This got me thinking about side-projects, things I consider my life's work, but yet I make little progress on.

It feels like my programming job clutters my mind with concerns about work. Then, when I try to program for myself, on my side-projects, I find everything is already cluttered with worries about work, and I end up making little progress.

Or, it may simply be that work makes me tired, and when I'm tired I don't want to work on side-projects?

Has anyone moved away from programming as a job and found it helps them focus on their side-projects better?

I can (1) find a different type of day job (non-programming), and/or (2) work fewer hours at my day job, and/or (3) find a day job that I personally find meaningful. Of these, which is most important and realistic?