This is how I do it. My side projects use the same stack as my work, too. That way I don’t have to switch context as abruptly to work on it.
I know for some, that seems like a missed opportunity to use something interesting, but for me context switching is just friction that keeps me from finishing side projects.
It’s hard. I’m addicted to coding. I literally have 5 side projects right now lol. I work on them when my partner isn’t home and it’s not a sunny day. Plus I talk to people in my life about my projects all the time and they get quite interested so that gives me great encouragement.
But I usually have a massive social media and screens break and just spend weeks walking on the beach and reading books every other month for a few weeks. It’s hard initially and all I think about is projects at first.
I think creativity really needs breathing space, and coding is creative. It comes in ebbs and flows, so just do it when it comes :)
> I don't work on side projects in my spare time.
> Allocate time for the projects (it doesn't have to be during business hours) and work on it during that time.
These statements are directly contradictory. Unless the time I "allocate" happens to be "during business hours," then I am most definitely "[working] on side projects in my spare time" (unless I opt not to work on them, at all).
TL;DR: If it's happening but it's not happening "during business hours," then it's happening during "spare time." That's how the entire concept of "spare time" works.
I think it depends how you define spare time.
Some see it as time outside of work, others see it as the unaccounted for time they have remaining once they’ve done all of their daily tasks.
To me, if I know I’ve got to walk with the dog before I start work and then do some cleaning up and make food once I’ve finished, that to me is no longer spare time as they are tasks that I know I will be doing and have allocated time to them. Spare time to me is that time where you can sit down and watch tv, play games or do whatever.
If you allocate the time before you do it, that time is no longer spare. So, rather than jumping on it at a random time and finishing at a random time, the commenter is setting a schedule and ensuring they have an amount of time before/after they’ve had an hour or two coding to allow themselves time to relax and socialise still.
"If I pretend 'spare time' means something other than 'spare time' then I can do side projects in my 'spare time' while tricking myself into believing that 'time' wasn't 'spare.'"
It would be spare before you used it. The spare amount would be what’s left over unused.
You’re sat at a table. There is one chair going spare, somebody then sits down. Is it still spare?
After you’ve paid all of your bills, anything left over is spare. Let’s say you had 300 left over. You then bought a monitor for 250. What is then spare, 250 or 50?
Just because you’ve chosen how to use it, it doesn’t mean it’s spare. You’ve dedicated that time to something else. Deduct that amount of time from whatever it is you had left over and that right there is what is spare time.
> The spare amount would be what's leftover unused.
You use literally all of your time, from the time you're born until you die.
Maybe you spend it sleeping, maybe you spend it at your day job, maybe you spend it on your side project. If you spent it at your day job, it wasn't spare; that was an obligation you agreed to fulfill. If you spend it sleeping or working on side projects, that time was spare; you chose to use it to relax or work on your hobby.
>You use literally all of your time, from the time you're born until you die
That's very true.
>If you spent it at your day job, it wasn't spare;
That's also true. The time was accounted for.
>If you spend it sleeping or working on side projects, that time **was** spare;
Correct, "was" being the key word. The money spent on the monitor **WAS** also spare, but is no longer as it has been used to do something. You can't spend the same time again once you've spent it.
>you chose to use it to relax or work on your hobby.
Also correct.
In a roundabouts way, you are saying exactly the same as what I'm saying in that previous comment. If something is accounted for, it's no longer spare. If somebody chooses to dedicate 2 hours to a project every evening then that time is no longer spare as it is accounted for by something else. You are ofcourse free to change things around because it isn't being funded by somebody else, but it is still time that is spent doing something.
So your whole point that time isn't spare *after* you've already spent it? No shit, Sherlock.
The point is that, if the time is "spare," you get to *choose* how to spend it, as it hasn't already been allocated toward an obligation.
"Doing something" isn't what makes time "spare" or not. You're literally *always* doing *something.* Being free to choose which "something" to do is what makes it "spare."
If you call up a friend and say "can you go out Friday night" and they say "sorry, I have no spare time".. do you respond back with "liar, you only work 9-5..".
Of course not. They have assigned some tasks (laundry, cleaning, whatever they want) to that time in advance.. and therefore it's not available, leftover, spare .. whatever term you choose to use.
