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For the last two years, I have been trying, on and off, to develop a few ideas into maturity. You can call these my side projects. I started out, thinking that

by pagejim 14y ago

For the last two years, I have been trying, on and off, to develop a few ideas into maturity. You can call these my side projects. I started out, thinking that taking 5-6 hours out from my weekends and a couple of hours per weekday, would do the job. My day job is quite demanding in terms of hours and energy that I put in. After around one year of trying hard to perform well in my day job, keep on developing my side projects and have a decent social life, I gave up. It was not working out. Time and again, I found myself, totally tired mentally and physically. I couldn't understand what was it that I was doing wrong. Then time and again, I would hear stories of people who were successfully juggling day-job, side-projects and family life. I just did not get it and still don't. Is there some kind of strategy that you have to follow? Is my time-management not good enough? Is something missing in my attitude? Or is it just plain luck, that things work out sometimes and other times they don't.

segmond 14y ago
You just gotta hang in there, and keep at it. Start small, run lean, don't try to perfect, try to finish fast with the least useful options you can have. Sell, sell, sell. I'm doing it now, and it's Hellish. :( I love to play soccer, but I gave up soccer 2 days a week. I played 3times a week. Soccer on mondays only. No going out, except on Friday 3 hrs only. That's it. I'm giving up everything, within the regular week, I can squeeze out 15hrs + 10hrs weekends. 25hrs a week, 100hrs a month. A lot can be done in 100-300hrs if you are very focused and know exactly what you are working on, and how you are going to solve it. Tackle a problem domain that you have expertise in, not a problem domain that you have to experiment with and find a solution that no one has ever found.
boagworld 14y ago
My advice is keep the side project small and only work on one at a time. We often spread ourselves too thin and try and undertake something too big. If we cannot see fast results we become demoralised.
HeyLaughingBoy 14y ago
Is there some kind of strategy that you have to follow? Prioritization. Unless you have infinite amounts of energy, something has to be given less importance. Often that means shifting priorities among the different things you are doing.

by pagejim 14y ago

segmond 14y ago

You just gotta hang in there, and keep at it. Start small, run lean, don't try to perfect, try to finish fast with the least useful options you can have. Sell, sell, sell. I'm doing it now, and it's Hellish. :( I love to play soccer, but I gave up soccer 2 days a week. I played 3times a week. Soccer on mondays only. No going out, except on Friday 3 hrs only. That's it. I'm giving up everything, within the regular week, I can squeeze out 15hrs + 10hrs weekends. 25hrs a week, 100hrs a month. A lot can be done in 100-300hrs if you are very focused and know exactly what you are working on, and how you are going to solve it. Tackle a problem domain that you have expertise in, not a problem domain that you have to experiment with and find a solution that no one has ever found.

boagworld 14y ago

My advice is keep the side project small and only work on one at a time. We often spread ourselves too thin and try and undertake something too big. If we cannot see fast results we become demoralised.

HeyLaughingBoy 14y ago

Is there some kind of strategy that you have to follow? Prioritization. Unless you have infinite amounts of energy, something has to be given less importance. Often that means shifting priorities among the different things you are doing.