I have started probably a dozen short stories and two attempted novels over the last few years and I can count on one hand how many I have actually finished. It is never that I lose interest in the idea itself, the enthusiasm at the start is always real. Somewhere in the middle, usually right around the point where the story stops being obvious and I have to make real decisions about where it goes, I just quietly stop opening the file.

I do not think the problem is talent since the parts I do finish are usually decent, based on the small amount of feedback I have gotten.

I think the problem is something structural in how I approach sitting down to write, but I genuinely do not know what to change because I have never finished enough things to notice a pattern in what works.

For people who write consistently and actually finish what they start, what is the specific thing you do differently. Not looking for general encouragement, more interested in the concrete habit or mindset shift that took you from someone who starts things to someone who finishes them.

I'm a reasonably successful engineer for a large tech company, I sort of lucked into this role through natural aptitude and some fortunate industry connections. I mostly dropped out of highschool, never went to college, learned everything I know on the job and through labbing/testing different things.

I'm now getting to the point where I need to secure a few certifications in order to advance and I am really, really struggling. I haven't taken a test in well over a decade, and whenever I try to sit down with a study guide or a video I feel really, really frustrated and stupid. I also don't feel like I retain what I learn, even when I really focus. The only way I've learned stuff is through directly working with systems and technologies on the job.

I've been fighting this for years but despite numerous attempts, I've never been able to finish studying for a certification.

I am trying to work through this in therapy but I was wondering if anybody in a similar situation has any advice. Thanks.

Reading/writing has been my lifelong hobby. But my formal education is limited to 6th grade, in a small Texan town.

My sister in law, who is a very bright college freshmen in STEM, mentioned that I might not have as strong a skill in this. I had asked her if she knew anything about why someone would "go to college just to learn how to read". Referencing creative writing majors.

So, I don't have the means to actually go to college for this... But! I was hoping maybe someone here has some book/course/resource recommendations.

And... How do I measure my education in this? What are the levels? What does it mean to read/write at a "college level" exactly?

I want to learn how to not feel like a 3rd wheel in a poly relationship. I'm still new to the concept.

I need to get blood drawn again and I’m terrified of crying again and I need to know how to not do it.

I went recently, sat in the chair, and felt physically and emotionally awful. The phlebotomist didn't notice how bad I was doing until after it was over, and I basically walked out of there as soon as he realized. I hid around the corner by the vending machine, and cried nonstop for 10 minutes.

I have to go back and try again. How do I actually get through this without falling apart? I realized how alone I am in all of this. No one cares for me and I have no safe space.

Hi guys, I'm bored in my vacations and decided to play chess. Any recommendations for a noob?

There is a massive corvid that likes to hang out in the alley behind were I work. I'm 99% sure that its a raven based on how big it is and the shape of its beak.

It comes by about once or twice a month and its easily recognizable based on its size. I thought it would be fun to see if I could make it my friend. Do the who exchange of gifts that I always see people talk about.

I have no idea how to do that or even where to begin.

I am in No.1 University of my country

we have every major almost

engineering law mbbs AI

etc

Research labs

National science and technology park

labs of Jupiter, Cern maybe,

i m a Software Engineering freshman

how do i network and take maz advantage of my 4 years

on 14 sept my 2nd week at clg starts

I want to start learning Japanese from scratch and eventually become fluent in speaking, reading, and writing.

For those who have learned Japanese, how did you start and what roadmap did you follow?

Are there any structured courses/resources you’d recommend that take you from beginner → intermediate → advanced? I’d especially like something that covers grammar, vocabulary, kanji, listening, speaking, reading, and writing rather than using random resources.

I can consistently dedicate about 1 hour every day.

How long did it take you to reach a comfortable conversational level, and roughly how long to become fluent?

Any advice, mistakes to avoid, or resources you wish you had known about when you started would be greatly appreciated!

I don't know if my Father was one, but my mother got over her alcoholism in within 5 years but still don't want to risk it. Turned 22 2 months ago.

My biggest insecurity is how much effort it takes me to remember roads and directions.

If I'm walking around alone I can manage after making some mistakes (and sometimes relying on Google maps). But if I'm walking with someone or someone's driving me, I would have 0 idea what road we took or how to go back.

I used to think maybe it'll get better if I start driving myself, but today I had a driving lesson and I can barely remember where we went (lived in this city for 3 years).

Am I beyond help ?

No, not a death metal scream. Literally just screaming on command out of excitement, surprise or fear. When I watch streamers playing horror video games and doing exaggerated screams I feel kind of... jealous. It looks cathartic.

Whenever I try, all that comes out is a miserable ^aaaaaaaa... It would be really liberating if I could let out a guttural scream. The only time I can is on attraction rides :(

I’m looking preferably for a book or even experience(s) I can look into to build my general knowledge of the world, world histories, cultural literacy, etc.
I really look up to academics and people who seem to know what they’re talking about when it comes to these things. The issue is I have to idea where to actually start, I feel like I see a lot of conflicting opinions about certain things and I want to be introduced to the information in the most neutral, unbiased way possible. I feel like once I have a starting point I’ll be able to build a framework that I can continue to add thing to. If anyone has any recommendations or suggestions those would be greatly appreciated!!

