Not able to complete tasks.

[OrdinaryCitizen]

When i start some project either virtual or in real world i can loose interest to it the next day or next week and just leave it laying down outside until my home is cluttered with mess from all the unfinished projects.
e.g. My car been in garage for like 6 months taken apart i never fixed it, bicycle taken apart too etc.

I choose to do what brings me joy at moment and cannot force myself to do something that is not joyful, is this so called impaired executive functioning that is common for Aspies or bad habit i picked up from spending 10 years staying home having fun playing video games and now my mind refuses to do anything that is not fun?

 

[Phlogiston101]

I have that "problem" too. So many half finished projects.

 

[GadAbout]

When i start some project either virtual or in real world i can loose interest to it the next day or next week and just leave it laying down outside until my home is cluttered with mess from all the unfinished projects.
e.g. My car been in garage for like 6 months taken apart i never fixed it, bicycle taken apart too etc.

I choose to do what brings me joy at moment and cannot force myself to do something that is not joyful, is this so called impaired executive functioning that is common for Aspies or bad habit i picked up from spending 10 years staying home having fun playing video games and now my mind refuses to do anything that is not fun?

That is one aspect of so called executive functioning, which is a term that covers a number of abilities. You seem to have a shortfall in ability to delay gratification. You cannot forego short-term satisfaction in service of a longer-term goal.

It may also be a result of 10 years of playing video games.

I do think that one can increase one's ability to stick with unenjoyable tasks, simply by setting that goal and achieving it. One can train oneself to tolerate a little bit of tedium, hard work, physical strain, and so on, by building one's tolerance a bit at a time. This is sometimes called work hardening.

 

[Shamar]

When i start some project either virtual or in real world i can loose interest to it the next day or next week and just leave it laying down outside until my home is cluttered with mess from all the unfinished projects.
e.g. My car been in garage for like 6 months taken apart i never fixed it, bicycle taken apart too etc.

I choose to do what brings me joy at moment and cannot force myself to do something that is not joyful, is this so called impaired executive functioning that is common for Aspies or bad habit i picked up from spending 10 years staying home having fun playing video games and now my mind refuses to do anything that is not fun?

I have serious ADD (non hyperactive) as well as Asperger/autism. What you describe resonates with me. ADD seems to occur more frequently in the autism community than the population at large. When something breaks, I take it apart intending to fix it, but once I figure out what the problem is and how to fix it I lose interest. Every once in a while I have a "finish it" day, dedicated to completing old projects. I also have periods where I vow (usually without success) to finish two or three projects for every one I start.

 

[Bellacat]

One aspect of poor executive function is a bad sense of time. You may need to gain a better sense of how much you can do in a day in order to keep your tasks manageable and more rewarding. I don't know why but writing by hand works a lot better than typing. It makes things more tangible.

I have found it helpful to use a bullet journal and calendar. It doesn't sound like this would work at all, but I can't overstate how much of a difference it makes for me. It's helped so much I have used it daily since august, which is extremely significant given my track record with things like this.

The journal helps me keep track of what I need to do, and avoid taking on too much, and the calendar (Google Calendar set on week view) helps visualize tasks so I can get a better sense of how long things take in reality. I plan what I want to do that day in the journal, and lay out when I think I will do things in the calendar in the morning while I have breakfast. Then I adjust the calendar blocks periodically during the day to see how I actually spent my time. It helps to look back and know that I couldn't finish something I wanted to do because I was actually busy doing something else or laying in bed with a migraine, and it gives me more power to plan things realistically, not based on the fantasy in my mind where I have unlimited time and energy to do everything.

Here's a youtube video explaining why the bullet journal method helps so much for people with weak executive functions. It's made for ADHD but they are often comorbid and there's a lot of overlap with ASD on this subject so it's definitely relevant for both.

 

[Progster]

That sounds familiar. I get bored quickly and have to force myself to finish tasks I started, or I won't get them done.

