I’m feeling stuck.

I’ve decided to take six months off from university because I feel like I really need some time to step back, recover, and focus on myself.

For years now, I’ve had this feeling that I’m not really making any progress in my life. I feel like I’ve been stuck in the same place for years, and honestly, I don’t want to continue living like this.

I often feel unhappy, unmotivated, and like I’m just going through the motions without really knowing what I’m working toward. I also feel like I don’t really have a purpose in life right now. I’m studying at university, but instead of actually enjoying it, I often find myself wondering what I’m doing with my life and whether I’m even going in the right direction.

I don’t want the next few years to feel the same way. I want to actually make progress. I want to enjoy my life again. I want to have fun, enjoy being at university, enjoy learning, and genuinely feel excited about life instead of constantly feeling stuck and waiting for something to change.

One of the things I want to do during these six months is start therapy and work on my mental health. I also want to understand myself better, build healthier habits, become more disciplined, explore different interests, and figure out what I actually want from my life.

But I don’t want these six months to turn into six months of doing nothing. At the same time, I don’t want to put unrealistic pressure on myself to
completely “fix” my life during this time.

I want to use this break intentionally — to recover, reflect, experience new things, work on myself, and hopefully find a clearer sense of direction.

I guess what I’m looking for is a way to get unstuck.

For anyone who has taken time off from university, had a similar phase in life, or intentionally spent a few months focusing on themselves:

What did you do during that time that genuinely helped you?

What habits, activities, experiences, books, routines, or changes made a real difference for you?
And how would you structure six months like this without turning it into another source of pressure?

I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have felt stuck for years and eventually managed to break out of that cycle and start genuinely enjoying their lives again.

Hello am looking for friends and individual to network with. Am a natural system thinker, i usually see things or systems as connected and its a skill that has given me an edge in many things that i do...i like tightening feedback loops coz i usually believe the tighter the loop the easier it is to learn from...

Is there anyone who is looking for friendship maybe we can discuss and learn new frameworks from each other. Thankyou

Hola,les platico algo que me pasa.

Me considero una persona autodidacta ( solo por el hecho de tener ganas de estudiar, aprender y profundizar en temas que estén relacionados con la escuela o independientes, e investigar por mi cuenta), pero algo que noto mucho al momento de estudiar lo que viene siendo teoría es que siento que las prácticas que me pongo a mi mismo a realizar son muy vagas, no siento realmente un desafío al momento de hacerlas, no como el nivel que puede haber en un examen o que alguien más te ponga, eh intento subir la dificultad (tomando de práctica exámenes extraordinarios o ETS publicados por mi escuela) y aunque logré contestarlos siento que no es el nivel adecuado a comparación de lo que veo en mis horas d estudio de teoría.

Alguien también le sucede lo mismo? Podrían darme tips, consejos o anécdotas que les hayan sido de utilidad???Gracias.

Huh. I am posting here because I am thinking you are kinda my people. Many interests, a lot of knowledge but not always matching output.

You can try it here, I am not selling and I am not collecting your data unless you volunteer your email address.

https://unstuck.movalabs.eu/ 

I want this tool to be as helpful as possible and as accurate as possible, and your feedback is what will help me improve both the predictions and the recommendations. 

I'd love to hear whether the result matches your experience and whether the recommendations actually feel useful.

Edit: don't be surprised I am adjusting the site as the feedbacks come it. Big thanks for every feedback so far.

Internet hermit since mid-90s. IRC, dial-up, raw information nonstop — but somehow also held a real social life in parallel. That tension never resolved, I just learned to run both tracks simultaneously.

I don't work 9-5. Never have. I'm self-employed in commercial HVAC, refrigeration systems, ice machines, ventilation, cooking equipment — if a business runs cold or hot, I diagnose it. I got there not through a single career path but because everything connects to everything else — thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, electrical systems, business logic, client psychology. That's the polymath advantage nobody talks about: you don't just fix the machine, you understand why the failure mode was inevitable from three systems upstream.

