I am working on GENNIT as a lone project in my spare time. Which brings up some problems -

1. I am building a system on my own.
2. I can only do it in my spare time.
3. There’s other things to do in my spare time

The first problem relates to the fact that working alone means there’s no one to check my output. If I want to cut corners I can because there’s no one around to check that I have not. This is obviously a double edged sword as I can do things quicker but if I am not careful I will end up with a mess of a system. Having learnt that you cannot test your own project yourself, I’ve asked friends to try out the product and let me know their thoughts, which is really valuable to any project.

The second problem is that most things you do take at least double the amount of time you think they will take. For example, creating a login screen is much more than just creating a username and password box onto a page or window; you have to consider what happens if the user presses ‘Login’ without entering any text. You also have to be aware of scripting attacks if working online etc.. etc..

The third problem is a challenge because you want to spend all your spare time having fun but also want to get your project off the ground and hopefully make some money!

There’s so many good resources coming to light on the web which relates to time management. LifeHack.org is a great blog relating to productivity and getting things done.

Here is a few tips I can personally recommend from working on GENNIT -

1. Have a Whiteboard
   My whiteboard is a bit bigger than a piece of A4 paper, but it has served a great purpose. I use it to keep a list of Milestones I need to reach before I can launch, as well as Ideas for projects. I also use it for keeping notes of where I am up to on other projects that are running concurrently. I find it better than using paper because it is easier to refer to and simpler to manage.

   
   My Whiteboard

2. Get up Early
   This tip works for people working at home fulltime or at the weekends because of their day jobs. By getting up at 6h30 in the morning, I can get started on work at around 07h00, giving me plenty of hours in the later afternoon and evening to work on other projects. This works well for weekend project workers too.
3. Don’t work all night
   It will send you crazy!
4. Be Productive all the time
   Sometimes it is hard to get into something. Just like it was hard at school to want to do homework. When your mind starts to think like this you need to remind yourself that you have a goal and need to achieve it and the only way that is going to happen is if you sit down and hammer it out.
5. Keep Fit - buy a Wii
   Working on a computer for hours on end day after day will give your body pains you didn’t know existed. Not just from repetitive injuries but also from lack of exercise. Do some exercise for at least six hours a week. If you don’t like exercise, the alternative is to get a Nintendo Wii and play Wii Tennis and Wii Boxing on it make sure you jump around and not play it sitting down!
6. Listen to Music / Radio
   8 hours sitting in silence with a computer will also send you crazy!
7. Minimize Distractions
   Easier said than done I must admit. My biggest distraction on the computer is probably my RSS feed list. I feel isolated without it and it is also fairly wise to keep up to date with the goings on in the computer world and real world. I use Newshutch for managing my RSS feeds. I find Newshutch really useful as I can speed through the list of items I have not read at speed with a CTRL+/ to make them all disappear, until the next entry is written.
8. Get a Decent Monitor and Graphics Card
   I worked on a laptop for a few years, I thought there was nothing wrong with it. I saved up for a nice big monitor and never want to go back. For something you are going to be spending a lot of time looking at, it’s worth the investment. Get the graphics card for a high resolution (which will look fine on a large screen).
9. Make great Coffee
   Checkout my working from home video on making good coffee