Ask HN: Finding time to work on personal projects
2 comments
Work on it everyday. Doesn't matter if you don't feel like it, form the habit then it gets done. On days I don't feel like it I work on it for as little as ten minutes. This makes me much more likely to work on it tomorrow when the 'I don't feel like it' feeling is gone. Some around here suggest working for yourself before you work for others(give them the crappy I don't feel like it time.) Personally I am not a morning person so that doesn't really work for me. I find strenuous activity to be a good separator as well and helps me transition and focus.
For me it's all about how much I love the project I'm working on. Find something you're really... REALLY passionate about. If you're working full-time and want to be productive after work, you have to absolutely love the project almost to the point that it's a hobby and you're doing it for fun. If you don't have that level of enthusiasm, I can't think of any good advice that will give you the drive to put in the hours. Even if you love your project, it will still be hard, so you have to at LEAST be in love with what you're working on.
In my case I am currently interning in a IT related job, so I am staring at a computer screen for 8+ hours a day. By the time I get home the last thing I want to do is sit down and stare into another computer screen. The only real time I get to work on personal projects in late at night on weekdays for about an hour or two. At this rate I will never be able to complete anything in a reasonable amount of time. I travel/work a lot on the weekends(prime personal project time), so I can only really work on it then.