Time is money, and we must know how to make the most of it. Organization and discipline are essential to be able to do what we want.
Today we will talk about side projects and why it is good to have them, but without getting overwhelmed.
It’s normal to get home after work and be tired.
Programming or working on something related to software development is mentally exhausting, and it is challenging to concentrate a whole afternoon on developing a side project. Besides, we have things to do outside work: family, friends, shopping, sports, resting, etc.
A side project can be born as something to earn extra money at the end of the month, but it can also be to learn technology. First, we do a course and then apply it to an idea we have. We will have to dedicate more or less time to what we want to do.
Why do a Side Project?
– You will learn to be disciplined. Nobody will tell you to do it, but even if you don’t feel like it, if you have discipline, you will feel great when you finish programming one afternoon, even if you are lazy.
– You will learn things that are not related to your day-to-day work.
Plan your Time and Tasks
Dedicate 2 or 3 hours a week of 100% concentration. Don’t open Twitter or any other distractions. The time you devote to it should be productive.
Set goals and list tasks to do every day you work on your project. If you are not organized, you will not be productive and will waste work hours. Planning is crucial.
You are solely responsible for your project
On a day-to-day basis, you probably write code, solve problems and write tests, but in the case of a side project, you will most likely find yourself alone in the face of danger. How do I send a newsletter? What marketing actions do I have to take? The tasks you have to perform will be different from what you do daily, and that’s good because you will practice and learn things that you wouldn’t do at work.
Your project may grow and need support in some parts, so you can also look for help.
Colleagues, friends, or people you know might be willing to lend a hand because they also like what you are creating.
Of course, you cannot involve your colleagues in all projects because not all projects are simple in execution. Some are particularly difficult for novice programmers just learning how to code. In this situation, it is reasonable to find help through a programming help service, for example, https://wowassignment.com/do-my-programming-homework/, where experts in coding would be happy to solve a task of any complexity or to prepare your project in the best possible way.
Organize Yourself
Since we will dedicate a reasonable amount of time to the project, we should write a list of tasks that will lead us to achieve our goal, and that will not only help us in this project, but we will see it reflected in the daily activities of our life. We will acquire the habit of organizing and focusing our efforts on what will make us more productive.
For example, if you set the goal of cooking one day for the whole week, you will not get to that day without having your shopping done and not knowing what you are going to cook, are you? First, you’ll plan what day you’ll cook. Then, you will make the menu for the week. Having the menu, you will be able to make the shopping list, and, having the shopping list, you will know when to go shopping for the products.
What if I want to read one book a month? The process is the same: if it has 300 pages, I have to read ten pages a day, but I know that I will not be able to read every day. If there are 70 pages a week, why don’t I read 35 pages twice a week?
The same thing happens with a side project. What is your goal? If it is to create an application that does whatever you can think of, don’t start without planning what you have to do, but you should follow the reverse path: I want to get to make a booking management application in a room, for example. Define the steps you have to follow to reach your goal.
Conclusion
We often make an excuse like “I don’t have time” to avoid doing many things, but if we organize ourselves well, we can have time for many things. We no longer have to set ourselves the goal that we want to read a book a month, but we have to dedicate 30 minutes two days a week to finish a book. We must set ourselves easy goals, and those divided into small parts are much more affordable. Instead of telling yourself that you can’t do something or don’t have a recourse or time for this, try to prioritize your goals and discard unnecessary actions. You’ll discover that you can get out of your comfort zone, push your limits and reach the next level.
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