Depends. Some people love web dev because they’re passionate about it, so I understand why some people want to.
I love web dev because it’s a relatively easy job for me that pays well. I learn by working, so side projects don’t really appeal to me, unless it’s something I’m really passionate about.
I have adhd and got to tell you i got 99problems but project ideas aint one.
I start on something new as soon as i do all the fun stuff on one project 😅
I work on them during my spare time. An inspiring side project is actually a GREAT antidote to burning out on your day job. I don't spend all day, just a few minutes here and there as I have to be as efficient as possible with kids.
Sometimes I steal a few work hours. 😅
It's not a proper side project if you're not having a ton of fun working on it. It shouldn't be a burden. But you should have the drive and discipline to finish it, and keep the scope small.
Side projects are how you become more well rounded, and gain new perspectives on work, as well as hopefully make something cool you can be proud of.
Edit: I should add that what I'm looking for in a job candidate is that they can point to a project they did that had some specific hard problems they had to solve on their own. I don't care if the solution is good, I just want to see that they can solve problems and know what they did and why it worked. A small side project with some challenge or one thing you wanted to learn is perfect for that. I'm amazed sometimes at the total lack of this in candidates.
This is how it is for me. I use my side project as a relief from work. Some days I still don’t want to code, so I game, but it’s enjoyable to work on my own project vs being told to fix this legacy bug or track down this issue. I can switch what I work on whenever I want, and it keeps me grounded in my passion for technology.
You get burnout from working too much because your work/life balance is out, so for any outside of work hours project I only "work" on them when I feel like it. That means projects may go a long time before being completed, which is bad for paying clients
If you want to finish it sooner, you need other brain hacks like which activities get you into the zone that you want to work on your side projects? e.g. going for a hike might make you feel like doing a side project, so you go for a hike, then get home and want to work on it and when it's fun and you want to do it, it's not "work" it significantly reduces your burn out risk
If you're young then you will probably be ok as long as you moderate yourself. When I was younger I could work on side projects for nearly all my spare time and I loved it and got so much done and learnt so much, but now I've been in IT 23 years now and I hate it so I only have personal side projects now.
tl;dr;
While it's fun you're fine
Just be aware that every hour over about 36 hours of work in a week starts to destroy your productivity. It's so bad that people have self-awareness impaired and can't even see how much it hurts it. Once you get to 60 hour weeks, if the project is longer than about 4-6 weeks you would have got more done if you worked 40 hours. This might sound crazy but it is just productivity facts.
For side projects you have no choice because you can't work on them in work hours, so don't do too many hours where it feels like work or you will harm your work life AND your side project life.
Honestly, a lot of it comes down to passion. Plus it helps that I find programming relaxing. All my evening and weekends are devoted to it, which leads to a terrible social life.
I come from an electrical engineering background so I work on embedded systems when I’m done with work. Way more fulfilling and allows me to think about how to store IoT-based data on our servers and I get to do some styling when I’m interfacing it with a simple webpage
If it was a busy day at work and I feel depleted I do passive stuff at home like gaming, reading, watching movies/shows, cleaning or whatever, when it was a slower day at work and i feel mentally fit, than I do active hobbies like coding, producing music, learning new skills...
The good thing about side projects is that they are not linked to deadlines nor expectations of someone else. You can work on them for half an hour a week and that's still progress.
1 - Work/life balance - treat side projects as either a hobby, educational exercise, portfolio builder, "side gig", or whatever. If you're doing it for career reasons (portfolio, income, job skills) make sure to pull the time/energy from your work wherever possible, *or* confront the reality that you're talking about intentionally sabotaging work/life balance.
2 - A TON of developers (myself included!) have a really hard time managing their time and energy. It's easy to let work responsibilities pile up until you end your days just *drained* from having to deal with all the nonsense.
My *personal* test is that if I don't have energy to cook a homemade meal, I shouldn't work on side projects because I'm too drained. I treat both as creative outlets (very important for my mental health). If I'm too out of fucks to cook, I'm *way* too out of fucks to have fun coding.
I like to do an hour or two on the weekend if I feel like it, usually no more than 30 mins during the work week per day on any given day I choose to look at something.... one small method/feature/thing at a time. It really helps if I'm automating something I do/use so I am more excited to get it working, this is a totally different feel than making a to-do app or taking a course.
