I realize I need to better understand how to give myself better rest periods, better leisure time, and more-focused work periods.
Other than that, my conclusion is that I have maybe 25 hours of focused work per week in me. Maybe if I did absolutely nothing else in life (i.e. literally lie in bed and stare at ceiling when not working), my mental capabilities would regenerate faster and thus I could work more, but what is the point of a life like this.
Specifically, I’d recommend pomodoros, sleep, exercise, and the balance between focus and diffuse mode. The latter could be something as simple as taking an hour walk to let your brain process in the background, and I’ve found that all four are helpful.
I have takes a slightly different approach.
I try to get a little bit of time in on my top long term goals on a more regular basis.
I am using mini habits method to overcome lack of motivation or other barriers my brain puts up.
See https://tysonmaly.com/books/how-to-make-habits-the-easy-way/