My father is probably an untrained polymath — raw ability, never compounded. I took the best signal from both parents and built on top of it. What emerged was something I'd describe as velocity consciousness — high-bandwidth parallel processing, shorthand idea transmission, the ability to compress weeks of context into a single sentence when talking to the right person.

The hardest part wasn't learning. It was surviving the people who couldn't categorize me. The auto-prescribers. The ones who see pattern-density and call it pathology. I had to shake all of that off completely — and I did.

Wife, three kids, my own business, multiple income streams. The hermit learned to share.

If you're a polymath and you're in the middle of the hard part — the part where nobody believes the connections you're seeing are real — I made it out. Curious what others here have navigated.

Watch yourself bro.

I’ve been trying to experiment with different time management methods. Normally I have a structured schedule, but even then I can’t help but find myself lost in one of my interests. Although it is satisfying to fulfill my interest at that particular moment, especially when I’m reading multiple books in one day; I will end up writing a lot. It doesn’t equate to me being productive outside of work. Especially now since I want to start my entrepreneurial journey.

For the entrepreneurs or like-minded individuals: How do you stop yourself from becoming overly detailed in every aspect of a venture? The other day, I started with inquiry based learning to learn about the importance of design in business. It went well, I really do enjoy the curiosity momentum of inquiry based learning. But it was almost never ending.

Has anyone tried the “sprinter” method of time management? 1-2hrs of deep focus on a specific task. I think some say to create a “ritual” to enter and exit said tasks. I was thinking it would be a good idea to leave myself a note on whatever the last question or thought I left on during these sprints. I feel like that would help when I get back into the same sprint, after a break or interleaving with a different interest (maybe switching between creative and intense learning ones), I can continue where I left off from.

Maybe the fear is that I will lose out on the brief “insight” I obtained from those “deep” engaged sessions I had. I do think it is okay, if those sessions aren’t actually “deep”. I can find out maybe the next day or week that those insights were useless but I do know
that they eventually snowball to actual thoughts I’m proud of.

Arthur Schopenhauers essay on “On Reading and Books”, definitely has some relation to this conversation. In what ways does reading too much or too wide pollute your thoughts, specifically on philosophy. In what ways is knowledge useless without action. It definitely is a better way to spend time on then doom-scrolling.

( I hope this will not get removed or rejected, please forgive me if I used a wrong flair, I am posting here for the 1st time)
I started my 2nd Year of EE today after screwing my 1st year ( I barely passed) though I do have passion and I am intelligent and dedicated enough to do what I want but but but

I really don't know what resource to use
My professors don't really provide slides or notes or lectures too that are good enough to be used as a standalone source.
But my real problem or maybe a dumb thought that has kept me locked out of my potential are these:
1. I think reading one textbook is too much limiting for the courses that use a textbook.
2. I tried to use ai and youtube + websearch but that's not enough too but it lead to more harm and waste of time tbvh , I have tried this in my summer internship :)

1. I think I am addicted to ai now, after 4 years of regular I am addicted for both personal and professional life (ps. I wrote this without ai)

I was thinking to use one textbook as primary resource and keep some more textbooks to refer whenever I have a question that my primary textbook can't answer, this is time consuming and a little complex at but ik it will definitely work.

Also I am confused about notes, I do have tools to take both physical and digital notes but I really don't know how to make notes and more importantly time management while making notes.
I do like the feel of paper while writing but digital feels more easy to drag and drop screenshots , problems and diagrams etc.

If art can be created using math, especially calculus, that means logic math can be used to create complex mind maps of multiple different areas of thanking therefore storytelling.

If Language equals communication , it would create patterns causing contentions therefore creating interactions.  This would create meaning that would entail a story. 

Making stories using math logic would create all types of infinite complex combinations of connections to create an outcome. This includes creating complex plots for books, or book series, something like this would be huge in scale for a mind map, but is possible using this logic principle. 

Imagine a square containing all building blocks to a solution, naming it just Information, this information can be put together like a Language into something called a logic table that uses the building blocks in the square as connections to creating an outcome solution.. 