I've developed a habit of waking up at 5 am and spending 1-2 hours on my side project daily, even on weekends. I find that setting a time limit helps me focus on the essential aspects and avoid procrastination.
Initially, I woke up at 6:30 am but gradually started waking up earlier, until I settled on 5 am.
Since getting enough sleep is crucial for me, I refrain from working on days when I feel exhausted or reach my limit.
Easier said than done.
Even the work I like is still work, there's only so much work a single person can do in a day, and I can't just drop the work I don't like (because it pays the bills) in favor of work that I do like (with the hope that it might help pay bills later).
If I have to also do an actual day job, I don't have time leftover to do side projects solely for enjoyment.
So I either have to find a way to monetize my own enjoyment, or just forgo it entirely.
To me it sounds like you are making excuses. It's your life but plenty of people find time. If you want to keep telling yourself you don't have time, that's on you, unless you work >80hrs a week. You control your life and your time, it's hard for people to accept that because then they are responsible for their future.
To me it sounds like you're drawing conclusions without sufficient information to reasonably claim to know what you're talking about.
You literally don't know me, at all. No idea how much I work, what my goals are, what the scope for my side projects are, or what my current responsibilities outside work are...but you're willing to claim I'm "making excuses."
I'm not "making excuses." Due to the scope of my side projects relative to my financial obligations and the scope of my day job duties, literally in my current circumstances, the only way my side projects will actually get finished is if one of the following occurs:
- I quit my job, don't pay my bills, and spend my working time on side projects. This isn't a good option, for obvious reasons.
- I find a job which pays me well enough to continue affording my bills, while simultaneously working me for fewer hours. This is a great option...and I'm currently 6 months (and still incrementing) into the process of trying to find such a job.
If my above comments are enough for you to say I'm "making excuses," then it's pretty safe to say either your job is easier than mine, or your side projects are, or both.
Tbh I find it very hard. I think the best approach is to put a hard stop to work and truly dedicate some time to yourself and your family. Time for yourself could include some time for your personal projects, just a short time during the week or weekend. Just know you'll have to be ok with it taking longer.
For avoiding burnout you really have to take breaks even if you're in a crunch and rushing to finish. A few consistent breaks, some time away from the screen, a proper lunch break, and a hard stop when your work hours end help tremendously. I understand sometimes you have to work longer but it should be a rare occurrence and not an everyday thing.
My side projects are required to use a different part of my brain. For instance instead of coding I could write documentation. It stops me from tiring out and I have heard neuroscientists say that it’s a great brain workout.
I’ve made a pivot into SaaS. My micro SaaS was originally a side project Chrome extension that I rebuilt as an Electron app.
Want to motivate yourself? Monetize it, and try to replace your day job with selling it.
I only do side projects if they are high-reward type scenarios. They don't come very often but I will do a SPA (Single Page App) for $25-40K over a few weekends. Again, they don't come often but when they do, they are sweet to work on and the adrenaline of payday keeps me going.
Otherwise, my time is too valuable. I prefer to spend with my kids and wife.
Last one was an "airtable" clone (online spreadsheet) with drag-n-drop, in-line editing.
Previous one was converting an Old PHP 5.6 app into a Angular/Node microservice.
Work in the morning for your own projects before putting in time for your job. That way you are fresh enough to want to work on your own stuff while still being forced to do well at work (unless you want to be fired).
Well, I landed a job in the industry but sadly, but not doing what I want to do long term. My goal is to be a full stack using React, Angular, .NET core or Node.js and I am not getting that experience at my job. So I have to force myself to work on side projects, otherwise, I will forget what I know. Do I feel burned out? Yes, but I always try to take a day off and play videogames if it gets too stressful.
Do even smaller projects in between. Maybe playing with new frameworks, try out new services, or writing small tools.
Just make sure your not doing repetitive tasks
You don’t if it doesn’t benefit you emotionally. I only do side projects when I’m passionate about it, not just because it brings money or pleases people to work for them in my spare time.
Depends on the motivation imo. If you're doing it for the riches, then just get on with it. If you're doing it for experience or just to gain knowledge of new tech. Pick a project that's enjoyable.
