Great question. I'm currently "struggling" with this exact issue. I have a great day job which I put a lot of focus into but after hours I really want to focus

Great question. I'm currently "struggling" with this exact issue. I have a great day job which I put a lot of focus into but after hours I really want to focus on my other projects (and still have a life). I agree with a lot of what dazzawazza said, but here's some more - Along with dedicating x hours of time to work on it, create a TODO list for the week, or a specific one for the day that is actually reasonable and will get you somewhere on your project. I make a weekly todo as I only spend about 3 days a week at most on my projects. - With your limited time, follow the whole principle of launching early and often. Unless you're the king of hype, no one is going to hurt your feelings about your simple, slightly broken prototype of a system until you're closer to the end. - Have somewhere that you can work peacefully. Make an office area at home away from kids/wife/girlfriend and let them know you need some time to work. Coffee shops also work great for you laptop folks. That's just a few more, hope it helps you out. It's a tough thing to do but oh so rewarding.