I feel this too, and I've learned to accept that this is just the way my brain works. Once I've lost my motivation for a certain project there's really no point trying to force it back, and besides, this isn't such a bad thing. The whole point of a side project is that I can work on what I want, even if that means doing something new every 4-6 weeks.
I create a "project" in my to-do list app for each side project, and dump every little idea I have in there while I'm excited and switched on about the idea. When my motivation ebbs and eventually returns (months or years later), I have a low-friction starting point to jump back in, which makes all the difference.
Jumping into a months-old codebase _and_ having to figure out what to build next usually means I feel a bit discouraged and never really get back to that project.
> I have a low-friction starting point to jump back in, which makes all the difference.
This is potentially the most important idea raised so far.
Making smaller, deliberate steps can many times take you a lot further than 2-3 gigantic, messy sprints.
I don't beat myself up over "only 10 minutes" spent on the side project anymore. Even if no value-add occurs, as long as I didn't make things worse, I see it as a good experience.
> I don't beat myself up over "only 10 minutes" spent on the side project anymore
This is like the "1 pushup" rule for exercise. Stated briefly, you don't consider any day a loss where you have done even the smallest amount of deliberate work. This has many benefits, it makes for an easier on-ramp to doing the work since your goal for the day is the smallest possible amount of work. It builds the habit of doing something every day. It more often than not leads to doing a lot more work than the bare minimum. It builds a sense of achievement as you continue streaks of work and see progress. Most importantly, it actually does move you towards your big goals one tiny step at a time.
This is absolutely amazing. I'm working on a small side project exploring programmability in a smaller design space, and this really takes those ideas to the next level – I'm definitely going to be spending days going over this with a fine-tooth comb.
that's awesome. I made a somewhat similar toy[0] a while ago in vanilla js (checkmark `color2nearestname` at the top). I've been meaning to try my hand at this again, but while allowing the user to choose the palette. Namely I was thinking of these definitions:
1. CSS named colors
2. Open Props' colors[1]
3. Tailwind colors
4. XKCD's color survey results[2]
A different project sent me on a deep dive into the concept of color distances and how that can work across different spaces though so I'm afraid any other color-related projects would paralyze me with feature creep at this point though haha
Be present is the best thing I can say. The golden rule is one that everyone should follow, so if there was anything your father lacked with you, make sure to put in that effort with your sons.
Finally, what works for everyone is very different. My dad was always concerned with my weight, so he would flat out say “oh hey you’re looking kinda chunky today” and while many would think that is kinda mean, the kinda relationship we had showed me that that meant he cared about me and was worried I was eating too much or not exercising enough. But if you as a dad said that same thing to your kids, they may resent you for it. Go with your instincts and be the kind of dad you would want, and if you had the desire to succeed for their benefit, I’m sure you’ll do great.
Remember that kids aren’t little gremlins… they are people like you and me that just haven’t developed as much yet. So treat them like humans, instill all of the values you hope for early, and just hope they stick! It might sound vain to say, but I like to think that a lot of what makes a kid like their dad as much as I liked mine was just the fact that I’m a pretty good kid :)
God bless and do your best! You’re already more than half way there with that attitude!
I responded to this in a comment below[0], but essentially, this tool:
- Can call you with a reminder, which can be more powerful than notifications
- Works across platforms
- Will eventually support more integrations, such as calendars, webhooks, and telegram/whatsapp/etc.
Thanks, this is useful feedback. The pricing isn't set in stone, and I haven't given it much thought so far, to be honest. Do you have any thoughts around what a more reasonable price point might be?
In addition, I'd encourage you to give the app a shot using the NUDGESHN promo code (3 months free on the pro plan); I'd love feedback on more than just the pricing page!
As an idea, to avoid SMS expenses, you could add support for an external notification provider (like Pushover, that's almost free) to the paid plans. So people can use their Pushover (or whatever) API key to get messages.