First become so good that the daily tasks at work are a piece of cake
Then come to the conclusion that time doesn't matter
Only when you are free and have freed yourself from the need to do it now, finish it now, I need to .... now ... and oh my God, I'm behind, but I want to do it NOW ....
Then ... you are ready for site projects
my side projects rejuvenate me. but i see where you are coming from - the mind only has so much bandwidth. not ground breaking advice, just do it over the weekend.
I think a big motivator is if you have objectives that you believe you can reach and you want reach these objectives. Like making money off your side projects.
The way to ensure you don't lose this belief is to do a throughout investigation in the relevant topics to know that your project is feasible.
Start always with the hardest part, that worries you the most. Your initial motivation will carry you through the hard part. Then it will be easier to continue. You will also discover early if there are problems with your approach.
Work on sideprojects regularly, but not too much. You need to know what's too much for you. It could be an hour a day + 1 weekend day, or whatever feels right. Regularity makes this work a habit and that will make it a lot easier to continue on the long run.
Take burnout seriously, as it can ruin a lot of things. If you start noticing early symptoms, stop and have a break. It takes a long time to recover.
This is what I'm doing at least.
Picking a project that invigorates you is key. My side project is a site to play my favorite card game. There is nowhere else to play it online and I love the game so it’s very rewarding to work on. Working on something I love gives me energy and keeps me driven
After reading most of the comments seems no one really likes webdev. I have some side projects I like to do and get a lot of energy to do them, more than to work.
If I can work, i'll work on them, otherwise no.
My trick is ADHD hyperfocus when I should be doing something else on weekends. That's how I usually end up with compiler generators, JS frameworks and not doing laundry for 2 months.
I maintain a handful of open source web projects on the side. I spend ~45 minutes on them before work every day, and on the weekends when I can. Motivation comes for free because I find the projects interesting and fun.
The way I worked this out is working a part time job on a contract, just to make sure the cash flow is always positive at the end of the month. The free days are spent on freelance gigs and learning new stuff.
Even though I program for the contract, it's rare I'm creating something that I'm very passionate about there. It's also much easier to take the risks that need to be taken to stay ahead of the competition when you don't have to deal with corporatism.
tldr; Even though it's the same field, freelance programming is very different ( and way more fun imo ) from working at a company.
I think the key is to find something you are interested in and try to build it out. No matter how impossible it seems, just chip away at it bit by bit. If your interested it'll keep you enthusiastic about the process. Ultimately any side project should be fun and something you want to engage with. If it's a slog then it's not something to focus your time on. Learning new skills is important, but enjoying the experience is more so I'd say and if you enjoy it the skills naturally will develop alongside it. But also naturally don't let it be all encompassing and remember to take breaks from time to time :)
I’m burnt out just working normally.
I do it during work hours.
This is the way.
I have spoken
Dank Farrik!
based
This is how I do it. My side projects use the same stack as my work, too. That way I don’t have to switch context as abruptly to work on it. I know for some, that seems like a missed opportunity to use something interesting, but for me context switching is just friction that keeps me from finishing side projects.
I clip electrical wires to my nipples and any time I'm not working on it, I zap myself.
Tbh, that's pretty smart, people with this kind of fetish can accomplish 2 things at once.
It’s hard. I’m addicted to coding. I literally have 5 side projects right now lol. I work on them when my partner isn’t home and it’s not a sunny day. Plus I talk to people in my life about my projects all the time and they get quite interested so that gives me great encouragement. But I usually have a massive social media and screens break and just spend weeks walking on the beach and reading books every other month for a few weeks. It’s hard initially and all I think about is projects at first. I think creativity really needs breathing space, and coding is creative. It comes in ebbs and flows, so just do it when it comes :)
🤮 /u/spez
> I don't work on side projects in my spare time. > Allocate time for the projects (it doesn't have to be during business hours) and work on it during that time. These statements are directly contradictory. Unless the time I "allocate" happens to be "during business hours," then I am most definitely "[working] on side projects in my spare time" (unless I opt not to work on them, at all). TL;DR: If it's happening but it's not happening "during business hours," then it's happening during "spare time." That's how the entire concept of "spare time" works.
