Well, one of the reasons that this WFM, and YMMV, is that I’m, personally, a fairly OCD-type person. I’m a couple of fries short of a happy meal, so to speak.
Coding and architecture are my hobby, as well as my vocation. It’s a real pleasure for me to work on a software problem.
I have friends that own boats, travel, ride motorcycles, exercise, play golf, fish, hunt, take photographs, sculpture, paint art, cosplay, build drones, play music, build hot rods, etc.
I use that energy to write code. That’s also one reason that it has been so painful, having employers treat my work badly. I tend to take that stuff personally.
Also, I am a long-term member of an extracurricular volunteer organization, and this has given me a ready-made target demographic for my work. I don’t need to hunt around, looking for problems to solve. The downside, is that there’s no money to be made, Serving this demographic, and they can be a real high-maintenance crew. Rather demanding, and they tend not to play well with others.
I currently work on software more intensely, than I ever did, when I was getting paid. I’m probably devoting 4-12 hours per day, seven days a week, to it. I take breaks (naps, even), whenever I feel like it, and have a fairly full dance card, socially (see “extracurricular,” above). I don’t drink or use any “recreational” substances (not a teetotaler —I don’t really care what other people do), so I don’t have a lot of mental “down time.”
I have a family, and act as a bit of a caregiver, so working from home is important. I also no longer travel, all the time, like I used to. If I go anywhere, these days, it’s because I want to; not because I have to.
Like I said, I’m fully aware that many folks would not enjoy my lifestyle. That’s fine. I won’t judge others, for theirs, and appreciate it, when the favor is returned.
I am “the real deal,” though. My productivity is fairly high, but I have worked with folks that make me look like a lazy slob, and I’m no longer interested in playing ego games, or competing with others. I’m enthusiastic, open, friendly, and enjoy working in a team. I was a good manager, but hated it, and am glad to see the back of that.
I have been disappointed in the way that I’ve been treated by folks in today’s industry (I fairly quickly learned to avoid things like meetups), and, to be perfectly honest, there’s more than a little “screw you” in my energy.
But it WFM. YMMV.