Working on Your Startup While Having a 9to5 - You Don't Need More Time, You Need More Focus

Hi! Today marks 4 years of working on my startup while holding down a full-time job – it hasn’t been easy, but it is possible. I wanted to take a moment to reflect on all that I’ve learned in this time. If you're struggling to balance a 9to5 and a personal project, here are a few tips that might help you: 1. Block out time Assign time for work, leisure, taking care of your health, and even doing nothing! The best ideas come to me when I’m bored, so set a calendar and notifications. No more all-nighters or skipping gym. You can't recover sleep, and that neat new feature can wait. 2. Make sacrifices If you feel like you don’t have enough time, it’s probably because you’re not focusing on the right things. There will always be more things to do than you have time for. You won’t be able to do everything. You’ll have to pick and choose what’s most important. 3. Plan ahead on Sundays. Sit down and think about what you want to accomplish during the week. It will help you focus and make the most of your time by preventing decision paralysis. If you have a plan, You can execute without wasting time or mental energy on decisions. 4. Stick to your framework. It wasn’t easy for me to find a system that worked, but once I did, I stuck to it. Your system might be different. The important thing is to find something that works for you and stick with it. 5. Take breaks But if you feel like you're starting to burn out, take it easy and unplug for a little while. It may not seem like it, but sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to take a break. 6. Be part of a community It can be helpful to be an active member of the Product Hunt community or other similar. Many other people are in the same journey and it can be great to be motivated by others who understand the challenges. You are not alone. Remember, managing a full-time job and a personal project is all about focus and prioritization. It’s not easy, but it can be done. And the rewards are worth it! I hope you find this helpful and if you'd like to discuss this further or have any questions, I'm happy to continue the conversation. I'm also really interested in hearing from others who are in a similar situation.