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Ask HN: How do you motivate yourself to keep building and finishing projects?

4 points| tim_nuwin | 11 years ago

I just finished a project that took me a lot longer than expected after doing a 12-hour coding push. But that's unusual, I haven't done that much free-time coding in a few years. What keeps you motivated?

4 comments

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gamebak|11 years ago

Discipline is one of the biggest things. Motivation is not enough, everyone has good days and bad days like when you don't feel like coding.

Establish a goal for 3 months/6 months/1 year/10 years, something realistic (let's say you want to get a new car... that will be in the next 2 years or something ).

Take 10 minute breaks every 1-2 hours and move around during that time. Go grab a coffee or something, it will increase your dopamine levels.

When you take a new project always take 30% extra time from your initial evaluation (that's to make sure you don't end up with 12 hour coding push )...

toolsadmin|11 years ago

Potential to make money. I don't make any serious projects on my own time unless there is a way to monetize them.

taphangum|11 years ago

Make it about proving something to yourself. You know that mindset you get into when you're playing a really hard level in a good game? Try channeling that and see if it works, it definitely does for me. :) - One of my projects from two years ago is now worth about $500k.