The word "phases" is the only way I can think of to describe what I am talking about..

I seem to go through different "obsessive phases" every few months or weeks or something.

For example, I will go through a few weeks just looking for a new car, always thinking about which new car I want, trying to compare them in my head all the time, always on the lookout for that perfect one that I want. Then BAM. One day I will wake up and just stop caring about it, and never even buy one !!

Then I would be obsessed with my finances. I start spreadsheeting all my incoming and outgoings, predicting what I will have left at the end of this month, next month, this year, next year, etc etc. Then BAM. I will stop.

Then I will obsess on calorie counting. Be totally obsessed with fitness and goto the gym and eat real healthy for a few weeks. Then BAM. Stop.

Then I become obsessed with programming on computers, and just go mad reading ebooks on computer programming etc etc...

And, I can NEVER predict what my next obsessive phase will be. This happens in various stages, quantities and different severities throughout life.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

No I tend to get invested in something and get into it more and more and more. Good if it's something productive, like training or pickup, bad if it's not, like depression.

Have you read Psycho Cybernetics? One of the suggestions of that book is that we are like a thermostat, whenever we deviate from our perception of ourselves we tend to allow it briefly, but then settle the temperature back down to what we perceive fits our identity. It's an inertia like effect that causes people to quit diets and myriad other things...etc. It's an interesting read.

PS

Yeh man,

I get this too! Pick up is about the only thing that i have stuck with, and really have a passion for!

I did the whole car phase last week and almost ended up with an Audi A3, now I literally couldn't give a shit about a new car! I also had this phase for about 6 months that i really liked boats........Now im in the merchant navy :S WTF! I hate boats!

I do this a lot, some stay, some get forgotten about examples include property, shares, PU, online business, politics, programming, ebaying, magic, hypnotism, body language, breakdancing, poker to name a few.

I'm on a magic phase at the moment, have been for a while

heh. I too get missions, bcom almost an abso.ute master of something then drop it and nevr do it again. changed my career a number of times aswell as hobbies and general interests. kind of feel like I have an accomplishments tick list to go through.

Yes! I get that, I see everything in life as a box, and a few of those box's I feel the need to check. So I do!

Yeah its called being a bloke. We are programmed to be serially obsessive about things. Unless you suddenly develop a passion for writing down train numbers I wouldnt get too worried.

sapphire - do you think there is a reason (perhaps from caveman days) as to why we are programmed such a way? Do you not question why we do this? And nope, I don't write down train numbers but I do write a lot of lists :P

PostScript - I will read that book, thanks.

At the moment, I seem to be "between phases" for a week or two. I am dabbling in everything, looking at cars, new houses, new computers. I am starting to watch a lot of films lately, which is somethin I stopped for like a year.

Its wierd, when you think about WHY you do the actions you do. And also, WHEN we do them.

Ive always said i have an obsessive personality--somtimes my obsessions can last a couple of years but usually its a week or 2

whats the answer, i dont know is it a good or bad thing- i dont know