[throwaway4aday]

> 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.