What motivates your pursuit for side projects with a 9-5?

Short answer: protect energy, shrink the scope, and make progress visible. The rest is tactics.

Here is what actually works (as someone who has been doing it):

1. Morning micro-sprints: 20–45 minutes before work beats tired evenings. Leave a one-line “next step” note so it’s easy to resume tomorrow (works like a charm)

2. Ruthless MVP: define the smallest demo that proves value, ship little releases weekly to keep the momentum and dopamine high.

3. Consistency over volume: even 10–15 minutes counts, aim for 3–5 touchpoints a week instead of exhaustive sessions.

4. Boundaries and recovery: hard stop on day job hours, good sleep, light exercise. Cut down low-value drains like doomscrolling to free energy.
   

For ideas gathering dust, even I feel the same while working on 3 different things apart from a 9-5. Maybe its a good sign to feel that way :)

I feel you, Theo 🙌 After a 9–5, it’s hard to keep the same energy. That’s why I try to make side projects feel like play, not another shift ✨ Maybe, treat them like experiments or little games, no pressure, just tinkering. That way, progress feels fun instead of draining.