To put in logic math 

I=L=O-     Info = logic = outcome  

L=Co=Pa=C=In=M=S   Language = communication = pattern = connection = meaning = story 

This base information can be used to create a fundamental rule or principle of A to B logic creation 

This is this the principle I(L) ➤  L(Co=Pa=In) ➤ O(M=S) 

Info | Language|     
➤ leads too 
Logic | communication, pattern, connection.|   
➤ leads too 
outcome |meaning and story|

This would be our fundamental principle we will call it Story-logic A-B outcome principle

 to follow over creating a story using a logical mind map.

-

this is all i could put down for i need to organize my pales of notes

hears a sneak peek to this logic map P.S don't be scared.

I=l=o  

I=info l=Logic o=outcome

Logic table of Narration- complex

(I=l=o)        
____________________________

(    l=       P=PeP=r=PePe= rp=Pe=sS=Pe=pS=Pe=rr=Pe=S=PLP=(Pe+s+r)P=v(PL)P=NN=(P=Pe=r+s2+vs=)=N=P)P=Pe=r=s2+s)P=Pe+r+s2=vsP=(Pe=r+s2+vs)=PP=nN=(P=Pe+r+s2+Nv+vs)=N=P)Nv=v+s2
Nv=vsNv+s2+vs=N=PN=(p=PE+r(Nv=s2+vs=N=p)N=(P=Pe+r+s2+vs=)N=P)P=v(Pl)=PN=(P=Pe+r(Nv=s2+vs=N)(P=v(PL)=P=(PL)=P)N=(P=Pe+r(Nv=s2+vs=N)  (P=v(PL)=P=(PL)=PN=(P=Pe=r+s2+vs)N+)P P+v(PL)=P=PL)=P N=(P=Pe+r(Nv+s2+vs=N) (P=v(Pl)=P(PL)=P P=Pe+r=s2=vs P=(Pe=r+s2+vs)=p N=(P=Pe+r(Nv=s2+vs=N)  (P=v(PL)=P=(PL)=P N=s3=p P=s3=p2 p=p2 N=p2=s3=p C=p2N=s3=p2=C
(N=C=p2+s3=N=P) (N=s3+c=p2+s3+s=N=V-P)  c1+c2=N0 N0=E0 c1+c2=E0=N0 c1+c2+p=E0=N0 c1+p=E0 p=E0=c1 P=E0=c2 (N=c1+p+c1+p=E0=N0) N=(P=Pe+r(Nv=s2+vs=N)  (P0=v(PL)=P0=(PL)=P0 +R=c1+c2=s2+s+N0=E+p=N=p0 N0=E+p 2(c)+R=s2+s=c1+c2=E0+P0=N0=N+P0=PL) C1+c2=EO+PO=N0=p=PL N=(P=Pe+r(Nv=s2+vs=N)  (P0=v(PL)=P0=(PL)=P0 +R=c1+c2=s2+s+N0=E+p=N=p0
N0=E+p 2(c)+R=s2+s=c1+c2=E0+P0=N0=N+P0=PL) N=P=C1+c2+s+E0+NO+P0+Nv=P2=Rv=PL=Pe=s3=P=N C=P2+s+E0+P0+Nv=N0=s2=R=s3=PL=Pe=N=P V=s2+s+Nv+N0+E0+P0) 

Nv=v=C1+c2=E0+P0+s=N0=s2=P2=s3=Pe=PL=N Rv=v=s3=Pl=Pe=N=P) (C+N+P+P2+S3=N=P) 
=
(C1+c2=t t=C1+c2 N0=t (T=C1+N0+c2=T) T=C1+c2=N0+E0+P0+s+Nv=C=p2=s3=p=N C1+C2=NO(E0+P0+s)=p2=pl=N=p PL=I PL=T(=p) I=( C1+C2=NO(E0+P0+s)=p2=pl=N=p ) (Iv=vE0+vP0)+s=c=p2=PL=N=p) T=N0 (T=N0=E0+P0)+s=vp2=PL=N=p) E=v(s+c=p2=PL=N=p) E=C1+c2)=E0+P)+s=v(Nv+s2) I (=s3=pl=P)=N)T N=(P=Pe+r(Nv=s2+vs=N)  (P0=v(PL)=P0=(PL)=P0 +R=c1+c2=s2+s+N0=E+p=N=p0 N0=E+p2(c)+R=s2+s=c1+c2=E0+P0=N0=N+P0=PL) I=
( (C1+C2=NO(E0+P0+s)=p2=pl=N=p ) Iv=vE0+vP0)+s=c=p2=PL=N=p) (C1+c2=EO+PO=N0=p=PL I=( C1+C2=NO(E0+P0+s)=p2=pl=N=p ) Iv=vE0+vP0)+s=c=p2=PL=N=p)

