>This really rang true to me. I have so many projects, and once I hit a significant technical wall, I usually start looking at other projects where I can get th

>This really rang true to me. I have so many projects, and once I hit a significant technical wall, I usually start looking at other projects where I can get things done more easily and get gratification quicker. It really sucks, and Burkeman's recommendation of focusing on only one project at a time until you're done makes a lot of sense. My experience has been the opposite. I like to have multiple projects on the go, and when I hit a wall with one I'll just put it down for a few days and do something else. When I come back, the problem that was stumping me less than a week ago seems magically solved! Having one project and forcing yourself to do it, on the other hand, is gruelling and makes you miserable for no gain. It might just be the way I'm wired, but I think for some things it's necessary to walk away occasionally and come back later with a fresh perspective and days of "background" thinking.