Ask HN: How do you juggle multiple side projects?

1 point·keiferski··2 comments

I've already got a ton on my plate (school, startup, fitness, etc.). But I want to make progress on any number of littler projects I have.

I constantly waver between narrow focus ("nothing except these 3 things") and wanting to build 10+ ideas.

Any tips on how you work on multiple projects while still focusing on a startup/job/etc.?

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One at a time, and I have to set a very rigid schedule and stick to it, otherwise it ends up being too stressful. Sometimes the hardest part is stopping once I've worked the 2hrs I scheduled for Project X, when it's 10pm and there's nothing else going on, but too many nights of not stopping and I get tense and difficult to live with. Down time is important, too.

i have personal limit for maximum 3 active projects at the same time:

- work: regular 8hour work to earn money

- workdays side project: i do this before and after the regular work (1-4 hours per day), on workdays only. (usually a "may get rich" project)

- weekend side project: on sat and sun, only. (usually a fun/charity project)

the rules are strict:

no work on projects not scheduled on that day.

not even think about the other projects.

no more than the three active projects. if a project wants to start it has to wait until the active finishes or the active must be cancelled (not suspended).

thees few rules allow me to have side projects and enough time to complete each. and guarantees that only the best projects get the spare resource: me.

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