 

[Thinx]

Yes I have difficulty finishing tasks, particularly if I am not very interested in it, aka some dull work tasks. Also in the same area, I put off tasks or simply don't do them, housework, cleaning, etc, but also tasks I may enjoy, can be hard to start. I see this as a difference in my executive function, and at work I noticed I did better at the tasks like reports or project bids when shared between me and compatible others with different skills sets, so we could divi up the work and play to our strengths.

I find lists helpful, making lists of tasks and for bigger tasks, lists of steps in the task, maybe annotated with about how long the task or step should probably take, and I tick them off, this helps me get things done. However, some tasks have a low priority and are rarely on the list. Vacuuming. Cleaning. Oops.

 

[Pats]

I learned a long time ago not to start something that's going to take a long time. Like crocheting - I enjoy it, but would not be able to do a large project like a blanket or something. I tried a couple times and they're still sitting there untouched. Where as if it's a small project I can finish it.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I havent got dressed since 2017.

Constantly moving from different clothes at different times of the day.

EVERY DAY.

Nightmare.

 

[shooter]

I've got this problem.

As someone diagnosed with ASPERGER'S, I am supposed to be good at tedious things like programming, but I am not, because I don't have the attention to read long documents or watch long videos.

I learn by doing and getting absorbed into things. But researching like reading long documents to learn stuff doesn't work very well for me, I just pick up bits here and there but tune out for the majority of it, which is most inefficient.

 

[TheSaltyStray]

I am a "binge and purge" learner. I love learning new things until I am satisfied but I do not necessarily finish full, long, term projects or become a "master" at anything. I will completely immerse myself into what I am learning, which is often very hands on and visual. Sometimes my attention span gives out on me before I "master" something, other times it's body parts (hands for example) or fatigue. The binge and purge cycle is a common current in all that I do. I can read a book series that I am hugely into in the blink of an eye, which is an accomplishment for a word-for-word reader. I remember reading all of GRRM books, before the last book came out, in under 2-3 months while working full-time with a little one as well. If I watch any TV, it is most often a series of shows/movies. That too, is often a binge and purge behavior as most streaming services make it easy to do. I've been watching WWII in Color, for example, for the past few nights and will watch it until I fall asleep. Outside of niche interest in certain types of shows, I do not watch TV. I could honestly live without it. The same can be said about my reading interests as well. I haven't had the attention span for reading the past 4 years much though, and I used to be nothing but a bookworm as a child and teen.

 

[OrdinaryCitizen]

Sometimes i need someone to kick me in the butt or motivate me then i can do it.

I think another part of the problem is my mother never let me do things as child, she was always in a hurry and told me to not get in the way rather than letting me practice daily tasks like washing dishes and so on. So i grown up with lack of curiosity/drive to do chores and other things.

Here's a youtube video explaining why the bullet journal method helps so much for people with weak executive functions. It's made for ADHD but they are often comorbid and there's a lot of overlap with ASD on this subject so it's definitely relevant for both.

She's selling more of herself than the information, cannot watch this.

 

[Bellacat]

She's selling more of herself than the information, cannot watch this.

Yeah she's a bit intense. Personally I like her videos and the points she made helped me see why it would be useful for me with weak EF as opposed to other articles or videos aimed at a general/NT audience. The bullet journal method can be a bit strange looking at first and I probably would not have bothered learning it without that video convincing me it was worth the effort and getting me interested enough to stick through the learning curve, but I can definitely see how her presentation style isn't for everyone.

This is the website by the person who came up with the method if you just want to know more about the technique without all the hype: Learn

 

[Schism]

Sorry. I lasted about 20 seconds. Far too confident & into herself for me. Frantic, hyper, loves herself, motivator - type & too young to take seriously. She didn't come up with this idea I am sure.

Was interesting to learn this lifelong bad habit of mine now has a name and definition though. But I need something slower, calmer & simple.

Reaches for a quiet book...