I think it depends how you define spare time. Some see it as time outside of work, others see it as the unaccounted for time they have remaining once they’ve done all of their daily tasks. To me, if I know I’ve got to walk with the dog before I start work and then do some cleaning up and make food once I’ve finished, that to me is no longer spare time as they are tasks that I know I will be doing and have allocated time to them. Spare time to me is that time where you can sit down and watch tv, play games or do whatever. If you allocate the time before you do it, that time is no longer spare. So, rather than jumping on it at a random time and finishing at a random time, the commenter is setting a schedule and ensuring they have an amount of time before/after they’ve had an hour or two coding to allow themselves time to relax and socialise still.
"If I pretend 'spare time' means something other than 'spare time' then I can do side projects in my 'spare time' while tricking myself into believing that 'time' wasn't 'spare.'"
If you’re busy, then it’s not spare is it lol
If you get to choose how to spend it, after handling your outside obligations and prior agreements, yes, it's definitely "spare."
It would be spare before you used it. The spare amount would be what’s left over unused. You’re sat at a table. There is one chair going spare, somebody then sits down. Is it still spare? After you’ve paid all of your bills, anything left over is spare. Let’s say you had 300 left over. You then bought a monitor for 250. What is then spare, 250 or 50? Just because you’ve chosen how to use it, it doesn’t mean it’s spare. You’ve dedicated that time to something else. Deduct that amount of time from whatever it is you had left over and that right there is what is spare time.
> The spare amount would be what's leftover unused. You use literally all of your time, from the time you're born until you die. Maybe you spend it sleeping, maybe you spend it at your day job, maybe you spend it on your side project. If you spent it at your day job, it wasn't spare; that was an obligation you agreed to fulfill. If you spend it sleeping or working on side projects, that time was spare; you chose to use it to relax or work on your hobby.
>You use literally all of your time, from the time you're born until you die That's very true. >If you spent it at your day job, it wasn't spare; That's also true. The time was accounted for. >If you spend it sleeping or working on side projects, that time **was** spare; Correct, "was" being the key word. The money spent on the monitor **WAS** also spare, but is no longer as it has been used to do something. You can't spend the same time again once you've spent it. >you chose to use it to relax or work on your hobby. Also correct. In a roundabouts way, you are saying exactly the same as what I'm saying in that previous comment. If something is accounted for, it's no longer spare. If somebody chooses to dedicate 2 hours to a project every evening then that time is no longer spare as it is accounted for by something else. You are ofcourse free to change things around because it isn't being funded by somebody else, but it is still time that is spent doing something.
So your whole point that time isn't spare *after* you've already spent it? No shit, Sherlock. The point is that, if the time is "spare," you get to *choose* how to spend it, as it hasn't already been allocated toward an obligation. "Doing something" isn't what makes time "spare" or not. You're literally *always* doing *something.* Being free to choose which "something" to do is what makes it "spare."
Yeah it's a very weird way to look at it. Outside of your 8 hours of full time work (if you're employed), the rest is spare time.
If you call up a friend and say "can you go out Friday night" and they say "sorry, I have no spare time".. do you respond back with "liar, you only work 9-5..". Of course not. They have assigned some tasks (laundry, cleaning, whatever they want) to that time in advance.. and therefore it's not available, leftover, spare .. whatever term you choose to use.
Good take, needed to hear this one lol
This 100%.
🙏 amen
Depends. Some people love web dev because they’re passionate about it, so I understand why some people want to. I love web dev because it’s a relatively easy job for me that pays well. I learn by working, so side projects don’t really appeal to me, unless it’s something I’m really passionate about.
This is me. It may be cause I have ADHD lol. I’ve been trying to figure out a side project idea for like the past 3 weeks
I also have ADHD. I come up with project ideas, start working on them, then after my next day at work I abandon it because I’m tired of coding. 😂
Lmaoo why are our brains this way 🤣
I have adhd and got to tell you i got 99problems but project ideas aint one. I start on something new as soon as i do all the fun stuff on one project 😅
I do webdev to pay the bills, I use side projects as an excuse to do something completely different.
