3 reasons why everyone must pursue a side project
Side projects are the antidote that your doctor did not prescribe, but should have. In this essay, we will look at three uses of this drug-free therapy.
1. An antidote to stress
Distractions, in general, are an effective antidote to a stressful day at work or a hectic weekend with the family. However, not all types of distractions are equal.
Passive distractions such as Instagram, YouTube and Netflix are depleting. But there’s something about active distractions, like playing an instrument or cooking, they are rejuvenating.
Side projects are an active distraction. They transport you mentally and help you breakaway from your daily anxieties. They quench a certain thirst that you didn’t know needed quenching.
With side projects, you are doing something you have full ownership over. You pursue something for its own sake. There aren't many things in life that you can truly say that about.
side_projects === drug_free_therapy
Reason 1: Rejuvenation 2. An antidote to diminishing attention span
Attention is the one true currency we have. Everyone is vying for it. Our Instagram and YouTube feeds have been meticulously engineered to capture our attention. Podcasts and blogs, including this Substack, all require your attention to ensure their success.
The volume of stimulus thrown at us every day has fractured our attention span. This fragmentation has affected children and grown-ups alike. Another therapeutic effect of side projects is that they are capable of healing our attention span.
I have friends who are hobby musicians and amateur woodworkers trying to produce original work on nights and weekends while supporting their families and raising children. Pulling this off demands a certain discipline, and side projects are the sandbox where your mind has the opportunity to sharpen this focus and discipline.
Reason 2: Honing your one true currency - attention3. An antidote to retirement
In his book, James Carse purports that everything we do in life is either a finite or an infinite game.
Your 9-to-5 is a finite game that is often mistaken for an infinite one. When I meet someone new at kids birthday parties, the first question is always - “What do you do for work?” We as a society have subsumed into our collective consciousness that the day job is our identity.
In retirement, you will have the physical aspects figured out: morning walks, afternoon yoga, and a few classes. But it is the mental side of retirement that can be deadly. Pursuing side projects and making that a part of your DNA and your main identity is a better place to be.
However, becoming a hobbyist or tinkerer is not something that happens overnight. Just like any other muscle, it needs to be worked on. Side projects are the infinite game everyone should be playing.
Reason 3: Developing your infinite gameBonus
Serendipity
These side endeavors could open new doors and opportunities that you might not have pursued otherwise.
Setting an example
Your tinkering never goes unnoticed.
I spent a big part of my teen years hanging around a friend’s place. His dad was an HR executive by day, but his shelves were full of programming books. I would always find him walking around with one. Even when driving, the book would be positioned between the driver and passenger seats, ready to read during traffic stops. Later in life he went on to start a tech company.
Observing him had a significant impact on many of my behaviors and interests.
Where do you begin?
If you have a few ideas for side projects but have been hesitant to get started, one way to beat the inertia is to commit to a 14-day sprint. Each session can be a short 15 minutes of tinkering, making a tiny bit of progress until the process becomes enjoyable and the habit becomes ingrained.
If you are still trying to figure out what side project to pursue, the best way to discover your next interest is to learn and imitate. Take an online course, or pick up a book and work through its examples. Starting your journey by imitating someone you admire removes the pressure to create something new and original.
A few of my favorite side projects
That’s it for this session, see you in the next one.