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forty-two
02-19-2012, 07:28 AM
Title says it all :yes. How many ongoing projects do you (usually) have going, and what is your personality type (or why do you prefer to have few/many WIPs)?

But if you want the Highly Relevant backstory ;) - it's me, *of course* there's a backstory :lol - then read on.

I was doing a search and came across an old thread in which someone, AoL I believe, said that she had sworn up and down that she would *never* have more than one project going at a time. WonderWoman kept saying that someday it would happen, but she was adamant - *never*. But she had to eat crow - WW was right - she cast on for a new project while another was still OTN :giggle.

When I read that I was all :hunh, because the idea of only one project at a time had seriously *never occurred* to me :doh as a default state of affairs, let alone as a *desired* state :scratch. I believe I had multiple projects going approximately one week after learning to crochet, maybe sooner :lol. Having multiple WiPs was a foregone conclusion. There's so much to do, so many interesting projects out there! Besides, you never know what you might be in the mood to work on at any given time - you need multiple projects for variety :yes:lol.

Anyway, I was wondering how personality plays into it.

(My theory is that it is an S/N thing - don't laugh, there are *good reasons*, it has *nothing* to do with my current focus on S/N :snooty:lol - as well as potentially a J/P thing. Sensors are more step by step, one thing at a time, while iNtuitives are more flitting around, seeing all the possibilities, easily sucked in by the...ooh, shiny!...new idea :giggle. Having three zillion open projects and working on them all - being *comfortable* with that - seems very N to me :shrug3.

J/P I think factors into the related factor of how many do you actually finish. I'd guess that it's more important to Js to finish all they start, which could potentially limit how many they start, even if they would otherwise want to - if not finishing would bother them, they'd be more choosy in starting.)

Thoughts? :popcorn

Two Little Birds
02-20-2012, 03:56 PM
Well, I'm an INFJ and I can only function if I only have one WIP but I always have a couple in the wings for the moment I finish.

---------- Post added at 03:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:54 PM ----------

Oh and my J is much, much bigger than my N

StoryOfGrace
02-20-2012, 04:01 PM
INFJ, and I have....(counting on my fingers here)...four or five (maybe some I've forgotten about) WIPs at the moment. :bag

RosalieMarie
02-20-2012, 04:04 PM
ISFJ here and I usually only have one thing going unless it's really big or boring, then I'll have something more fun going at the same time. :)

mom2boys
02-21-2012, 12:05 AM
IDK what I am-it's in my siggy so that people who know what that means can see it :giggle
I always have several things going at once, and then I have a list of things to do next, and...sometimes I even look for new projects because I don't want to finish the ones I have or start the ones on my list. :lol

staceylayne
02-21-2012, 12:37 AM
Are we talking crafty projects? Or home improvement stuff? Or big life projects?

I'm ENFP and always have approximately half a zillion little projects going on in various states of completion. :O Maybe three will ever make it to the hoped for "perfected" completed state I saw in my mind when the project began. Maybe.

But when it comes to planning for some scheduled thing (Christmas, birthday celebration, having guests over, etc) I can only focus on what is coming up next. This gets me in big trouble as D's birthday is Dec. 28th. Even though I *know* that her bday is right after Christmas and I kind of in my mind come up with general ideas of what to do (and may even buy a gift amongst the Christmas shopping!) I still feel like I'm being hit by a train when I look up day after Christmas and I need to pull of something fun for a birthday. I'm not explaining that well...

For some reason I can't manage to juggle more than one thing at a time that requires my attention to detail. I think that's it.

But projects that can be put aside and ignored for a while without consequence? Oh yeah! :rockon I can't have enough of those! Variety is the spice of life. :giggle

ETA: Um...I just realized what board this is on. :doh Apparently we are talking crafts. Forgive my rambling. :blush

Marielle
02-22-2012, 11:08 AM
I'm an esfp and I have tons of stuff going on all the time in various mediums. I don't know if it's personality or ADD related but it's awesome to have variety and a project for every mood or every free moment. I also love returning to another project after completing one so I transition smoothly into "doing" vs. planning for a new project. The planning slows me a down a lot since I overthink things thorougly.

Niphredil
02-22-2012, 11:37 AM
I'm an ENFP and I don't know what a finished project looks like. :shifty

arwen_tiw
02-22-2012, 12:14 PM
ENFP - roughly a million ideas, about two hundred things on the go (OK, maybe not that many, but more than I can currently name) and in the last week I've finished two knits and blocked neither. :shifty

I happen to be able to reach *from here* three things that I started over six months ago with no end in sight, and one thing I still intend to do something about that I started over two years ago. :blush

I compulsively start new things. It's almost unheard of that I finish anything without having already started at least one more new thing - and I can remember getting around to blocking, um, one thing ever. And then not properly. And I never ever finish all the seams on sewn garments. My favourite made-by-me dress has no finished hems and I've been wearing it for five years.

fireweedmama
02-22-2012, 01:33 PM
eNFP here and I don't even remember how many I've got going :giggle. I've got strips for braided rugs half done, quilt blocks for various projects, a half done purse from a pair of pants, a couple sweaters on needles as well as a sock....I try to make sure things get finished before we move. :shifty No move on the horizon

Wonder Woman
02-28-2012, 09:42 AM
This is the rubbermaid bucket beside one of my knitting chairs.
It has:
icord for the brain hat that my colleague has requested at our meeting next week
yarn for the hat part
the sweater I cast on because I decided I didn't like the last one too much so I'm making a new one for next week
one mitten and the yarn for another one
2 pair of socks OTN
a wrap OTN
also stuff for tatting earrings and making stitch markers, 2 projects in progress there

This is not my only WIP bucket :O

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/gentlemama03/CameraZOOM-20120228124033009.jpg

I'm an iNFP.