Do You Have a Forever Project?
Tags: career, watercooler, beginners, motivation
Published: 2022-05-31 10:36:31

My interests tend to have a long tail, re-blooming decades later. Their revival is shaped by a *life-altering* catalyst, sparking a renewed interest in good feelings. Lately, I've dug deeper into these curiosities, nurturing a set of passions. [Retro-gaming](https://twitter.com/dougarcuri/status/1516025802957242377) is one of them, and [short-form writing](https://medium.com/@solidi/the-one-about-blogging-cd9e65a2055b) is another, but most important is reviving my exhaustion in software development.

So when the global pandemic unrolled with my family sheltered away, I inventoried my life for meaning, taking stock in what I had. That time of unease reminded me of my early years behind the monitor, locked away, tinkering with a project with others on the Internet. Uncovering these feelings opened a long-standing desire to continue something [I started so long ago](https://medium.com/super-jump/building-a-popular-half-life-mod-during-the-rise-of-counter-strike-fec6a5b9fd8f?sk=6d1427b3f1d832df06bd5b07aaa456bb). Some call it a passion project, but I'd like to call it a *forever project*.

## Deeper Than a Passion Project

My *forever project* involves developing video game modifications. "[Modding](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_game_modding)" is an enveloping environment, exercising skills of artistry and [software engineering](https://dev.to/solidi/what-is-a-software-engineer-anyway-3fb2). Important in this writing is to label what I am experiencing. Do others resonate with a similar stimulus in their [immersive projects](https://medium.com/@solidi/cq-personal-mastery-through-hobbies-f25aab2e49ad)?

Labeling an effort like a *forever project* gets me thinking deeply in meta. In my own experience, a forever project is a unique designation. Its revival is a miracle, and its timescale lasts decades. I found my forever project by pursuing a hobby, which had become my software career. [But then I burned out](https://medium.com/@solidi/my-goal-is-to-ship-c772f63c278d), and when world events affected daily life, I rediscovered where it started.

## What Makes a Forever Project?

My *forever project* is a continuous stream of effort in the background. Deeper than a side project, side quest, or a passion project, my forever project has challenged me, and its feedback comes in waves of interest. This project is a sidecar making life enjoyable. I describe it as a pedantic feeling of excitement, a rush of good emotions while creating something meaningfully valuable.

So, what defines the attributes of a *forever project*?

**Surrounded by others, old and new** - a *forever project* will have a  support community. Different groups of people, over time, tend to come and go within the project. It may even become increasingly popular.

**It goes on for decades** - as in its name, a *forever project* tends to go on forever. The project will depend on a community supporting its revival. It will go through periods of contributions and, other times, enter dormancy. However, it will come back with roaring nostalgia into something modern.

**A feedback loop that never gets old** - the *forever project* resists staleness, continuously demanding solutions to problems. During the day, the answers to issues will naturally come. There is a tendency to a cycle, but it's not formal; the rules are casual.

**Not attached to a company or job** - *forever projects* aren't connected to an entity that optimizes revenue or pursues an industry. However, it will attract those who see the concept as profitable. For the creator, an introduction to a new career. In my case, a rejuvenation of creativity. 

**Bubbles with excitement, challenging at all levels** - a *forever project* provides a feedback loop touching different skillsets of interest. A forever project delivers to a community, adding value to it.

**At most, a handful in a lifetime** - since the timescale is exceptionally long, its efforts compound, altering the path of one's life, *forever projects* occur only a handful of times.

**Without a concrete plan but has a form** - a *forever project* will tap into skillsets by growing them, for example, [shipping things over perfecting them](https://medium.com/@solidi/my-goal-is-to-ship-c772f63c278d). Participating will exercise the skills picked up over the years, with control and finesse, without all the rules. Its actualization is learning with an impactful result.

**Promotes progeny and resists fading away** - *forever projects* continue even after their original authors stepped away. Or if the contributors are [forcibly removed from their creative chairs](https://twitter.com/GunshipMarkII/status/1506563631189745664). The project is open for anyone to contribute, preferring to share it now over the risk of losing it soon. No matter how *personal* a forever project may feel, it attracts contributors because of its inevitable community impact.

## Creating Without Many Constraints

After rediscovering my *forever project*, I've been engaging with the effort for over a year. Its attributes are *invisible*, and why I write to memorialize my experience in pursuit of the medium. 

Perhaps having numerous interests increases the chance of discovering the next *forever project*. But more so, having just one has made me happy. I'm creating again without all the rules, formalities, or politics.

Do you have a *forever project*?