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AfterBurners

Well-Known Member
TRF Supporter
Joined
May 8, 2012
Messages
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Location
Southern Calif
I remember when I joined TRF 10 years ago. The passion and excitement I had when I would come on here and read through all the posts and follow the cool build threads, which there were plenty. Learning new techniques and always trying to improve my skills, which currently is always work in progress. Making that 2 hour drive to Lucerne or Rabbit dry lake bed to launch my new creations and the excitement of pressing that go button and watching my rocket fly off the pad. Attending the launches 2-3 times a year and meeting some very exceptional people. Browsing the local vendors and grabbing a BBQ burger and a cold soda to wash it down.

Still a great hobby and always will be and one day I'll be able to put the same amount of time passion into it again. My time is consumed by other priorities right now and whatever free time I do have when I decide to work on a rocket I don't feel as relaxed or focused. It's a job to finish it.

One day I'll get on a crazy rocket building binge where I'll live and breath rockets day and night and in my sleep....one day;););)
 
I got back into rockets two years ago but my passion isn’t there anymore. I don’t have time to finish rockets that I start and they end up in the trash after a certain point. Perhaps one day I’ll have motivation and my passion will return.
 
Hobbies always stay with you, interest may wane, but they seem to stay in your blood. Take a break, don't burn out on your passions.

Astronomy is my biggest passion, yet it's been over a year since I have dragged a scope out.

Work
Family
Weather
Chores
Health

Add to that list...
But life gets in the way, but your passions run deep ;)
 
I am about the same. I have some hobbies I am more passionate about, but I end up coming back to rocketry even when I don't dedicate much time to it. Things at work this Summer and Fall have really taken a bite out of hobby time. With Winter around the corner, things are calming down and I can tackle fun projects again.
 
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I am about the same. I have some hobbies I am more passionate about, but I end up coming back to rocketry even when I don't dedicated much time to it. Things at work this Summer and Fall have really taken a bite out of hobby time. With Winter around the corner, things are calming down and I can tackle fun projects again.

Honestly I get lazy. Even if I have time off I still rather not work on them. After working all week and maybe having a few hours on the weekend or all day I'd rather chill in the garage and have a cup of coffee or do something else. Most every weekend I'm playing catch up. I'm having coffee and going to take my dog to the park for a nice walk soon when the sun comes up. IDK this is my way of relaxing. Weekends go by way too fast.
 
I got back into rockets two years ago but my passion isn’t there anymore. I don’t have time to finish rockets that I start and they end up in the trash after a certain point. Perhaps one day I’ll have motivation and my passion will return.

I share your loss of passion. Work and life challenge rockets building every day.
 
I share your loss of passion. Work and life challenge rockets building every day.

Online activities eat into that also. When I was moderating Rocketry Planet I felt obligated to spend hours every day that could have been spent with my wife or building rockets. It’s another facet of the hobby, but it’s deceptive how much time it takes.
 
Honestly I get lazy. Even if I have time off I still rather not work on them. After working all week and maybe having a few hours on the weekend or all day I'd rather chill in the garage and have a cup of coffee or do something else. Most every weekend I'm playing catch up. I'm having coffee and going to take my dog to the park for a nice walk soon when the sun comes up. IDK this is my way of relaxing. Weekends go by way too fast.

I understand that. My work schedule rotates, so weekends don't mean much, but my time off still goes by fast. Some days when I am off, I don't want to focus on any detailed work or feel like I need to relax rather than concentrate on a hobby where things can go south quick if you overlook something. Other times, doing something creative like building and painting are exactly what I need to lower stress. One thing I like about rocketry is a kit can sit half built and still be finished when mood strikes.
 
Online activities eat into that also. When I was moderating Rocketry Planet I felt obligated to spend hours every day that could have been spent with my wife or building rockets. It’s another facet of the hobby, but it’s deceptive how much time it takes.

How true!
 
Yes, hobbies move in cycles and they tend to start with a familiar and frenetic honeymoon phase where they seem all-consuming, all-important and time just opens up because the passion bubbles over. Then, after accomplishing a few things and spending more time with a hobby the interest will always inevitably wane a little bit. The shiny newness of the novelty tarnishes slightly. It happens.

I noticed this with myself as a recent BAR. After rediscovering rocketry, reading everything that I could about it, trucking to the hobby shop a few times a week, building 6 - 7 kits at a feverish pace, having 3 very successful launches at clubs, one with a camera attached (something that I've always wanted to do), I now feel the pace and passion slowing somewhat. It's not gone, it's just slowed.

