Second question like this in a week. Has Playstation 3 actually stolen the minds of America just like they said they would in their original commercial. The freakin’ Devil himself looked us right in the eye and told us he was going to devour our children. Are we soon to be seeing more of these type of questions?

As said on THIS post last week…

Yet another highly intelligent person who discovers the trinkets of culture are boring. You’re just bored.

The good news is that boredom is not a crime. So relax. It’s not laziness. Accusing yourself of laziness is dangerous and can lead to depression. If there were an activity that you were interested in, I’m quite sure you would be filled with enthusiasm for it.

Let me take a wild guess and call you a Visionary. No one suffers like the visionary does. I’d wager you have profound ideas and grand schematics on how to make the world and your life a much better place. I bet you see it all very clearly. But the problem with being a Visionary is that they are typically very poor Project Managers. Why? Because they see the big picture, but become very bored with the processes necessary to make it into a reality. Your satisfaction has already been fulfilled with the vision. The rest is just messy details that get in the way of other visions that are upon you.

Short term:

Get THIS book. Don’t just read it. Do it! You need to develop some type of disciplined ritual in your life. Start every day with an early walk, and then sit down and DO the morning pages outlined in this book. It’s easy, insightful, and will introduce you to yourself.

Your daily walks should be spent in two ways. Lets say you walk a mile. One lousy mile isn’t too much to ask. The first half is spent making a few lists in your mind. Immediate things that need to be accomplished for that day. The second half returning home is spent clearing your mind and paying attention to your surroundings, appreciating the subtle views you haven’t seen before. Take some wet leaves and rub them on your face. How does that feel? Describe it in detail in your Morning Pages.

Long term:

Search for an activity or career that appreciates the Visionary mind. Art, Psychology, Philosophy… Yes, pick up a brush, get your fingers dirty with clay, or have a date with your digital camera in a shady part of town. Go to THIS web site and start reading about other Visionaries just like you. Join a cause! Learn to cook healthy fabulous food from your own garden. The world needs your mind. Show us how to live. We need more leaders in this world, so step up please!

Shoot your television and limit your computer activities to specifically scheduled times… and no more! Go outside and meet your neighbors.

Maybe you’re just so intelligent that you need bigger challenges. You never mentioned if you mastered the short term activities or not. Are you a quick study?

I’m not being sarcastic. I really mean it. Do things come naturally for you enough to the degree that you quickly learn them and then feel the need to move on to something else? Or do you lack motivation for follow through? Big difference.

Could be a lack of motivation.

Rather than try to force yourself to maintain focus for long periods of time, maybe you could learn to work with it.

Some people (me) just * need * to have variety and change frequently to stay engaged with life, and that is okay. I have about a million hobbies on rotation and I’d be seriously depressed if it were any other way. Perhaps there is some method behind the madness or maybe it’s random. I haven’t figured it out yet. I tried conforming to an 8–5 corporate routine and it pushed me into a severely depressed state that I am still recovering from. My point is understand yourself and work with what you’ve got rather than fight it.

As for finishing a degree, you can create some kind of plan and stick to it. Society makes you feel bad for not conforming to their idealized cookie-cutter standard of graduating from high school, going straight to a four-year university, getting a professional cubical job, and slaving away for 30 years. This is simply not for everyone. Some idiots may look down on you for making a unique life path, but you’ll be happier and more successful doing it your way. If it takes you 8 years to finish your degree because you take time off in between to pursue other interests, that’s fine! There is NOTHING wrong with that. You may consider what you want out of life and decide that you need to finish in 5 so you can make a living wage, and then at least you’ll have tangible motivation to get it done sooner.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies “Mastery” is kind of a relative term.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies thanks for the reference to your answer from the other post. That described me very well, so I think I could be a visionary. I do learn things quickly and I also do lack motivation occasionally. So I’m a combination of all three. How fun :) I won’t say that I master anything though in that short period of time.

Just stay focused on one thing at a time. Tell yourself you are going to achieve this one thing, then you can move on to something else.
The mere fact that you can’t move on until you have achieved this one thing will be a goal to aim for.
Aim for your degree and tell yourself this will benefit you in the future.