I hit a wall, a motivation wall.
For the past two months, I've been building FlavaQuest with a lot of excitement and focus. But this last month? It's been tough. Even with all the documentation and planning I did previously, I hit a motivation wall.
The Feature Creep Trap
I had high expectations of many different features I wanted to add. I wanted the app to look good for the potential user that I would have. I wanted to add so many things to the app when in truth I didn't plan out those features. I put myself in a hole where I felt overwhelmed by the number of things I wanted to add and ended up not adding anything.
That spiraled into feeling overwhelmed. I kept thinking, How can I build all this? But here's the thing: I don't even have users yet. Who was I building all these features for? Instead of narrowing my focus, I was expanding it endlessly. And that ended up killing progress.
I got so caught up in the potential that I didn't do anything. I really needed to stick to a MVP that is easily obtainable. The MVP I had last month was still too big that I lost the vision.
Losing Interest in the Project
This one's hard to admit. I lost interest in FlavaQuest.
That doesn't mean I'm giving up on it. I still want to finish the app. But right now, it's not my priority. Life threw more responsibilities my way, and my energy shifted. It's just not exciting me at the moment and that's okay.
FlavaQuest is still my baby. It's something that I truly believe in. I know that I will finish this project to the best of my ability.
I Wanted to Build Other Things
Building smaller projects was so much easier to do. I was able to pump out more projects on a smaller scale that allowed me to feel more productive.
Learning felt fun and because those projects were smaller, the scope of the project was easier.
These projects had clearer defined goals. A lot of which didn't need loads of documentation for. Something very simple that could be done in a weekend. And it was so much more fun and rewarding. I got instant feedback from these shorter form projects.
I felt like my skills as a developer were growing because I was exposing myself to new technologies. What makes this even better is that I was able to finish a lot more projects and prove to myself that I can finish something.
These smaller, focused project like:
- My Chess Stats Card
- Updating my GitHub Profile README
- Rebuilding my personal website (more on that soon)
These projects were clear, rewarding, and gave me immediate feedback. They helped me grow as a developer and gave me a sense of accomplishment, something I really needed.
Each project taught me something new. I felt like I was exploring again. And most importantly, I was finishing things.
So, what now?
I'm still building FlavaQuest. I'll keep sharing updates about my journey, because building in public is something I really enjoy. But I'm also giving myself space to explore other ideas.
Let me know in the comments:
How do you stay motivated during long-term side projects?
Have you ever stepped back to rediscover your spark?
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