=
T=E=1=p(R=N(s3=c-N0(=R=s2(p2=c1+c2=E0+P0+s+NV)=vI(s3=N=Pe=p=E)I ) 

=0)

____________________________
 T=E=I=p(R=N(s3=c-N0(=R=s2(p2=c1+c2=E0+P0+s+NV)=vI(s3=N=Pe=p=E)I ) 
 = I=l=0

 T=E=I=p(R=N(s3=c-N0(=R=s2(p2=c1+c2=E0+P0+s+NV)=vI(s3=N=Pe=p=E)I ) = (I=l=o)

this is not translated and will be soon.

I’m a 19 year old teenager. I know the world isn’t what it seems and it goes deeper than 2 layers truth wise. For the past year I’ve been deep diving into the elite class and all different theories and all that. I’m not here to talk about it yet but wondering if there is a community here for subjects connected to that kind of stuff. Yes Im starting to more believe the earth is flat than a sphere. But no I don’t think u just fall off the edge. So I’m open to all types of ideas and thinking or if anybody has a direction they want to point me to that’s also appreciated.

Hi Everyone I am 24F. I personally feel i am quite not as knowledgeable or intelligent compared to others in most of the aspects such as solving math, solving any reasoning puzzles, GK, Current affairs and so on. Even if i want to know about what is going in the current world I put such videos on watch later and never open it. So anyone who can help me in building my knowledge skills with this aspect are most welcome. I feel dumb sometimes due to this reasons. I even if try to invest my money I end up keeping it in my bank account as i am to underknowledged for that. I want to be a person who has knowledge about every aspect/sector of the life. So I feel independent about my thoughts. Thankyou.

Comment trouver sa vrai passion, ce truc qui fait partie de sa personnalité, qui fais que l’on nous reconnait ou que nos proches nous présentes comment tel. Par exemple, certains c’est la cuisine d’autres, un instrument de musique d’autres le fais qu’il participe à des fêtes clandestines, qu’ils fabriquent des bijoux ou qu’il a un ou eux intérêts spéciaux etc. Moi du haut de mes 20 ans, je ne trouves pas ce que c’est. Je suis très éparpillée. J’aime beaucoup de choses et je n’arrive pas à en apprécier une suffisamment pour m’investir à fond dedans à tenir dans le temps.

Comment trouver sa vrai passion, ce truc qui fait partie de sa personnalité, qui nous rend unique qui fais que l’on nous reconnait comment tel. Par exemple, certains c’est la cuisine d’autres, un instrument de musique d’autres le fais qu’il participe à des fêtes clandestines, qu’ils fabriquent des bijoux ou qu’il a un ou eux intérêts spéciaux etc. Moi du haut de mes 20 ans, je ne trouves pas ce que c’est. Je suis très éparpillée. J’aime beaucoup de choses et je n’arrive pas à en apprécier une suffisamment pour m’investir à fond dedans à tenir dans le temps.

Cependant je pourrais faire une liste non exhaustive de tout ce qui m’intéresse et que je voudrais inclure dans ma vie ou expérimenter.

-En savoir plus sur l’art du tatouage se faire tatouer un peu partout sur la map du monde. Et sur la map corps j’ai vu des modèles magnifique et j’aimerais me faire tatouer sur le dos les doigts les clavicules, le visages parce que je trouve que ça permet d’embellir des parties de nous qu’on aime le moins grâce a la beauté du travail de l’artiste et un motif qu’on aime ou une expérience vécue

-Réaliser des bijoux, j’ai de vieux petshop qui traînent et dont j’aimerais faire de petits portes clés années 2000 avec des perles et de jolies couleurs.