The weather in my area has something to do with it, since I live in a place that experiences cold, cold winters. I'm thinking the passion and fever will explode (hopefully not like an Estes E engine) once spring hits. I plan to do a lot of reading and some building as winter makes indoor living more frequent. Hopefully that will also result in a foray into HPR. We'll see. In any case, sometimes hobbies even require breaks. Anyone can burnout on anything.
 
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I understand that. My work schedule rotates, so weekends don't mean much, but my time off still goes by fast. Some days when I am off, I don't want to focus on any detailed work or feel like I need to relax rather than concentrate on a hobby where things can go south quick if you overlook something. Other times, doing something creative like building and painting are exactly what I need to lower stress. One thing I like about rocketry is a kit can sit half built and still be finished when mood strikes.

I get it about going south. You do need to focus on what you are doing and also have that passion. Don't work on something if you feel you must or force yourself to. That's when all the mistakes happen.
 
I think the key is to stay modest and humble. I see so many people race towards a goal and drift away once done. I've gone through declines myself but I downsized a while back to the point where I was originally happy and rediscovered the joy again.

I've ruined so many hobbies in the past by outrunning my headlights and got burnt out. I told a good buddy of mine when I first started flying rockets that I wasn't going to let that happen and for the most part, I have kept my word.
 
I dropped out of rocketry in 2003, partly because the kids grew up and lost interest mostly due to the ATFE trying to put the hobby out of existence. I am disabled with MS and no longer work on my tools as a electrician and mechanic for many years now. I miss working with my tools using my life learned skills working with my hands.
A few months ago my grandson got interested in rockets which inspired me. Now the building and launching has me back in the saddle again. I didn't know how much I missed using my skills with tools until I started back into rockets. As everyone knows, you never exhaust learning and developing new skills in rocketry. I was level 2 back when but I learn something new every day.
I am thouraly enjoying myself very much. I love the building as much as the flying. Now I am going to attempt to get my level one certification back this Sat, and then who knows. Anyway I am having a blast!
 
I think the key is to stay modest and humble. I see so many people race towards a goal and drift away once done. I've gone through declines myself but I downsized a while back to the point where I was originally happy and rediscovered the joy again.

I've ruined so many hobbies in the past by outrunning my headlights and got burnt out. I told a good buddy of mine when I first started flying rockets that I wasn't going to let that happen and for the most part, I have kept my word.

I down sized considerably and only buy kits if I I have nothing else to fly or destroyed one.
 
I dropped out of rocketry in 2003, partly because the kids grew up and lost interest mostly due to the ATFE trying to put the hobby out of existence. I am disabled with MS and no longer work on my tools as a electrician and mechanic for many years now. I miss working with my tools using my life learned skills working with my hands.
A few months ago my grandson got interested in rockets which inspired me. Now the building and launching has me back in the saddle again. I didn't know how much I missed using my skills with tools until I started back into rockets. As everyone knows, you never exhaust learning and developing new skills in rocketry. I was level 2 back when but I learn something new every day.
I am thouraly enjoying myself very much. I love the building as much as the flying. Now I am going to attempt to get my level one certification back this Sat, and then who knows. Anyway I am having a blast!

Thats great John! Congrats on finding the passion again. Good to hear you are going for your L1 again!
 
I haven't built or flown anything in years. All my rockets, kits, tools, supplies, and everything else have been boxed up and put away. If I did decide to start up again I'd probably have to replace a lot of my supplies that have been damaged or are just no good anymore. That alone keeps me from being able to build anything when I realize I have a free weekend for a change, so I end up finding something else to do.

That's kind of sad.
 
We have a partially finished basement, not exactly a Man Cave. Does have a 61” rear projection TV that I got 13 years ago. In the evenings after I get home from work, SWMBO and the Lab and I hang out and watch TV (we binged on Last Man Standing, now we are going through Magnum P.I.). She plays word jumbles on her IPad while I build rockets and Lucy naps or gets petted. I am strictly a Low Power Rocketry guy, most of my stuff is scratch built, and I play around with rocket helis, air brake recovery, staging, clustering, Clustering AND Staging combined (all black powder motors), rocket launched keychain cameras, gliders. I don’t get much done each night, but it keeps us all together and allows my creative juices an outlet. So my Rocketry is mixed with other things that help “make my day!” Plus, since most of my rockets are scratch built and Odd Rocs (not quite @Daddyisabar level far out Odd Rods, but definitely not 3FNC—-although I have done 3NC1F!) and are low power and pretty inexpensive to make, and can be flown at a local park, I get to see if what I created actually works.

