5 ms·
How to find motivation/energy to do a long-term creative project when having a full time jobs + other responsibilities?
by dbancajas 5y ago
How to find motivation/energy to do a long-term creative project when having a full time jobs + other responsibilities?
- slim 5y agoHow close are you to solving that ? And please would you share your progress :)
- bambax 5y agoThe brain hates to start things and loves to finish things. This can be hacked in that a working session should always leave something unfinished. Say you're writing a novel. Every writing session (but the first, obviously) should cover the end of the last scene and the beginning of a new one, AND THEN STOP, i.e. not finish the new scene. Your brain will want to come back to the work to finish it, which overcomes the friction of "starting" something new every time. It's easier said than done. It's surprisingly difficult to leave something unfinished at the end of each work session. But that's the trick.
- xyzzy_plugh 5y agoThe brain you describe is not the brain I possess. Starting is easy.
- bambax 5y ago"starting" is ambiguous. I really meant "getting to work". Thinking about new things and maybe throwing down a few ideas is indeed easy and pleasant. But deciding to spend a few hours to move a project (instead of not) is what the brain hates. It hates commitment, and is very afraid of the opportunity cost.
- jjk166 5y agoNah, I'm with parent commenter on this. When I'm excited about something I have no problem diving into it for hours on end. But when I know that something is 90% done and it just needs to be tidied up, I will do anything other than working on it. Either everything from solving the hardest problem to being completely done happens in one sitting, or it never gets finished.
- MaurizioPz 5y agoI've adopted this sort of trick ending my programming session with a failing unit test. I works quite well (When I remember to do it)
- slothtrop 5y agoMy current strat is to channel my scant motivation into maximizing my sleep and well-being, expecting to squeeze out more motivation from that.
- tomcooks 5y agoWake up at 0430, exercise, take a shower and then work till you need to get ready for your full time job. If possible also dedicate half of your lunch hour to your project as well, together with half a weekend day. It's quiet so early in the morning, so your productivity will skyrocket. I've coded my Paras this way while working a full time, heavy blue-collar job.