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I've heard repeatedly if you have some side project you really care about, do it before work, not after.

gnclmorais 8y ago
That definitely works for me. I’ve tried to work on side projects after my daily job but I often got home drained and with zero will to code anything. Since then I started moving this time into my mornings, before work. It definitely feels short and like you’re on a time constrain more than the evenings, but I’ve made progress on my projects like this, bit by bit.
mikeg8 8y ago
Same here. I believe this is due to will power depletion (plenty of studies conclude that will power is finite resource) and after our normal 9-5 drains away our will power, people have a heard time being self-motivated - very true for me at least.
- feenix566 8y ago
  Yeah, and if you use your will power before work, you run out of it earlier in the work day and you get less done at work.
  - jriot 8y ago
    Give more of my will power to myself or to someone else? Seems to be an easy answer.
    - Insanity 8y ago
      It's also instrinsic motivation when you work on side projects. That is definitely harder to push after a full day at work. At work, the motivating factors are different, and you have someone pushing you to get stuff done.
  - throwanem 8y ago
    Sure, if the things you're doing before work require willpower to pursue. They don't have to be. And jriot's point in my sibling comment is in any case well made.
  - Sgt_Apone 8y ago
    I do this and just front load my day to have the more demanding stuff in the morning with the less demanding in the afternoon. It works well for me and if anything I feel my productivity has increased.
flukus 8y ago
The most productive I've ever been on side projects was when I had an hour long commute via public transport. It was a solid hour with few options for other activities and very little distractions. The ride home was a second hour but I was usually burnt out by then.

That definitely works for me. I’ve tried to work on side projects after my daily job but I often got home drained and with zero will to code anything. Since then I started moving this time into my mornings, before work. It definitely feels short and like you’re on a time constrain more than the evenings, but I’ve made progress on my projects like this, bit by bit.

mikeg8 8y ago

Same here. I believe this is due to will power depletion (plenty of studies conclude that will power is finite resource) and after our normal 9-5 drains away our will power, people have a heard time being self-motivated - very true for me at least.

feenix566 8y ago
Yeah, and if you use your will power before work, you run out of it earlier in the work day and you get less done at work.
- jriot 8y ago
  Give more of my will power to myself or to someone else? Seems to be an easy answer.
  - Insanity 8y ago
    It's also instrinsic motivation when you work on side projects. That is definitely harder to push after a full day at work. At work, the motivating factors are different, and you have someone pushing you to get stuff done.
- throwanem 8y ago
  Sure, if the things you're doing before work require willpower to pursue. They don't have to be. And jriot's point in my sibling comment is in any case well made.
- Sgt_Apone 8y ago
  I do this and just front load my day to have the more demanding stuff in the morning with the less demanding in the afternoon. It works well for me and if anything I feel my productivity has increased.

flukus 8y ago

The most productive I've ever been on side projects was when I had an hour long commute via public transport. It was a solid hour with few options for other activities and very little distractions. The ride home was a second hour but I was usually burnt out by then.