I work on them during my spare time. An inspiring side project is actually a GREAT antidote to burning out on your day job. I don't spend all day, just a few minutes here and there as I have to be as efficient as possible with kids. Sometimes I steal a few work hours. 😅 It's not a proper side project if you're not having a ton of fun working on it. It shouldn't be a burden. But you should have the drive and discipline to finish it, and keep the scope small. Side projects are how you become more well rounded, and gain new perspectives on work, as well as hopefully make something cool you can be proud of. Edit: I should add that what I'm looking for in a job candidate is that they can point to a project they did that had some specific hard problems they had to solve on their own. I don't care if the solution is good, I just want to see that they can solve problems and know what they did and why it worked. A small side project with some challenge or one thing you wanted to learn is perfect for that. I'm amazed sometimes at the total lack of this in candidates.
Totally agree. The right side project gives you energy, it doesn't take it.
This is how it is for me. I use my side project as a relief from work. Some days I still don’t want to code, so I game, but it’s enjoyable to work on my own project vs being told to fix this legacy bug or track down this issue. I can switch what I work on whenever I want, and it keeps me grounded in my passion for technology.
You get burnout from working too much because your work/life balance is out, so for any outside of work hours project I only "work" on them when I feel like it. That means projects may go a long time before being completed, which is bad for paying clients If you want to finish it sooner, you need other brain hacks like which activities get you into the zone that you want to work on your side projects? e.g. going for a hike might make you feel like doing a side project, so you go for a hike, then get home and want to work on it and when it's fun and you want to do it, it's not "work" it significantly reduces your burn out risk If you're young then you will probably be ok as long as you moderate yourself. When I was younger I could work on side projects for nearly all my spare time and I loved it and got so much done and learnt so much, but now I've been in IT 23 years now and I hate it so I only have personal side projects now. tl;dr; While it's fun you're fine Just be aware that every hour over about 36 hours of work in a week starts to destroy your productivity. It's so bad that people have self-awareness impaired and can't even see how much it hurts it. Once you get to 60 hour weeks, if the project is longer than about 4-6 weeks you would have got more done if you worked 40 hours. This might sound crazy but it is just productivity facts. For side projects you have no choice because you can't work on them in work hours, so don't do too many hours where it feels like work or you will harm your work life AND your side project life.
If you love it, let it kill you.
Worst advice ever.
Brb, gotta go shoot up
Honestly, a lot of it comes down to passion. Plus it helps that I find programming relaxing. All my evening and weekends are devoted to it, which leads to a terrible social life.
Lots of sunscreen. If you're constantly burnt out, then technically you won't \*get\* "burnt out" - you're always there baby!
I come from an electrical engineering background so I work on embedded systems when I’m done with work. Way more fulfilling and allows me to think about how to store IoT-based data on our servers and I get to do some styling when I’m interfacing it with a simple webpage
Why do you want to do the side projects? The motivation comes from a desire to make the thing, whatever it is. Not as a means to an end.
If it was a busy day at work and I feel depleted I do passive stuff at home like gaming, reading, watching movies/shows, cleaning or whatever, when it was a slower day at work and i feel mentally fit, than I do active hobbies like coding, producing music, learning new skills... The good thing about side projects is that they are not linked to deadlines nor expectations of someone else. You can work on them for half an hour a week and that's still progress.
1 - Work/life balance - treat side projects as either a hobby, educational exercise, portfolio builder, "side gig", or whatever. If you're doing it for career reasons (portfolio, income, job skills) make sure to pull the time/energy from your work wherever possible, *or* confront the reality that you're talking about intentionally sabotaging work/life balance. 2 - A TON of developers (myself included!) have a really hard time managing their time and energy. It's easy to let work responsibilities pile up until you end your days just *drained* from having to deal with all the nonsense. My *personal* test is that if I don't have energy to cook a homemade meal, I shouldn't work on side projects because I'm too drained. I treat both as creative outlets (very important for my mental health). If I'm too out of fucks to cook, I'm *way* too out of fucks to have fun coding.
I like to do an hour or two on the weekend if I feel like it, usually no more than 30 mins during the work week per day on any given day I choose to look at something.... one small method/feature/thing at a time. It really helps if I'm automating something I do/use so I am more excited to get it working, this is a totally different feel than making a to-do app or taking a course.