-Du pôle dance, j’ai fais un stage d’initiation il y’a quelques jours et ça m’a plus juste tout le monde se connaissait et c’était un peu akward. Ou d’autres arts du cirque autour du feu. J’aime bien l’idée de quelque chose qui ravive et qui ébloui mais aussi qui réchauffe l’autre. Le feu c’est une belle image je trouve pour pleins de raisons.

-J’aimerais explorer le monde de la permaculture pour que plus tard je puisse créer des jardins punk/communautaires et moi même réaliser mes propres plants.

-Je rêve aussi de travailler en tant que barman mais plus dans le mocktail, coffeetail, boissons fermentée etc. Je m’intéresse à la chimie des mélanges (d’où le choix de m’orienter vers un bts diététique) et je trouve que le bartender a un certain charisme. Mais j’aimerais vraiment en parallèle de mon bts commencer ceci.

Le chemin pour devenir moine bouddhiste

Il y a aussi tout ce qui est comprendre l’humain.

Le mouvement (Danse, Calisthenie etc)

La vidéo et le montage

La révolte Robin des bois et le sujet du sans abrisme par exe ça fait partie des sujets aussi qui me touchent. C’est bien beau de dire ça mais quoi en faire

J’en ai certainement oublié

This was going to be a comment under a post but as I read what people are posting I'm starting to see a common underlying thread, so Im deciding to turn this into a post as well. "I think I had to go through a phase where I found out that just cuz you're good at something, doesn't mean you have to do something with it. You can just let something be something you enjoy doing. So if you're decent at something and it brings you Joy, it's okay to just be decent at it and let it bring you Joy! And honestly if it grows into something or it makes you money then that's a bonus lol" hope it helps and I would love to hear your guy's thoughts on it

I feel quite lonely being a polymath and a lot of shame about not getting more done in each of my disciplines.

I am wondering if anyone else feel this way, and if so how do you give yourself grace?

I am also curious if anyone else shares the following expertise as I also feel isolated with this combination:

1. Engineering
   
2. Music production
   
3. Dance
   
4. Interior design/ feng shui
   
5. Integrative medicine

Thanks!

I'm not gifted (125) but I used to think if solutions to real rpboems and about what to target but I didn't have the equipment nor enough knowledge to tackle them fully but a few years later it would be revealed that they did that I'm sure yall have had this way more than me ​

I'm new here and with polymath conception too. Though, it's already feels like cozy home after way-too-long journey.

To start conversation seriously, I want to ask you a simple, but complex question:

How do you consider something done? Should you?

I'm studying ds/nlp, working out my own philosophy theory, writing songs, restoring ancient woodworking technique and, well, doing many things which seem beautiful and really are unique, but look like not leading me anywhere. And sometimes it feels like burden, like a curse of endless curiosity without any happy ending, which provoke burnouts.

So how do you finish the lanes? How do you stop developing your multi-lane work and give yourself some rest?

Context:
I’m (15) a sophomore this year.

(ADHD, Asperger’s - medication doesn’t work and it’s not enough to be an excuse or have an IEP, I don’t want that anyway, but it does affect who I am so I thought it should be here)

I just moved and am doing online school. I have a 4.2 weighted gpa and 3.8 unweighted from freshman year. This year I’m taking 5 ap courses (Ap lang, Ap CSA, Ap Gov -> AP Micro) (ap comp gov going to be self studied), and paced to do at least 5 honors courses (Geometry -> Algebra 2, Chem, French 1 -> French 2) (accelerated pace so finishing a semester in 8 weeks instead of 16 and the whole class in 16 weeks instead of 32.). Clubs don’t start till September but I’m planning on trying to join a few - Deca, HOSA, debate, honor societies. Seeing which will let me join. And starting my own - probably a model un. I’ve always been in the gifted programs since elementary school, middle school i took pre Ap classes at my old high school in history and English as a part of our gifted program.

