I've had problems with this for a long time. Lately I've decided to try something different with my side projects - consolidation. I'm hoping to get my projects sharing as much of the same codebase as I can so that when I work on one I could be working on all of them, depending of course on the nature of the task. Things like GUI frameworks, content loading, and scripting systems - engine-y type stuff - are useful in lots of projects, and I find that if you do it right, you can move code of that sort from one project to another with minimal effort.

Ya, Agree with the above, that's what I do, but not from a technical stance, but from a creative stance.

I load all my ideas and work into one project, if it doesn't fit, it's filed as just a cool idea, for reference. And although the natural issue my approach is the project becomes too big in scope, then you just come to a point and just cut the concepts or ideas out of your project, and by this I don't mean scrap them and move on entirely, I mean release what you've done to your community and to the world, and just show all the work you put into it. Once it's out there, it's no longer just in your head or on private places and now others get to worry on if its good or not.

I had to do this with my 1st project, I had worked on it with a small team for about 2 years, and it came to a point that I had so many plans and ideas that was just from me, and not a collaboration that the rest of the team wanted to review it all and cut as they saw fit, re even scrapping it all. (despite how as I made the plans back then, and I gave them all ample opportunity to collaborate, but few of them bothered) I was the co lead, and was very extremely upset, I had what then was a major, but now I consider a minor to medium level emotional break. I had an unrelated honors psychology presentation due the next day, and I was so charged during the entire performance, best way I can explain is it felt like I was just radiating emotion.(got an A, and everyone in the room looked a little taken aback by the level of intensity I had, I've never felt like that before or again.)

Anyways,

my point is, there is a certain point you realize that you're not going to be able to take your work any farther yourself. So the best thing is to just release it to the community you were making it for/ with, and trust they care enough to review it and enjoy it.(if your lucky some will be inspired and if few may even build on it, that is really the highest honor.)

I did the same thing with my current project for the campaign, I realized we'd likely never get to the point of luxury to make a full on campaign sequence with missions, maps, story (RTS) So I just compiled all of it into a folder, labeled it, went through it all to make sure it was all exactly as I Saw fit. Then I released it as it was. A huge burden was lifted from me, and the need and desire to see that all made in my project was still there, but the insesent nagging and drive that sometimes crossed into OCDish tendencies was gone.

Trust in your community, trust in your supporters, trust in your team, trust in yourself. There will come a day when that is returned to you with interest, it may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, it may not be even some day soon, but it will happen. That's how the world works. (at least my slice of it)

Another thing that I have going for me, that I realized early that most people, especially artist types don't usually have going for them is focus.

I have a laser focus with everything, the farther I go, the more my laser encompasses. But it's still moving forward, there may be brief tangents in what I do, but it always somehow comes full circle. As I reflect on it today, the 20th of may, my 24th birthday, (and not the 1st time I realized this) I see everything in my life in focus and all pointing to where I am and what I'm doing, and who I am today. I've always been a macro thinker, and on the macro level, it all fits, and it all is going toward where I want to be.

As many of you will understand, sacrifices need to be made to get the job done.(whatever that job may be)

Are you a person that gets The Job Done?

If you're not, then seriously think about why that may be, and fix it.

In this world, if you can't get The Job done, you're not ready.

Im the exactly opposite, I cant do many things at a time, my head get bloated, its too many things to prepare. Even appointments make me really unproductive, I cant dedicate 100% into something if I know theres this pendent thing to do. In the other hand, when the path is clear, I go sayan =D.