How to optimize side projects – and 3 ways to determine if you’re moving in right direction

There’s something to be said about the person who always has side projects. 

Sure, they may have a day job, but that doesn’t necessarily define who they are, or even what they do. Often, this makes them interesting and aspirational.

A leisure-based side project is nothing to ignore. Blocking out time for something like relaxation or creative pursuits can make you happier and more productive.

But the best side projects are those that move you forward across one or all of three dimensions: 

1. Personal development 
2. Professional development
3. Provide a creative outlet or enjoyment

A side project that registers across one of these dimensions is worthwhile, but one that meets all three of these can be even more potent and effective.

To gauge if a side project enriches your personal development, determine whether pursuing it on a day-by-day basis makes you better, smarter, stronger, more empathetic, and so forth.

Ask yourself (and answer honestly) whether the activity is something you’re proud to say you do every day, even though no one’s compensating you for your time. 

Then, ask yourself if you’d be proud to say, “I’ve been doing this for the past three years.” Placing an extended time horizon on something can help you visualize long-term benefits or potential pitfalls.

Usually, if something’s not good for you, it isn’t something you’d be keen on broadcasting to others. 

For example, if your side project was working on an old car in the garage, where would you be in three years? You’d be a more competent mechanic, to start — not to mention more confident, handy, and more technically educated than you currently are.

Plus, if all goes well, you’d have a refurbished vehicle on hand. 

But if something is lacking in personal development, perhaps the project or pursuit is something that gets you ahead in your career or job.

Does this activity look better to have this or that on your resume? 

Would you be better off having this skill under your belt if you want to change jobs? 

Is the time you sacrifice today worth the professional opportunity it will bring in the future? 

These are straightforward questions, but can help clarify what it is that you are aiming for. A side project or activity like programming an app, for example, will be an impressive asset on a resume for a computer programmer. It may be tedious and exhausting, but the professional upside could be high.

Finally you can consider whether something provides a creative outlet, or is something you enjoy doing. I paired these two variables together because, often, they are one and the same. Most people pursue creative activities because they enjoy the process, and it brings meaning to their lives. 

Depending on your job, a creative outlet may not always be accessible. Finding one to pursue in your free time can prove fruitful because it engages your mind in different ways and helps you create new lines of thinking. 

Most importantly, starting and finishing a creative activity can be fulfilling to even the most uncreative people.

Playing music or learning an instrument, for example, is a popular creative outlet that can challenge you to a limitless degree. There is no ceiling to the skill level of a violin or piano player. And if you’re just learning a new instrument, the ceiling is exponentially further away. 

Each individual’s definition of a side project will differ, as will how they define each of the three primary variables. 

I consider myself extremely lucky because this blog, for me, encompasses all three of these variables. 

Since launching my blog in 2018, it has accelerated my personal and professional development — my passion for writing is matched only by my desire make a living as a writer — and it provides a limitless creative outlet. 

In writing here, I’ve become a much more disciplined, competent, and confident writer (personal development). 

The portfolio I’ve built on this site has given me hundreds of articles (and a book) to share with employers as well as a resume boon (professional development). 

I constantly challenge myself to write about new topics and even write fiction short stories, which challenge me artistically (creative outlet). 

Think about your current side projects. Then determine what category, if any, that they fall under.

Do they fit any of the above criteria? If not, maybe there is a way to adjust them so that they can be done more productively. 

These parameters can help you spend your time in a way that aligns with who you are and what you aspire to do.

If you are brainstorming what side projects to start, consider things that would hit more than one of the parameters. Hitting all three would be optimal, but it is difficult to find one thing to cover all the bases (I understand not everyone can be so passionate about running a modest blog).

Things won’t happen overnight, but thinking about how you can optimize your side projects and time can help point you in a productive direction.

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