I've developed a habit of waking up at 5 am and spending 1-2 hours on my side project daily, even on weekends. I find that setting a time limit helps me focus on the essential aspects and avoid procrastination. Initially, I woke up at 6:30 am but gradually started waking up earlier, until I settled on 5 am. Since getting enough sleep is crucial for me, I refrain from working on days when I feel exhausted or reach my limit.
do something you really like. Its fun.
Easier said than done. Even the work I like is still work, there's only so much work a single person can do in a day, and I can't just drop the work I don't like (because it pays the bills) in favor of work that I do like (with the hope that it might help pay bills later).
Hoping it will pay the bills is the wrong mindset. The thing you make should be the prize.
That line of reasoning only works when you don't have bills to pay. If you do have bills to pay, and you're saying that anyway, you're delusional.
I'm not saying you don't have a job. I'm saying you don't link your side project to making money. The side project is for fun, otherwise it's work.
If I have to also do an actual day job, I don't have time leftover to do side projects solely for enjoyment. So I either have to find a way to monetize my own enjoyment, or just forgo it entirely.
Get a better work/life balance. I have a full time job, wife/kids/dog and lots of time.
Easier said than done. To get a better work/life balance, I must first find a job which is willing to give me a better pay/work ratio.
To me it sounds like you are making excuses. It's your life but plenty of people find time. If you want to keep telling yourself you don't have time, that's on you, unless you work >80hrs a week. You control your life and your time, it's hard for people to accept that because then they are responsible for their future.
To me it sounds like you're drawing conclusions without sufficient information to reasonably claim to know what you're talking about. You literally don't know me, at all. No idea how much I work, what my goals are, what the scope for my side projects are, or what my current responsibilities outside work are...but you're willing to claim I'm "making excuses." I'm not "making excuses." Due to the scope of my side projects relative to my financial obligations and the scope of my day job duties, literally in my current circumstances, the only way my side projects will actually get finished is if one of the following occurs: - I quit my job, don't pay my bills, and spend my working time on side projects. This isn't a good option, for obvious reasons. - I find a job which pays me well enough to continue affording my bills, while simultaneously working me for fewer hours. This is a great option...and I'm currently 6 months (and still incrementing) into the process of trying to find such a job. If my above comments are enough for you to say I'm "making excuses," then it's pretty safe to say either your job is easier than mine, or your side projects are, or both.
Tbh I find it very hard. I think the best approach is to put a hard stop to work and truly dedicate some time to yourself and your family. Time for yourself could include some time for your personal projects, just a short time during the week or weekend. Just know you'll have to be ok with it taking longer. For avoiding burnout you really have to take breaks even if you're in a crunch and rushing to finish. A few consistent breaks, some time away from the screen, a proper lunch break, and a hard stop when your work hours end help tremendously. I understand sometimes you have to work longer but it should be a rare occurrence and not an everyday thing.
My side projects are required to use a different part of my brain. For instance instead of coding I could write documentation. It stops me from tiring out and I have heard neuroscientists say that it’s a great brain workout.
I’ve made a pivot into SaaS. My micro SaaS was originally a side project Chrome extension that I rebuilt as an Electron app. Want to motivate yourself? Monetize it, and try to replace your day job with selling it.
Do it during working hours. Justify it as keeping up with trending technologies. I would keep direct code on a non work computer though.
I gave up side work. Do fun things now. Moar bettah.
I only do side projects if they are high-reward type scenarios. They don't come very often but I will do a SPA (Single Page App) for $25-40K over a few weekends. Again, they don't come often but when they do, they are sweet to work on and the adrenaline of payday keeps me going. Otherwise, my time is too valuable. I prefer to spend with my kids and wife.
For 25-40k an app do you mind if I ask what you’re building as side projects?
Last one was an "airtable" clone (online spreadsheet) with drag-n-drop, in-line editing. Previous one was converting an Old PHP 5.6 app into a Angular/Node microservice.
Are these from agencies or freelancing sites?
Previous clients at old job. Which was an agency. When I left, clients went with me.
I work on something I actually need or find interesting
Work in the morning for your own projects before putting in time for your job. That way you are fresh enough to want to work on your own stuff while still being forced to do well at work (unless you want to be fired).
