I can really relate to your gripes about not getting results from your different projects. I have the same tendency to get sucked in a technological project for hundreds of hours only to see it never make the finish.

I too have done some thinking about this is issue and have concluded that, as long as my craving for intellectual stimulation is greater than my need for results, this situation will persist. It probably boils down to the age-old gratification delay problem: the truth, like it or not, is that I don’t start projects because I the result will bring great benefit for mankind or myself, I start them because I *feel* like it. Consequently, I drop them when my initial enthusiasm has run out. In that sense my projects *do* get results: they fullfill my need for intellectual stimulation.

So what does this add up to ?

Personally I’ve decided *not* to engage in personal IT projects anymore because they are like a drug to me and drags me away from my ‘real’ life and I won’t stand for that. When I *really* need a ‘fix’ I allow myself to play with my computer for a couple of days (until the craving subsides) but I don’t fool myself into calling it a ‘project’ anymore.