Do you have LDVS? Do I?

[elfs]

So, I was doing so research for The Encompassment when I stumbled upon this term: Da Vinci Syndrome (LDVS). This is apparently a real condition not unlike attention deficit disorder.

One of an author's least favorite questions is "Where do you get your ideas?" The fact is that authors are usually drowning in ideas; we're up to our eyeballs in ideas. The same is usually true of programmers: we see so many things wrong, or lacking, or just plain broken, with the way computing is done now that we want to get in and fix it, every single last bit of it.

Da Vinci Syndrome is the habit of following ideas as they come, such that a previous project gets ignored for lack of time and attention. The excuse is that with the project partially executed, "enough of the idea" is stored there that it will be easy for the writer or developer to come back and continue where he left off. The knowledge of the idea is encapsulated for future use, if not in a form that can yet be used by others. To the LDVS sufferer, the idea can no longer become lost, and so he feels safe leaving it be and chasing down a new idea-- which is always more exciting than the spit-and-polish grunt work of finishing the current project. He'll "get back to it later." Later rarely comes.

I have LDVS, and I have it bad. I'm still trying to figure out how to get it under control, manageable so that I can finish my projects that I've already got and yet not lose the new ones as they come along.

Comments

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

I know the feeling. I'm going to take down one of my writing journals and put up a new one. I've had a novel go dry and a new one come awake. Sigh.

hrmmm...

[http://users.livejournal.com/dominic-m-/]

Id like to say i have the exact oppisite form of this. When i start a project i work on it like its the only thing that exists in the world till its absolutly perfect and i can do what i want with it(so on and so forth).ex... writing,video games,very very long books and much more. I figure what i have is common cause you hear about anal retentive people like me act like this all the time.

[elfric.livejournal.com]

If you find a cure, PLEASE let me know...*sigh*

[tavalon.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I can help you with a cure but part of what I've gotten from the book learnin' I've done around ADD is that accepting that we will have far more ideas than actually get to fruition is the key to not hating ourselves. It really helped me because I've left more ideas by the wayside than, well, than, ooh, that's bright and shiny ...........

[rapier.livejournal.com]

If I had a nickel for every one of my unfinished projects . . . well, I might could buy a coke. But that's a lot, I figure. A dozen at least.

[shadowfey.livejournal.com]

My, this rings a bell. More like the entire Bells of London chorus.

[kyriani.livejournal.com]

Oh ye gods and goddesses, theres a term for this?! ^_^ I have this badly as well, new shiny ideas to implement constantly distract me from finishing anything. And yet, I am somehow known for following through with an idea. I can only imagine how very much more productive I could be if I could stay focussed on one idea to its full fruition. =/

[http://users.livejournal.com/dominic-m-/]

i get distracted by other things i can work on but they only tend to spurr me on to finish what im doing.

[pixel39.livejournal.com]

Oy. That's me. That is *so* me (except that my projects are nearly always related to fiber or fabric in some way). I have unfinished projects coming out my ears--and I keep coming up with new ones. The only projects that I reliably manage to finish are the ones that I am assigned and have strong deadlines(SCA scrolls).

If you find a cure, let me know?

cure??

[http://users.livejournal.com/dominic-m-/]

who says its a thing that needs to be cured.from what ive heard yet so far it keeps whoever supossedly has it quite busy thinking up new ideas and innovations.i wish i cud be like that but its just not me.

[yarnaddict.livejournal.com]

You mean there /is/ a medical term for 'people like me'? *tongue in cheek*

I'm quite certain I have the same syndrome. One need only look at the number of started-but-as-of-yet-unfinished crochet/cross-stitch/knitting/ceramic painting projects I have, the number of unfinished web graphics sets, the number of pending projects at work...

I suppose it's something of a relief to be able to put a name to it, other than 'scatterbrained'. =) Or "Ooooh, Shiny!" Syndrome.

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

Da Vinci Syndrome is the habit of following ideas as they come, such that a previous project gets ignored for lack of time and attention. The excuse is that with the project partially executed, "enough of the idea" is stored there that it will be easy for the writer or developer to come back and continue where he left off.

Huh, kinda like our President?

[en-ki.livejournal.com]

...except Da Vinci's ideas were often good.

[ambar.livejournal.com]

Managing that sort of thing is one of the strengths of David Allen's Getting Things Done method. The short form is, rather than going off and half-implementing the idea as a bookmark, simply write it down and file it under "Someday/Maybe". Review .that. list weekly for stuff you want to commit to working on -- that moves to other lists of 'next project actions,' sorted by context. (This is not even a fraction of his method, mind you, but you may want to review his book, Getting Things Done, or his website (http://www.davidco.com/) for descriptions that will do it more justice.)

I've found it exceedingly useful as a way to get the clamoring ideas out of my head so I can concentrate on whatever it is that I'm doing Right Now.

[ambar.livejournal.com]

Okay, possibly a more succinct writer's-eye-view of GTD (very Palm-oriented):

http://www.writingonyourpalm.net/column040105.htm

[lucky-otter.livejournal.com]

There's also a tip on David Allen's website about how he organizes on his Palm. His method requires no extra software, which is a plus - though I don't know if any of the software on the WOYP article is $ful. http://www.davidco.com/tips_tools/tip43.html

[the-gneech.livejournal.com]

You may be on to something, here...

-TG

LDVS

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, yes, this sounds awfully familiar. I always get so many ideas, and never follow them past the point at which I grok them, and .... ohh, shiny thing!

Zara

LDVS

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, yes, this sounds awfully familiar. I always get so many ideas, and never follow them past the point at which I grok them, and .... ohh, shiny thing!

Zara

LDVS

[(Anonymous)]

Oh, yes, this sounds awfully familiar. I always get so many ideas, and never follow them past the point at which I grok them, and .... ohh, shiny thing!

Zara