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Where do you find the time for side projects?

justinjackson.ca

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Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#91

Post by mindcrime »

ChristianMarks wrote: post #83

I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects. Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier.

I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects.

Same here.

Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier.

I just don't do that shit... to hell with expectations. You only get one life, and I don't know about you, but I have my own dreams I'm chasing.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#92

Post by mindcrime »

ChristianMarks wrote: post #90
Jemaclus wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Screw that. It's not my fault you settled down and knocked up your partner. If we have the same level of responsibility, we work similar hours. Done.

While I too look forward to the impartial application of policy, employers have their own interpretation of who, in fact, is "done." I have bolted from less than mutually beneficial working arrangement, myself.

Quit. Find another job. Your time is too valuable.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#93

Post by 300bps »

will_work4tears wrote: post #60
300bps wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is time leakage all over this itinerary you have listed. Up at 4:30am, leave for work at 5:30 It takes me 15 minutes to get up, shower and prepare breakfast which I then eat in my car on the way to work (2 pieces of wheat toast). What do you do in this hour? Also you realize that most people don't have things like occupational therapy for Carpal Tunnel taking up time in their day? (Incidentally, I "had" carpal…

I certainly wasn't "correcting" anything. He gave his schedule, I noticed he seemed to be single with no kids, and showed him my schedule (which is pretty light in comparison to other parents or parents with two high school kids with activities, etc) Yeah, there's time leakage, but not as much as you make it out to be. Up at 4:30, ok, I hit snooze for 10 minutes once. I then sit and drink some coffee and look at hack…

Link might not be relevant for me, only been doing OT for a couple months, before that had an EMG done and nerve damage was shown to exist.

Yeah, I had multiple EMGs done on both hands. Nerve damage in both. You know when you're doing an EMG and it is supposed to raise up super fast and then drop down super fast in a very thin inverted V? Well mine was a plateau of a couple inches wide, that's how much nerve damage I had.

It's been over 8 years since I've had a symptom of carpal tunnel syndrome though. I type 130 words per minute and probably type the equivalent of a novel per week (I do a lot of SEO stuff in my side gigs) and never have a problem.

If you really want to learn what's causing your problems - get Healing Back Pain by John Sarno or The Mindbody Prescription (same author). Check this 20/20 segment out from several years ago - I can't find the original Google Video version that I watched, this seems to be a substitute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsR4wydiIBI

It's not "in your head". It's real physical problems. It's not "not applicable" to you because you have real physical issues that show up on tests.

Or, just ignore what I've said and carry on.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#94

Post by dominotw »

will_work4tears wrote: post #51
trustfundbaby wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the only answer. Back when I was trying to build a prototype to try to get some angel investment. I kept trying to find time to hack on the project, unsuccessfully. It wasn't till I set myself a hard schedule that it fell into place for me. I'd wake up at 6, go to the gym for 2 hours. Be showered and ready to go to work by 9. In at work at 9:30. Out by 6-6:30. Home by 7. then I'd allow myself just 1 hour of T…

I don't see anywhere in there that you suggested you have kids or are married, so forgive me if I'm assuming here. Being married by itself is a huge drain on time, though maybe not as much as dating, there is more leeway given. However, throw in a toddler, and a small commute, and here's what my schedule looks like: Up at 4:30am, leave for work at 5:30, get there at 6 am. Work until 3-3:30 or so, go home and (M/W/F:…

wow. I read this comment after wasting all day on reddit and HN doing nothing.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#95

Post by fhd2 »

mindcrime wrote: post #91
ChristianMarks wrote: post #83

I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects. Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier.

I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects. Same here. Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier. I just don't do that shit... to hell with expectations. You only get one life, and I don't know about you, but I have my own dreams I'm chasing.

Maybe parents are just more likely to have the guts to stand up to this kind of abuse.

You're expected to work overtime? Refuse. Quit. There are no other healthy options. I do occasionally work overtime, but it's my own choice, and I get the time back when things cool down again. Becoming a father didn't change my approach one bit.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#96

Post by fhd2 »

Jemaclus wrote: post #84
ChristianMarks wrote: post #83

I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects. Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier.