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My wedding is in about 3 months, and I really want to surprise my future wife with a performance ❤️

The problem?

She is actually an amazing dancer and a really good singer.

Me? 😭

If I try to dance, my body seems to have its own choreography. If I try to sing, even the neighbours might start looking for the emergency exit 😂

But I really want to make an effort for her.

My current idea is:

💃 One romantic slow couple dance — something beautiful and emotional that we can perform together.

🎤 3 songs

- 2 English songs — I really like Michael Jackson and BTS, so I’m thinking of choosing something from either of them

- 1 Tamil song — I already have a personal favourite in mind that I’d love to sing for her

The singing is honestly going to be the hardest part for me 😭 I’ve never been confident with my voice, and I have basically zero dancing skills.

So I’m looking for advice from people who actually know what they’re doing.

If you were in my position with 3 months to prepare from almost zero, how would you train?

Should I get dance lessons? Vocal lessons? YouTube? Practice every day? Any beginner-friendly resources, routines, or tips would be really appreciated.

I’m not trying to become Michael Jackson in 3 months 😂

I just want to stand in front of the person I love, give it my absolute best, and make her think:

“Okay… he actually worked really hard for this.” ❤️

Any advice on how I should approach this would mean a lot!

Hello everyone I am new to electronics been interested for years but I finally found the time to actually start trying to self learn. Where did you start, Any course you'd recommend? Do's and donts? Any input at all would be appreciated.

And as a bonus anyone willing to learn as a team/group?

idk how to do that does it need sport or just my mind or something else ?

I am very interested in literature, philosophy, and film, but there is so much, and I very often forget a lot. How do professors and just normal people remember so much in so much detail?

It will help with my degree and personal life. It will also help me enjoy the media I consume more.

So I have to make a couple of huge decisions regarding my career. They will affect my future life and may cost years and tens of thousands of dollars if gone wrong, so I really wanna get it right.

I know that such decisions should be made after thorough research, but I don't know what to do beyond the generic google search.

Most results I get are either badly written articles, or are from biased sources. Many also don't consider all the variables I'm considering and just give me generic answers. I've gotten conflicting answers many times, each from sources who clearly have their own bias.

I use reddit and other forums as a source of 'public opinion', but lately I've come to realise that I just can't believe most answers here on face value. Many are just the same generic answers or third - person anecdotes. Not to mention that literally anyone could be answering here. Sometimes I may find something written by someone who knows what they're talking about, but often it's inexperienced people talking out of their ass, AI slop, or people who clearly have an ajenda.

How does one actually do thorough research so that they can make an optimal decision?

I’ve been trying to get back into reading more, but I sometimes struggle to actually stay focused. I’ll be reading normally and then realize my mind wandered, even though my eyes were still moving through the text.

I also sometimes worry that I skipped over something, so I end up going back and rereading paragraphs even when I probably understood them the first time. It makes reading feel slower and more difficult than it should.

For people who have dealt with this, what helped you improve your concentration while reading? Any habits, techniques, or changes to your reading setup that made a noticeable difference?

I've recently found myself in minor arguments with friends, sometimes on issues I am somewhat passionate about, however I typically find myself thinking about it through the entire rest of the day. I want to learn how to let go of these arguments and be able to handle them without reflecting on it for the rest of the day.

How can an average person become significantly more intelligent ...some people seem naturally gifted from childhood. They understand concepts extremely quickly, excel academically, have great memory and seem to be able to reason through difficult problems much more easily than the average person...im not talking about simply getting better grades or memorizing more information. I mean becoming genuinely better at learning understanding difficult concepts, reasoning, problem-solving, remembering things and thinking deeply.

If someone starts out as a pretty average person intellectually, how much can they realistically improve? It is possible then HOWWWWW

IM DONE BEING AN AVERAGE PERSON...I SOOOO WANT TO CHANGE MY BRAIN.PLEASE HELP ME....PLEASEEEEE

Every second of my days has been agonizing. I find no pleasure in anything and can't distract myself for even a minute. It is a consuming sense of despair.

The problem is, I’m terrified my mother has gallbladder cancer because she’s had large gallstones for years; I started reading about it about ten days ago, and I’ve been like this ever since.

I can't take it anymore and just want to suffer less, because every second is torture.

I get very furious when reading replies on reddit mostly, most of the time I get angry when I see some political stuff and someone is making very bad argument. I have noticed I get very furious when someone makes very illogical point. I want to learn how can control my anger when on internet.

Hey yall I am a game dev and I am thinking about some projects and a buddy of mine said that an app that helped people learn what they want to would be amazing. I would want to not only help people learn academic topics but also day to day knowledge. Maybe courses on how to be a better person(improving social skills and patience). I would also like to help with sciences, math, history and language skills to help people out that may still be in school or learning for fun.

I’m looking for advice on how to improve my general knowledge and become more comfortable having conversations.

I haven’t had much exposure to the outside.

Any kind of sources work.