One thing I can suggest. Don't commute to work and if you do make it as short as possible. This time is wasted.
Or if you do, take the bus or train! I still commute once a week to the city and that 40-60 minutes is priceless.
Where do you find the time for side projects?
11–20 of 136 posts
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#12The short and skinny for me: > The short answer is: I work on side-projects whenever I have a spare moment. I sacrifice other things (watching TV, reading the newspaper, playing video games) so that I can do creative work. In late August of last year I had come to the conclusion that I needed to start and finish a small project to get a feel for what it takes to see things through and gain perspective on what it take…
Congrats on shipping!
Could you share a link to the book? I'd love to see it.
BTW: My next book is specifically aimed at helping developers with marketing - http://justinjackson.ca/marketingfordevelopers/
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#13> The short answer is: I work on side-projects whenever I have a spare moment. I sacrifice other things (watching TV, reading the newspaper, playing video games) so that I can do creative work.
I tried this approach for a while, but it greatly degraded my quality of life. Eventually I found that I was always hunting and hoping for a spare moment, instead of just enjoying whatever moment I was already in. It's true that I get less side project stuff done now, but I'm happier, so that's what counts for me.
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#14The short and skinny for me: > The short answer is: I work on side-projects whenever I have a spare moment. I sacrifice other things (watching TV, reading the newspaper, playing video games) so that I can do creative work. In late August of last year I had come to the conclusion that I needed to start and finish a small project to get a feel for what it takes to see things through and gain perspective on what it take…
Congrats on shipping! Could you share a link to the book? I'd love to see it. BTW: My next book is specifically aimed at helping developers with marketing - http://justinjackson.ca/marketingfordevelopers/
http://dungeonmastersdelight.com/
Thanks for taking a peek. Let me know what you think of the site.
If it's something that really interests you, get in touch. I really like to get reviews/feedback. :)
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#15One thing I can suggest. Don't commute to work and if you do make it as short as possible. This time is wasted.
Depends on the commute - I bought a small laptop so I could work on my side project while on the train. I've found that I can get a lot done in the 10 20-minute legs of my weekly commute. I'm sure it is less efficient than taking the 200 minutes in a solid stretch - but it was easy to fit into my life so I kept with the habit (which is the hard part for me).
(At least until I stumbled on a good book - totally off the wagon now)
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#16> The short answer is: I work on side-projects whenever I have a spare moment. I sacrifice other things (watching TV, reading the newspaper, playing video games) so that I can do creative work. This is the real answer. You do not find time, you make it.
It works largely, as long as you are careful to recognize when too much is too much and your brain needs rest. Take care of not burning out (I'm a father with 2 kids who use that technique fairly often - it definitely has limits).
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#17One thing I can suggest. Don't commute to work and if you do make it as short as possible. This time is wasted.
Sometimes commutes are unavoidable, but I've found that podcasts and audiobooks make this time feel less wasted and helps regain the time taken away from personal entertainment time when working on side-projects.
If it's a good book or episode I sometimes look forward to the time to myself in my car.
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#18Scheduling time for yourself and sideprojects is super important. I just started to do this recently and it's making a world of difference. So lock down a night a week or whatever and make it your "sideproject" time rather than grabbing a beer with someone or whatever. Great Post Justin! I love how open you are with this stuff :)
Super true; it's the same principle as "pay yourself first" in finances. Locking down time in advance truly helps.
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#19On my commute... it doesn't sound like much, but when you add it up, it is close to 8 hours per week
Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?
#20> The short answer is: I work on side-projects whenever I have a spare moment. I sacrifice other things (watching TV, reading the newspaper, playing video games) so that I can do creative work. This is the real answer. You do not find time, you make it.
This.
Time is limited. You have to "spend" it wisely on stuff that's important to you. What do you spend your 4 hours of "free" time each night? Wife & Kids? Bar? Football? learning new languages? Every choice is made at the expense of other options.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_cost
Also... look in the couch cushions. I find lots of stuff there when I can't find something.