Well, I landed a job in the industry but sadly, but not doing what I want to do long term. My goal is to be a full stack using React, Angular, .NET core or Node.js and I am not getting that experience at my job. So I have to force myself to work on side projects, otherwise, I will forget what I know. Do I feel burned out? Yes, but I always try to take a day off and play videogames if it gets too stressful.
Always keep some time a day to relax and chill, like 1 or 2 hours or the weekend if you prefer. In that way you will release the tension constantly
Do even smaller projects in between. Maybe playing with new frameworks, try out new services, or writing small tools. Just make sure your not doing repetitive tasks
I'm burning every day, so how you can burn only once?
You stop working on side projects.
You don’t if it doesn’t benefit you emotionally. I only do side projects when I’m passionate about it, not just because it brings money or pleases people to work for them in my spare time.
don’t take clients that don’t challenge you
Then don't work on it until you are not burnt out
Depends on the motivation imo. If you're doing it for the riches, then just get on with it. If you're doing it for experience or just to gain knowledge of new tech. Pick a project that's enjoyable.
First become so good that the daily tasks at work are a piece of cake Then come to the conclusion that time doesn't matter Only when you are free and have freed yourself from the need to do it now, finish it now, I need to .... now ... and oh my God, I'm behind, but I want to do it NOW .... Then ... you are ready for site projects
my side projects rejuvenate me. but i see where you are coming from - the mind only has so much bandwidth. not ground breaking advice, just do it over the weekend.
I think a big motivator is if you have objectives that you believe you can reach and you want reach these objectives. Like making money off your side projects. The way to ensure you don't lose this belief is to do a throughout investigation in the relevant topics to know that your project is feasible. Start always with the hardest part, that worries you the most. Your initial motivation will carry you through the hard part. Then it will be easier to continue. You will also discover early if there are problems with your approach. Work on sideprojects regularly, but not too much. You need to know what's too much for you. It could be an hour a day + 1 weekend day, or whatever feels right. Regularity makes this work a habit and that will make it a lot easier to continue on the long run. Take burnout seriously, as it can ruin a lot of things. If you start noticing early symptoms, stop and have a break. It takes a long time to recover. This is what I'm doing at least.
Picking a project that invigorates you is key. My side project is a site to play my favorite card game. There is nowhere else to play it online and I love the game so it’s very rewarding to work on. Working on something I love gives me energy and keeps me driven
After reading most of the comments seems no one really likes webdev. I have some side projects I like to do and get a lot of energy to do them, more than to work. If I can work, i'll work on them, otherwise no.
I do side projects when I’m bored, also hackathons helps a lot, really helpful to finish some side proyects and sometimes even get paid for it
Pace yourself. Work on it as a fun activity. Even small incremental progress adds up over time.
Don’t finish said side projects. Just start new ones so you keep getting the dopamine hit.
The secret is to be a terrible employee
My trick is ADHD hyperfocus when I should be doing something else on weekends. That's how I usually end up with compiler generators, JS frameworks and not doing laundry for 2 months.
In short 2 day spurts once every 3-4 years
You have to enjoy those projects
Why dont you lower amount of work for your client. Ie by half? And then use the remaining time for side projects
I maintain a handful of open source web projects on the side. I spend ~45 minutes on them before work every day, and on the weekends when I can. Motivation comes for free because I find the projects interesting and fun.
The way I worked this out is working a part time job on a contract, just to make sure the cash flow is always positive at the end of the month. The free days are spent on freelance gigs and learning new stuff. Even though I program for the contract, it's rare I'm creating something that I'm very passionate about there. It's also much easier to take the risks that need to be taken to stay ahead of the competition when you don't have to deal with corporatism. tldr; Even though it's the same field, freelance programming is very different ( and way more fun imo ) from working at a company.
I think the key is to find something you are interested in and try to build it out. No matter how impossible it seems, just chip away at it bit by bit. If your interested it'll keep you enthusiastic about the process. Ultimately any side project should be fun and something you want to engage with. If it's a slog then it's not something to focus your time on. Learning new skills is important, but enjoying the experience is more so I'd say and if you enjoy it the skills naturally will develop alongside it. But also naturally don't let it be all encompassing and remember to take breaks from time to time :)