Great periods in one's life?

[RedLantern]

Has anyone here had periods (2-4 months) in their life where they feel like they are at their "best". Specifically I am talking about intellectual ability - times when you feel the most creative, or when you feel like you absorb and understand difficult material much faster and more easily than other times? Also was it difficult to sleep (unable to keep ideas and thoughts from racing through your brain)? I had a phase like this when I was working on my senior thesis in college and I feel like I am starting another one now...

 

[JetBlast]

Had one over the summer, things have generally gone downhill since that point. I don't remember having any sleeping trouble though.

 

[Milhouse]

Never 2 to 4 months. But I do recall several periods where a tough problem would finally make sense to me, and I'd be able to work it out. This happened back when I was doing research. I'd come up with a unique method or something and spend days setting it up and fine tuning it. I was also the type that stayed late a lot when I was working on something because I wanted to get it to a natural end point, rather than leave something partly finished and have to try to remember where I left off the next day.

Do you ever have big downswings too?

 

[RedLantern]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

Never 2 to 4 months. But I do recall several periods where a tough problem would finally make sense to me, and I'd be able to work it out. This happened back when I was doing research. I'd come up with a unique method or something and spend days setting it up and fine tuning it. I was also the type that stayed late a lot when I was working on something because I wanted to get it to a natural end point, rather than leave something partly finished and have to try to remember where I left off the next day.

Do you ever have big downswings too?

Yes. I sometimes have weeks or months of doldrums as well. Unfortunately these seem more frequent than the "great" periods.

 

[Milhouse]

Originally Posted by RedLantern

Yes. I sometimes have weeks or months of doldrums as well. Unfortunately these seem more frequent than the "great" periods.

You may want to think about how these great periods and doldrums affect your life. If they are causing problems, consider talking to a doctor about cyclothymia or bipolar disorder.

 

[RedLantern]

I've thought about bipolar, but from what I've read what I experience is much* more mild than that - I still do everything I'm supposed to and function on a normal level when "down" and I don't do anything crazy or outlandish when "up". But your point is well taken, given the mental history of my family the "swings" have made me pause for thought.

 

[JetBlast]

Originally Posted by Milhouse

You may want to think about how these great periods and doldrums affect your life. If they are causing problems, consider talking to a doctor about cyclothymia or bipolar disorder.

+1. Unfortunately I deal with this type of situation and it really screws things up, however if things are more mild for you it's probably not the same issue.

 

[JayJay]

Oh yes, I recall several.

 

[Neo_Version 7]

This past semester. I've done the best I've done since I first started college.

 

[mr. burns]

i'm an art major and always dealing with this, in a way. creative inspiration rises and falls.

 

[TowleY]

A great period in my life was prolly in 11th grade (2 years ago). I had everything. I was getting a 93 ins chool without doing anything. Just having fun with friends, hanging out and still acing everything. Then to climb the mountain even more I had the girlfriend which was possibly the greatest 8 or so months of my life. Then after that my soccer team won the Walbaums cup in soccer and my team gave me MVP. I also weighed 168 lbs at the time.

 

[dtmt]

Last time was when I worked for a start-up company. I was brilliant every day because there was no other option, because I could see the effects of my efforts paying off immediately. Now I work for a global mega-corp, which means I can mentally check out too much of the time.

Originally Posted by TowleY

A great period in my life was prolly in 11th grade (2 years ago). I had everything. I was getting a 93 ins chool without doing anything. Just having fun with friends, hanging out and still acing everything.
this sounds much more like the pathetic inadequacy of the American public school system than any sort of achievement on your part.

 

[Dakota rube]

My life is truly quite awesome.
It didn't used to be, but that is all in the past.

 

[gdl203]

When I was 20 and was traveling and working abroad by myself for about 8 months. There is no better way to discover yourself than to extract yourself completely from your surroundings like that.

 

[Slopho]

I did for a while, then I took the LSAT and that feeling totally disappeared.

Logic Games?? For what?