[kindohm]

There is a difference between finding and making time. I'm married, have one child, play hockey 1.5 times a week, write and record music, and try to cook. When I have a pet project in mind, all of that gets put on hold. I have to _make_ time and shove some things aside.

There are boundaries though. I don't hide in a hole away from my wife and daughter for a weekend. It goes in chunks of time. Family is a priority for me, and I can't justify shutting them out so I can code for a weekend. As a result, I need to work in 1-4 hour chunks. Four hours is pushing it (either because of sleep or a daughter craving time with me on a saturday). Hockey, music, cooking... those things can always wait when I choose.

I also constrain myself to small pet projects. Many times the projects cannot be completed, and I'm ok with that. I usually work on projects to prove out ideas or learn something... not finish them. Sometimes I share stuff on my blog or github. However, my work is usually rough around the edges. My pet projects are not meant to be polished and beautiful. They are for me to learn or just do something crazy and cool.

Having a child will cut off your free time like a tourniquet. However, I've found that having a child has also helped me focus. My seven years as a father have arguably (and ironically) been my most productive for my career. I have a hard time explaining that, other than I've had to focus and really come to terms with what is important - both at the macro level of choosing an activity and at the micro level of how pretty I want my side-work to be.