"One at a Time" Topic

Doctor X once remarked, with regard to wargaming projects:

I can only do one at a time if I'm to accomplish anything.

Do you agree?

No.
But it's not like I'm accomplishing anything.
Even my AWI is spread out over at least 3 "projects".

With my attention span, one at a time may be two too many. Oh look, a squirrel. Multi tasking is not my strong suit.

No, but too much on your plate leads to food on the floor.

sometimes I think about only painting just 1 figure at a time so I see progress but I think I would spend more time cleaning brushes and painting area

Certainly as far as painting goes, I find it best to switch subjects every two or three months.

Grelber

I'm as likely to concentrate on one project at a time as I'm likely to win the Boston Marathon.

But once in a while, I get something finished. I really try not to think about my overall track record.

I do most things on an assembly line basis, so I can get a few things done over a weekend. Things could be troop units, vehicle units, terrain bits, or buildings.

You're not a real wargamer unless you have at least 5 projects on the go, whilst simultaneously thinking of another 5. For the real pro, most of them must never be played with!

I'm not actually sure it is possible for most wargamers to do that. I suppose there are a few who have very focussed interests but the rest of us delight in distractions.

My enjoyment would be much reduced if I only had one project to focus on at a time. I enjoyed the challenge of working on many simultaneously when I was running my painting service and so that isn't a problem any more now I have only got my own to do.

I can see why it is more logical, I can see how progress and production could improve, I can see that it would stop me wasting money and resources on projects that wouldn't get finished but I just don't do it because I'm having way more fun NOT doing it.

One project at a time!! Heresy!! Actually I'm not sure on how many projects are in progress for me…sad.

My moods vary as to what I feel like doing. Sometimes I want to paint. Sometimes I was to clean/ready troops for painting. Sometimes I want to work on smaller scale armies (recently Travel Battle) for a different kind of game. Etc. If I have different projects going, I am prepared for whatever I feel like doing at the time.

One at a time is boring! Like foxweasel sez, real painters have at least five projects on the go!

I am supposed to accomplish something..?

While I am fairly fluent in English, when you use those words in that order I do not understand what you are talking about.

I can manage a few projects ongoing …

I agree, but I don't do it. Everyone should have the single-mindedness for hobby projects that Doctor X possesses. I've seen the results it's awesome!

My brain says I can do 5 at once. My history of completed projects says otherwise.

I completely agree. Given you only have a limited amount of hobby time: you will see more progress if you focus on less.

I can't do one period at a time but I limit myself that I can only work on 2 things at once: and one of those must be completed before moving onto something else.

And I'll add that I enjoy wargaming more for it.

Nope. Always have several in progress. With several more planned as follow-ons.

Yes, so until I finish my Napoleonic armies can't start another project.

For the record, I do have a small handful projects going but my FOCUS is on one at a time. My projects tend to be quite large involving thousands of figures and all the encompassing terrain, etc.

I'd rather actually game my projects than stare at them in boxes for 30+ years but everyone enjoys the hobby in their own way. How else could I get 16 different armies, rules, and terrain for my Colonial Africa campaign completed?

I just finished an AWI project that took me 5 months to paint approx. 160 28mm figures, and that was the only project that I worked on during that time. I stopped for a month when I got to the last 6 figures: the Highlanders. They gave me painter's paralysis. As long as the fire to paint stays lit, I always try to stay focused on each of my projects until it is finished.

When I can actually et going on hobby projects, I like to trade off between a couple, the respite from A as I work on B (and so on) really keeps me going. So when i was doing WW2 figs, i'd do an infantry unit, then some other unit (guns, or an MG unit, or pioneers), then infantry, then a terrain piece, and so on.

If I just started at the wall of lead and said "I'm going to paint all my Brunswickers, or my Zombies, or my Ikko-Ikki, I would look at the heap in front of me and give up. By doing a unit of one, then something else, I'm taking smaller steps, and feeling like I am getting stuff done, a lot faster, and moving multiple projects forward.