 

[Bellacat]

Sorry. I lasted about 20 seconds. Far too confident & into herself for me. Frantic, hyper, loves herself, motivator - type & too young to take seriously. She didn't come up with this idea I am sure.

Was interesting to learn this lifelong bad habit of mine now has a name and definition though. But I need something slower, calmer & simple.

Reaches for a quiet book...

Read my comment just above yours

The person who came up with it is named Ryder Carroll. He has lots of videos and his presentation style is much calmer.

 

[SameStars]

Relatable. The emotional toll of a 5-minute task, feels like I have to climb a mountain. After accomplishing it, it feels simple. Like it will be easier to motivate myself the next time, but that's hardly ever true.

I've got an app that I put tasks in, and I check them off. It helps a little. It helps me to stay more focused at least, because my attention can be all over the place.

 

[OrdinaryCitizen]

This is the website by the person who came up with the method if you just want to know more about the technique without all the hype: Learn

Tried watch this and it sounds too complicated for me.

 

[Bellacat]

Tried watch this and it sounds too complicated for me.

People make it complicated, but the basic method is simple once it clicks. It's just a notebook of lists.

The "future" and "month" pages are lists of what you need to do and what's coming up. The "daily log" pages are the main thing you write every day, just bullet point tasks or notes for each day.

Write your tasks, appointments, etc. in these lists and cross them off once you complete them. If you get a random idea, you can write it down wherever you want in the book and note the page in the index so you can actually find it later. That's really it.

The reason I brought it up in this thread is that those monthly overviews can help you see that your time is actually limited and reminds you of responsibilities, appointments, etc that are using up that time. I can only tell you my experience but this definitely prevents me from starting new things when I can see that I don't have the capacity for them. It's a reality check. Not starting things I can't finish also means I'm more likely to finish things I have started.

The main reason I've been able to stick with this over anything else is that it offers both structure and freedom at the same time. It's not too open-ended but also not rigid and overbearing. The method is just a suggestion, so you're not feeling walled in by someone else's ideas about how it should be done.

I also found it weird at first so I learned by following along with the first tutorial on the site, copying what he was doing into a notebook. That was how it clicked for me.

But like most things, it can only help if you want it to. That's a big factor

 

[OrdinaryCitizen]

I been diagnosed with OCPD could it be somehow related to not completing things?

Read in my file "perfectionism, which prevents completion of tasks".

But like most things, it can only help if you want it to. That's a big factor

I hate schedules, planners and calendars since childhood after dentist torture appointment i was anticipating for several weeks in childhood, calendar was over my desk and day was was marked, i could not help it to look at it and worry every many times a day, "this day is coming" closer and closer...

After this i don't buy calendars.

 

[Kalinychta]

One aspect of poor executive function is a bad sense of time. You may need to gain a better sense of how much you can do in a day in order to keep your tasks manageable and more rewarding. I don't know why but writing by hand works a lot better than typing. It makes things more tangible.

I have found it helpful to use a bullet journal and calendar. It doesn't sound like this would work at all, but I can't overstate how much of a difference it makes for me. It's helped so much I have used it daily since august, which is extremely significant given my track record with things like this.

The journal helps me keep track of what I need to do, and avoid taking on too much, and the calendar (Google Calendar set on week view) helps visualize tasks so I can get a better sense of how long things take in reality. I plan what I want to do that day in the journal, and lay out when I think I will do things in the calendar in the morning while I have breakfast. Then I adjust the calendar blocks periodically during the day to see how I actually spent my time. It helps to look back and know that I couldn't finish something I wanted to do because I was actually busy doing something else or laying in bed with a migraine, and it gives me more power to plan things realistically, not based on the fantasy in my mind where I have unlimited time and energy to do everything.

Here's a youtube video explaining why the bullet journal method helps so much for people with weak executive functions. It's made for ADHD but they are often comorbid and there's a lot of overlap with ASD on this subject so it's definitely relevant for both.

Haha she’s hilarious and adorable! She makes great suggestions, too.