Boredom. My worst nemesis. My best ally.

I get bored very easily.

Cartoon by Hugh Macleod

It may be because I have nothing to do; or I've lost interest in what I was doing for some reason -- it being too repetitive, etc.; I have too little to do; what I'm working on doesn't seem to have any apparent purpose; or even if only some senses are occupied and others left alone.

I try to get over this foible of mine by listening to music -- hence the headphones hanging around my neck or on my ear, 24 by 7 by 4 by 12 by ~20. At least, by keeping my ears occupied I can relax, and possibly not get bored. This has also resulted in my having a 70GB music + video collection on my iPod.

But I digress.

I have come to realize that if I did not get bored so easily -- I would have achieved less than half of what I have today. There would be no reason for me to tread on the fine line of just enough work to do; I could have relaxed a bit more -- and perhaps enjoyed a bit less.

On the other hand, I have abandoned certain projects because I found out that they were no-where near as challenging as I'd imagined and hoped for, and were rather achievable -- and no longer interesting; because I no longer believed that the work I was doing served any purpose.

What pushes me -- and also stops me from working -- is my characteristic of getting bored so quickly. Paradoxically, it makes me give up and move ahead at the same time.

And ever since I've had more to do -- or more that I want to do -- I lose my patience with other things even more quickly. I can no longer comfortably watch a film in a cinema hall -- my hands are unoccupied, and depending on the film -- perhaps even my brain.

Doing only one thing at a time is possible only if it is interesting enough to merit my full concentration. Hence the rabid multi-tasking -- reading a book with lunch while listening to music or maybe watching television. Coding while watching a film or having a conversation. Social Networking while reading a comic. etc. etc.

What about you?