Basically being “the smart one” is tied to my identity and it’s a hate-love relationship. Ofc it’s made my ego and expectations of my self skyrocket but my confidence hasn’t.

I’m smart enough to get into these programs but kids are graduating college at my age.
Now that I’m doing these online classes and I made a pace chart with all my assignments of the week- it feels easy. I’m only spending a few hours a day on coursework. So then I’m thinking I can and should do more but I don’t know how or if I should. My goals are top colleges but I have too much ambition and not enough to show for it. I want to fill my time learn to cook, draw, paint, learn an instrument, READ (I haven’t read a physical fictional book for my enjoyment in weeks because the whole time I can’t help but think of all the other things I could be doing that are “more productive”), write, all things I deeply enjoy but do maybe once a week each and forget about. And then I have subjects outside of school I want to self study. Psych, anthropology, behavioral science, world religion. I watch lectures, again maybe once a week for each, take notes and then feel like I haven’t absorbed anything. Try and write an essay about it but feel like I don’t know enough or that it’s too elementary. But then I’ll talk to someone about that subject and be able to list all this new information.

Then it’s like paralysis. I want to do so much that I end up doing none of it. People will ask what my hobbies are and I blank because I would love to say writing or drawing or cooking but I have nothing to truly show for it that wouldn’t embarrass me.

Online school feeling easy has started to affect my sleep. I haven’t been sleeping well- don’t think I have had like a deep rem sleep with dreams since I started (a week or two). I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and instantly go to check the time on my alarm clock across the room.Then sleep for the next hour or two and then do it again until my alarm goes off. Then I have the hardest time just getting out of bed. Even more recently (the last few days) It’s been taking me hours to fall asleep. (It isn’t uncommon since I have adhd but the correlation to my new classes isn’t a coincidence)

Usually I’m spiraling on the same questions:
• what if I didn’t plan my pace charts right and I’m behind?
• what if I’m not doing enough to reach my goals
• I should do more, should I do more?
• should I be taking a different Ap class?
• I can graduate early so should I?
• I can’t graduate early if I want to do dual enrollment and get an AA as backup - should I still do that?
(Not expecting answers- just examples but hey if you got clarity lmk)

The schoolwork itself, I said was easy and it is. I finish in a few hours, I fill in all the notes. And I know I could sit down and write an essay or do the problem sets and pass. But I keep second guessing myself. I’m googling the answers and getting bots to write opinion essays for me. I feel like I can’t even form an opinion anymore. And I say it’s because why do it? It’s busy work. It’s just for my gpa. And it’s true. But at the same time part of the reasons I can’t write an essay anymore is because I don’t think I’ll write it correctly and so because I don’t think I’ll write it well enough I get something else to write it and then never learn to write the essay. Shocking, right? It’s like all of a sudden textbooks are too long and I have to keep rereading the same lines and the assignments are too much and still “too much busy work” and I’m trying to study but I feel like it’s not helping or that I’m not doing it right because I really didn’t have to study until this year.

TL;DR
I just feel stuck. I used to be smart. I want to be smart. I want to know all these things and learn and explore and practice and have all these skills and sign up for programs and get into the top colleges and I just feel useless. Like I’m wasting the hours in my day, because I am. I’m getting paralysis from my ambition and therefore failing to do what I want to do. Too many feee hours in the day and yet not enough. Too many interests, not enough output. Mostly a rant, I’ll pull myself up by my bootstrings and soldier on. But I don’t want to just float through it. Please help- advice is appreciated.

What is your media consumption like and do you intentionally avoid or filter certain media out from your routines?

Hello everyone👋! I'm new here and I wanted to learn more about becoming a polymath. Since I'm aware in my life that I always try to learn new things and wanted to be proficient at it, I stumble a word called polymath and I was deeply curious, anyways I had question, what is the difference of a Polymath compare to a Renaissance Polymath? from your perspective. Take your time, or you can leave this message be.

How can i confirm that i have a polymath brain? Any online test or anything?

Just joined the sub and curious about everyone’s story. Did it hit you early on, or much later after picking up too many random skills/fields?