> With the commute, solid 8 hours at office, I barely have any cognitive or physical energy to do any mentally taxing work even if that means learning something

> With the commute, solid 8 hours at office, I barely have any cognitive or physical energy to do any mentally taxing work even if that means learning something new and exciting. Address the energy thing. Diet, sleep, daily habits etc. But also recognize that software work is incredibly taxing. I balance it with workouts, instruments, socializing, diy crafting.. and definitely not evening Rust projects. That's the same energy bar. The people who do impressive side projects on top of a taxing 9-5 are built differently. It gives those people energy (or maybe moreso joy) to do that. Don't try to be someone you're not.