lilbeardy Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I have been experincing burnout for probably 6 months now. I'm just looking for motivation. I skipped the MNGCA spring event. Ive found other hobbies, I'm even studying for a amateur (ham) radio tech license. Quote Link to comment
+cerberus1 Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 What's wrong with that? I'd think many have other hobbies other than this one. My interest changes depending on seasons of other hobbies (hunting, fishing, climbing,etc...) and I still cache. When you feel like it, you'll go. Quote Link to comment
+bflentje Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 I have been experincing burnout for probably 6 months now. I'm just looking for motivation. I skipped the MNGCA spring event. Ive found other hobbies, I'm even studying for a amateur (ham) radio tech license. You're in MN? Focus on finding caches by the following cache owners and you'll start to enjoy the game again.. - berresfamily - bflentje - knowschad - Diehard50248 - pfalstad - ruderat Quote Link to comment
+The Leprechauns Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Consider choosing one or more "Target Goals" that capture what you like most about geocaching. As a veteran, I've enjoyed doing this to maintain my interest and to avoid / recover from "burnout." Examples: If you like puzzle caches the most, set yourself a goal to find only puzzle caches for a month/quarter, with a targeted number (50, 100, etc.). If roadtrips make you happy, set a goal to visit X additional states, to visit all the counties or DeLorme grids in your home state or neighboring State Y, or to fill in your "Fizzy Grid" with caches of each terrain and difficulty rating combination. If you like old school caches, choose to work on the Jasmer challenge (one cache hidden in each calendar month since the beginning of geocaching). I hope to finish mine later this month by scoring finds on two caches hidden way back in 2000. If epic hikes in the wilderness thrill you more than running up numbers on urban micros, concentrate on finding just those caches with a goal of boosting the average terrain rating of your finds to at least 2.0 stars. Find a geocaching friend and target caches that neither of you have found, and which have lots of favorite points. Caching is always more fun when done with others, and when you find awesome caches instead of average caches. etc etc etc Quote Link to comment
+narcissa Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Sometimes I lose interest for a while, but then I get a new toy like a camera, snowshoes, or a canoe and that motivates me to get out again. Setting small challenges, like reaching a milestone, or a friendly competition with a friend, can also help. Quote Link to comment
+JL_HSTRE Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Focus on the hides you like. Quote Link to comment
+Team Microdot Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 If your found logs include all of your finds to date I'd say that lack of motivation has lasted considerably longer than the last six months. Skim-reading some of your recent finds they seem fairly urban and, speaking plainly, urban hides tend, in my experience, to be the least inspiring so maybe some of the goals suggested above will increase your motivation. And maybe the won't. Quote Link to comment
+MountainWoods Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 What's wrong with that? I'd think many have other hobbies other than this one. My interest changes depending on seasons of other hobbies (hunting, fishing, climbing,etc...) and I still cache. When you feel like it, you'll go. Agree with this completely. There's so many other possibilities for hobbies, just go do a different one for a while and then come back later. For me its Waymarking, silviculture, farming, music, and a bunch of other things. When you get tired of one, you just go on to the next and circle around. ('Cept farming. Once you start that, you have to keep it up or quit altogether. ) Quote Link to comment
+Tassie_Boy Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Just let it go, do something else if that's what you feel like and one day ,maybe, you'll feel like doing it again. And if you don't ever feel like it then that's alright too. Quote Link to comment
+Pork King Posted July 13, 2015 Share Posted July 13, 2015 Back when I started in 2004, it was a race to find as many as I could find. There weren't a lot of caches around here back then, so I had fun travelling and caching. Most of the caches around here were fun to find. Nowadays, there are waaaay too many powertrails and Wal-Mart lamp skirt hides (ah, that old chestnut), so I just skip over those for the most part. I may pick up the odd urban micro if I happen to be going to town, but I plan my caching trips around hard-to-access or scenic areas. The last few hiking/camping trips I've scheduled revolved around finding some awesome caches in the canyons of North Alabama. I'm making caching fun for the reason I got into it... to take me to awesome places I never would have known about otherwise. I've also been incorporating caching into my other hobbies. I've recently taken up kayaking. While I enjoy going kayaking to many places that don't have geocaches, I have planned a couple of kayaking trips around getting awesome/challenging caches. So, I still go, but my selection process has gotten a lot stricter over the years. The first year I cached, I found my 500th cache on the 1 year anniversary of when I started caching. Last year I found my 1000th cache on my TEN year caching anniversary. Quite a steep decline in caches/day! Quote Link to comment
knowschad Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I have been experincing burnout for probably 6 months now. I'm just looking for motivation. I skipped the MNGCA spring event. Ive found other hobbies, I'm even studying for a amateur (ham) radio tech license. You're in MN? Focus on finding caches by the following cache owners and you'll start to enjoy the game again.. - berresfamily - bflentje - knowschad - Diehard50248 - pfalstad - ruderat +1! Head on down (or over, or whatever) to Whitetail Woods County Park (Dakota County) for a day of some extremely enjoyable caches! Then head on over to Schaar's Bluff (Spring Lake Park Reserve) near Hastings for some of an entirely different nature. Quote Link to comment
+Path Pacer Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Try a geotour. They tend to combine the best caches with interesting spots. And you get a prize at the end! Quote Link to comment
+Mudfrog Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Just let it go, do something else if that's what you feel like and one day ,maybe, you'll feel like doing it again. And if you don't ever feel like it then that's alright too. This is the way i see it. I have lost interest in most of the finding part of geoaching. If that were all there was to caching, then i'd probably have given it up by now. But, i still enjoy events and the hiding aspect of our hobby. I have met some great people and always have a good time when getting together with them. Placing caches every once in awhile is still alot of fun too. If i ever lose interest with these, then i'll simply pack up or adopt out my placed caches and leave. Quote Link to comment
+geodarts Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I think it's natural to have interests wax or wane, to have other interests, and to let go of caching to whatever degree you choose. Unless you are motivated to play this game, setting goals for your participation seems counter-intuitive. My interest has changed over the years. Searching for containers has always seemed like the least important part of this game and these days I pass by more caches than I stop to find. But if it gives me a focus for kayaking, biking, or hiking, then still enjoy it. If I am traveling or looking for photo opportunities, and there is a cache at a location I visit, it can still be a way to record that experience. If I go out with friends, caching can be a nice way to focus the day. So my general advice is to see how the game relates to other activities - rather than caching just to cache. You will still have fun regardless of whether it rekindles an interest. For several years, there was a core group of cachers in my area who were responsible for most of the hides. Although we still get together from time to time, none of us are as active as we once were and many have left the game apart from group hikes. But everyone has pursued other interests. If your interests take you elsewhere, there may be no reason to motivate you in this game. Quote Link to comment
+jellis Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I had a thread about what other hobbies or past times that they can do while caching. When I use to do Pyro I placed and found caches near where we set off the fireworks. Now I do birding and when a rare bird is sighted I either put out a cache named after that bird or I look for caches near where the bird was sighted. Quote Link to comment
+MountainWoods Posted July 15, 2015 Share Posted July 15, 2015 I had a thread about what other hobbies or past times that they can do while caching. When I use to do Pyro I placed and found caches near where we set off the fireworks. Now I do birding and when a rare bird is sighted I either put out a cache named after that bird or I look for caches near where the bird was sighted. You have a Life List? Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.