So for me Rocketry has become a stress outlet rather than a task. YMMV
 
Hi Folks;
I guess that my life kind of, uh, sucks. Truthfully, I mentally dangle rocketry in front of myself as a 'carrot' to keep going. My job is very demanding, high stress, and occupies most of my waking hours. If I couldn't escape for a little while to build and fly rockets, or other diversions like music and firearms, I don't know that life would much be worth living. Maybe I'm just an AP junkie. Denied my distractions, I wouldn't last long in this lifestyle. It's pretty tough to keep on truckin', even with my hobbies. This probably isn't a very healthy lifestyle, but a lot of people are counting on me, and they usually don't even know it. My job is such that if no one is aware of my existence, I have done my job as well as it can be done.

Jim
 
Hi Folks;
I guess that my life kind of, uh, sucks. Truthfully, I mentally dangle rocketry in front of myself as a 'carrot' to keep going. My job is very demanding, high stress, and occupies most of my waking hours. If I couldn't escape for a little while to build and fly rockets, or other diversions like music and firearms, I don't know that life would much be worth living. Maybe I'm just an AP junkie. Denied my distractions, I wouldn't last long in this lifestyle. It's pretty tough to keep on truckin', even with my hobbies. This probably isn't a very healthy lifestyle, but a lot of people are counting on me, and they usually don't even know it. My job is such that if no one is aware of my existence, I have done my job as well as it can be done.

Jim
Hang in there. Nothing stays the same. Prayerfully everything will improve for you and the situation.
Rockerty gives me a lot if positive input I would otherwise be missing. I dont know you or what you believe but I am praying for you now.
 
Hi John;

Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. I am actually doing OK out here, I'm just in a weird and tough situation professionally. I have a plan to cure the situation, it will just take a little while to make everything come out successfully on the other side. The main point that I set out to make was that I REALLY NEED MY ROCKETS !! I think a lot of folks on the Forum can understand that feeling. All my best to you and yours John. Thanks again!

Jim
 
Hi John;

Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. I am actually doing OK out here, I'm just in a weird and tough situation professionally. I have a plan to cure the situation, it will just take a little while to make everything come out successfully on the other side. The main point that I set out to make was that I REALLY NEED MY ROCKETS !! I think a lot of folks on the Forum can understand that feeling. All my best to you and yours John. Thanks again!

Jim
I definitely use my hobbies to distract me, that's part of the whole point :-D
 
Hi John;

Thank you for your kind words and thoughts. I am actually doing OK out here, I'm just in a weird and tough situation professionally. I have a plan to cure the situation, it will just take a little while to make everything come out successfully on the other side.

Get out while you can. Don’t assume unlimited tomorrows. Trust me on this one.
 
I haven't built or flown anything in years. All my rockets, kits, tools, supplies, and everything else have been boxed up and put away. If I did decide to start up again I'd probably have to replace a lot of my supplies that have been damaged or are just no good anymore. That alone keeps me from being able to build anything when I realize I have a free weekend for a change, so I end up finding something else to do.

That's kind of sad.

Come baaak, come baaak into the light...............
 
Very interesting discussion. I really don't do moderation very well. I got back into the hobby several years ago, and binged. I've got boxes of rockets, kits, parts, etc. I was an officer for the local club. Started a club for kids (ran for 5 years). And then I get overwhelmed and lose interest for a while. As others have said, it's cyclical.

And there's all the life stuff - kids, work, home repairs, etc. that keep getting in the way. Sometimes all I can do is take 5 minutes on OpenRocket and dream/tweak.

What's nice is when I get that interest back. I recently got a wave of rocketry, and worked frenetically on my upscale Screamin Green Meenie. Unfortunately, that wave of interest overlapped fire season, and multiple cancelled launches. And as usual, I didn't allocate enough time, encountered setbacks, and drifted away again. But, winter is coming, which means no launches for 3-4 months, and I've got some time to finish that one up.

I also had an epiphany at a recent launch. I have historically been more interested in how many rockets I could launch, and not spending enough time on how well the launch would go. My goal is to cut my focus back to something reasonable, like 1-2 HPR rockets in a day, and perhaps a handful of LPR or MPR. Quality vs quantity.

Plus, the local club is hosting LDRS next summer. It provides some serious motivation (at least today). I have several projects I want to finish, to join the ranks of the "Dangerous." Nine motor cluster - complex K - maybe with airstarts. What could go wrong?:D

Continued stream of (un)consciousness... There's something to be said for "Do what you like." If rocketry doesn't hold your interest, do something that does. Life is too short - enjoy it while you can.
 
I have many passions/hobbies so I do not get burned out. I just cycle between rocketry, model ship building, rifle building and shooting sports.
When i get tired of one I will do something else for a while. Keeps me fresh.
Jack of all trades, master of none.
 
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