I had a small epiphany the other day. I think premature project management is a large contributor to me burning out while working on side projects.
When I first start a project, it's fun. I'm just throwing down code for whatever pops into my head whenever I feel like it. It can be a bit chaotic. Then, I start to think, “I should try to organize the chaos a bit.” There's a part of my brain that craves the process and organization. But, I think this is where the descent into burnout begins. I start looking into systems and apps and that becomes the project. It takes over my brain and does not leave space for much else. By the time I land on something—if I ever do—the original project is not fun anymore. It no longer sparks joy.
It's all well-intentioned. I want to work on projects and I want to work on projects without burning out. But more than wanting to work, I want to ship stuff. My natural state is bouncing between several different projects, starting new ones and abandoning old ones. That makes it difficult to actually finish anything. I'm just trying to help myself. But I've been swinging too far in the wrong direction.
But really, it's also a bit of vanity too. My projects do not need Project Management. I want them to need it. I want my project and myself to feel more important and legitimate. If my side projects have a Kanban board, or a Notion, or whatever else, I'm a real indie developer™️. Like "look at how everything is in this fancy app and not a collection of notes spread across my desk and random notebooks. I am a well-balanced and put-together human being."
Looking back on the projects I have actually shipped though, I did take more of a "notes spread across my desk and random notebooks" approach. I would just work on stuff when I felt like it. Requirements were mostly in my head. Then, when I felt like I was getting close to a milestone, I'd make a punch list. I would put down all the bugs and enhancements and whatever I could think of on a list. If it was important, I'd probably think of it first or close to first. I'd work on that list for a day or two and then make a new list. Again, if I didn't finish something important, it'd probably make it to the next list. If I forgot something, it'd probably show up on a future list eventually. Ship. Repeat. It worked. So maybe there's something to it.
A lack of real Project Management is an easy scapegoat when it comes to not finishing things. But that's not the issue. I need to take more time to reevaluate my motivations and goals and all that. If there's a theme to my blog, it's trying to find a way to sustainably work on the stuff I want to work on. I'm not there yet. But I think I'm getting closer.