I've done lots of side projects over the years.[1] The things that stand out for me in staying sane working on them, and occassionally getting them done are 1

I've done lots of side projects over the years.[1] The things that stand out for me in staying sane working on them, and occassionally getting them done are 1. the most important thing: prototype end-to-end user workflows to prove out that the idea is a good one AND that it's technically possible -- you'll discover lots of technical issues you'll need to go solve when do this (put them in the to-do list mentioned later). Don't over-design anything at this point. Just make it work. Be okay with rough code or experiences. Get the idea working and it'll be a great motivator. Likewise, if you get a rough experience working and realize it's not a great idea, you can move on and do something else! 2. make the project easy to leave and come back to (see next two items). 3. create TODOs.md markdown file in the project and just add items as you go along. This is your source of truth of what to work on next. Don't use any fancy task-tracking service or app, just a simple markdown is good enough. And it should live with the project so you can read it and see what's next. 4. always have a "next task" that you are working on. Don't focus on too many tasks at once b/c you will get overwhelmed and give up. When you are looking for a fun design to think about when you're going for a walk, you can think about this next task. 5. be okay with leaving the project for a while (months, or years). You can always come back to it if you want. 6. don't stress about how quickly you're making progress. Do it for fun. [1] https://www.ussherpress.com/ https://www.ussherpress.com/