Relatable post. There are some projects worth finishing.
Finishing a side project
141–150 of 154 posts
Re: Finishing a side project
#142One thing I learnt in a thread on HN a long time ago and that I use a lot to just keep working on side projects : Make sure you stop half way through a sentence / line of code. Don't finish that article, or don't stop with code that compiles. The reason is stupid simple : It just removes all the blockers of starting working on the project again. It removes the initial step, which is usually the hardest. Come in, fini…
Removing all barriers to entry is definitely key. This includes spin up / spin down time to even get into the groove. To whit I usually:
1. Keep a dedicated desktop set (I'm running Linux) plugged into my side project.
2. In my editor I maintain a "where am I" document, and update accordingly.
3. I leave things (from a code perspective) committed and pushed.
4. I leave a specific note to myself on what I think I need to do next, based on my thinking at the time.
5. I book a meeting in my own calendar with the note from #4 so that it's forced to be in front of my face, and my desktop
There are other things, but this gets the ball rolling.
Re: Finishing a side project
#143One thing I learnt in a thread on HN a long time ago and that I use a lot to just keep working on side projects : Make sure you stop half way through a sentence / line of code. Don't finish that article, or don't stop with code that compiles. The reason is stupid simple : It just removes all the blockers of starting working on the project again. It removes the initial step, which is usually the hardest. Come in, fini…
“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never be stuck. That is the most valuable thing I can tell you so try to remember it.”
Hemingway
Re: Finishing a side project
#144[deleted]
Re: Finishing a side project
#145One thing I learnt in a thread on HN a long time ago and that I use a lot to just keep working on side projects : Make sure you stop half way through a sentence / line of code. Don't finish that article, or don't stop with code that compiles. The reason is stupid simple : It just removes all the blockers of starting working on the project again. It removes the initial step, which is usually the hardest. Come in, fini…
Removing all barriers to entry is definitely key. This includes spin up / spin down time to even get into the groove. To whit I usually: 1. Keep a dedicated desktop set (I'm running Linux) plugged into my side project. 2. In my editor I maintain a "where am I" document, and update accordingly. 3. I leave things (from a code perspective) committed and pushed. 4. I leave a specific note to myself on what I think I need…
I do a similar process, but yours sounds better. I literally just Slack myself a list of TODOs at the end of the day, but I sort of want to try your process. Especially with being WFH, it's easier to keep my place in specific apps.
Are there any other things you do to get yourself started in flow?
Re: Finishing a side project
#146Earlier quoted context omitted.
I agree and disagree! I've seen the comments where the issue is nuanced, but I'll add some of mine. I play point-and-click video games remotely with a friend. We always try to stop our sessions when we have an idea of what we want to try next, because it's much easier to start again next time. You know that you want to try to attach the rope to the tree, which means you immediately get back into the game next time. O…
Yes! :). I've done just that the past couple weeks building a game with a friend for a game jam. In that case, having the latest version of the game up and running was the strongest motivator so I didn't need tricks. I definitely recognize what you are saying. Things don't have to be black or white, and this is a good nuance
Seems to me you can do both at the same time:
push a finished feature to the Git master branch, and a w.i.p. feature incl a compilation error to a personal branch
Re: Finishing a side project
#147I've trying these methods and hitting the same motivation wall on my app for the past few months. Managing context and working in small steps is helpful.
A continuous drip or spaced repetition of similar work also helps. Reloading the context of your work can take a lot of mental energy if you've already forgotten where you were. Keeping the context in memory partially reduces the cost of getting started again.
Re: Finishing a side project
#148He emphasizes waning motivation as one of they key factors, but there's a logical consequence of this which he didn't point out. Instead of trying to keep your motivation up, figure out how long your motivation tends to last for (mine is ~2 weeks). Then at the very start of the project ruthlessly cut down the scope to something you think you could actually get done in that time period. Perhaps this will require you t…
Mine is ~2 minutes. Now what?
Write tweets ;)
Re: Finishing a side project
#149Earlier quoted context omitted.
My ultimate goal (like many) is to have a lifestyle business, or at the very least, be able to work full time on my project. I think thinking that people won't pay for it has more to do with self doubt and lack of confidence in myself.
Is it in a state that you could release it? Maybe some feedback might give you motivation or direction to keep going.
Some of them were in an almost ready state, just that anxiety kicked in and I would feel too scared to release it.
Re: Finishing a side project
#150Do you use some kind of project management tools (kanban,todoist etc) for your side projects or maybe just some plain text todo files? I find that whenever I’m trying to start a new side project I’m spending disproportionately long time searching for perfect tools and often end up doing nothing and agonising over project management instead of working on actual tasks.
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