Always give up on new things halfway? What it reveals about your mind
Why some people start new things but almost never finish them (photo: Getty Images)
On Sunday evening, you buy an expensive coding course, a gym membership, or a pile of knitting yarn. You feel an incredible surge of motivation, picture your ideal future, and then... give it all up two weeks later. The pricey sneakers gather dust in the closet, while the textbook, left open on page five, silently reminds you of your lack of willpower.
RBC-Ukraine explains why this really happens and why laziness and weak willpower have almost nothing to do with it. The truth is far more complicated.
Cheap dopamine, or the dream trap
Our brains are remarkably efficient. Why spend months working toward a goal when they can experience the reward immediately?
When you simply imagine starting something new, for example, thinking, "Once I learn English, I'll move to the seaside," your brain already releases a surge of dopamine, the chemical associated with anticipation and reward. It treats the fantasy as if you've already achieved success. In other words, you get the emotional payoff in advance.
But once the hard, repetitive work begins, studying, waking up early, sweating through workouts, dopamine levels drop sharply. Your brain says, "We've already enjoyed the reward while dreaming about it. Why work any harder?" That makes it much easier to abandon the effort.
Fear of failure and perfectionism
The habit of quitting halfway is often rooted in a simple fear of not being perfect. As long as a project exists only in your mind, it's flawless. But once you start bringing it to life, mistakes, obstacles, and criticism inevitably appear.
For a perfectionist, that's incredibly uncomfortable. It's often easier and safer for the ego to quit and tell yourself, "I just lost interest," than to finish and risk producing something less than perfect. It's a subconscious defense mechanism.
We fall in love with the beginning, not the process
Every new endeavor has three stages:
- The honeymoon phase: new notebooks, stylish workout gear, easy first steps, and plenty of motivation.
- The grind: the excitement fades, the hard work begins, and meaningful results are still far away.
- The finish line: the satisfaction of completing the task and enjoying the rewards.
People who constantly quit tend to be addicted to the first stage. They love the excitement and novelty of getting started. But once they reach the tedious middle phase, boredom sets in.
Instead of pushing through that dull period, they abandon the project and search for something new to recreate the excitement of another fresh start.
ADHD or simply being a scanner
Sometimes it's just the way your mind works. There are people known as scanners or multipotentialites. By nature, they're curious about everything. One day they're learning to paint, the next they're reading about quantum physics, and after that they're trying rock climbing.
Their goal isn't necessarily to become an expert in one field. Instead, they want to explore, understand how things work, satisfy their curiosity, and then move on.
If this sounds like you, quitting isn't necessarily a character flaw; it's simply your way of exploring the world. The key is learning to distinguish between essential long-term commitments, such as your career or finances, and hobbies that exist purely for enjoyment.
The next time you're tempted to dive into something new, make a deal with yourself: give it a trial period. Instead of buying a year-long gym membership, pay for a single session. Instead of signing up for multiple courses, watch one free lesson first. Give yourself enough time for the initial excitement to wear off, then decide whether you're truly willing to stick with the routine that follows.
