I found this account interesting. At some points in my life I would spend eight hours a day programming at my day job, then spend most of the evening programming on my own projects. It seems like I've never had a problem with burnout.
However, I've also noticed that I can have a lazy streak. I've been in positions where I'm working on an open source project with an upcoming release deadline. I know there's a bunch of stuff I should really be doing to make the deadline, but my inner self rebels and I watch a movie or read HN instead.
This has made me wonder if my "lazy streak" is actually functioning as an effective protection against burnout. I've seen this laziness in other areas of my life as well, such as school and even at work. I used to feel guilty about it, but I don't really think that way any more. Now I feel that it actually helps keep my longer term productivity up.
Now all of this is based on very subjective feelings. It would be pretty hard to prove anything conclusive either way. I don't know what makes me be this way or if/how it could be learned by someone else who is prone to burnout. But I do believe it's worth thinking about.
However, I've also noticed that I can have a lazy streak. I've been in positions where I'm working on an open source project with an upcoming release deadline. I know there's a bunch of stuff I should really be doing to make the deadline, but my inner self rebels and I watch a movie or read HN instead.
This has made me wonder if my "lazy streak" is actually functioning as an effective protection against burnout. I've seen this laziness in other areas of my life as well, such as school and even at work. I used to feel guilty about it, but I don't really think that way any more. Now I feel that it actually helps keep my longer term productivity up.
Now all of this is based on very subjective feelings. It would be pretty hard to prove anything conclusive either way. I don't know what makes me be this way or if/how it could be learned by someone else who is prone to burnout. But I do believe it's worth thinking about.