Screw that. It's not my fault you settled down and knocked up your partner. If we have the same level of responsibility, we work similar hours. Done.

You work as many hours as you decide to, so does everybody else. Get abused as much as you like, but please don't try and make others feel bad for not doing the same.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#97

Post by pmccall777 »

300bps wrote: post #93
will_work4tears wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I certainly wasn't "correcting" anything. He gave his schedule, I noticed he seemed to be single with no kids, and showed him my schedule (which is pretty light in comparison to other parents or parents with two high school kids with activities, etc) Yeah, there's time leakage, but not as much as you make it out to be. Up at 4:30, ok, I hit snooze for 10 minutes once. I then sit and drink some coffee and look at hack…

Link might not be relevant for me, only been doing OT for a couple months, before that had an EMG done and nerve damage was shown to exist. Yeah, I had multiple EMGs done on both hands. Nerve damage in both. You know when you're doing an EMG and it is supposed to raise up super fast and then drop down super fast in a very thin inverted V? Well mine was a plateau of a couple inches wide, that's how much nerve damage I…

Eating two pieces of toast for breakfast is no way to live. Eating them while driving and you've given up.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#98

Post by bigtunacan »

mijustin wrote: post #61
latj wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dont know if I buy it completely. When you have a full time job and 4 kids you dont play video games, watch tv, etc... you just constantly do things that have to be done. Either his kids are older or he has someone else doing most of the parent work.

Hey, OP here. Yup: you're right. There's constantly stuff that needs to be done. My kids are between 4-11. So we're out of diapers and potty training (which is huge). I just keep finding spaces where I can create: early mornings, late at night, or during my lunch hour. I answered this below, but basically every weekday between 5:30pm-8:30pm is family time (dinner, chores, bedtime routine). After that, I might try to…

This is essentially the same situation I'm in. I have 3 kids(4, 7, 9). I work a full time day job and then fit in side projects wherever there is time. This is typically after the kids are in bed, if I wake up with a bout of insomnia, early weekend mornings, etc...

My biggest downfall/problem is that I want to develop my own products and make money that way (and I am big into networking and selling), but I never focus on that. I've spent the last 3 years stuck in a never ending rut of contracting work for all of my side projects. The money is good, but it leaves me unsatisfied, and now I've been doing it long enough that I'm extremely burned out.

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#99

Post by ChuckMcM »

cpprototypes wrote: post #31
Zikes wrote: post #2

> 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.

Time is important, but another factor is mental energy. I have only a certain amount of mental energy for each day. Things like TV, reading, and exercising are good when I'm in a low mental energy state. If I have a hard day at work, it doesn't matter how much free time I have since I just won't have the mental energy left to work on a side project.

Perhaps unusually I find I have unlimited mental energy for things that I find interesting to do, and a limited amount for things that aren't. I remember sitting through a lecture on introverts and extroverts and the discussion was around "energy" and how extroverts were energized by interacting with more people and introverts were "drained" by lots of interactions. The inverse was true as well (introverts getting energy during their alone time, extroverts feeling drained without external contact). In that lecture it clicked for me that certain mental activities energize me, and certain ones don't. For example learning new stuff "energized, organizing and cataloging "draining",

Re: Where do you find the time for side projects?

#100

Post by elwell »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #99
cpprototypes wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Time is important, but another factor is mental energy. I have only a certain amount of mental energy for each day. Things like TV, reading, and exercising are good when I'm in a low mental energy state. If I have a hard day at work, it doesn't matter how much free time I have since I just won't have the mental energy left to work on a side project.

Perhaps unusually I find I have unlimited mental energy for things that I find interesting to do, and a limited amount for things that aren't. I remember sitting through a lecture on introverts and extroverts and the discussion was around "energy" and how extroverts were energized by interacting with more people and introverts were "drained" by lots of interactions. The inverse was true as well (introverts getting en…

Ah, good point
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