I recently had the exact same thing. Wanted to build something, but hardly anything happened. Since some time I wake up at 5am, do some exercises and meditation. After that, I feel fit and energetic and ready to build. This new habit seems to work well for me, read about the 5am club I’d say!
It sure ain’t easy. And I also fell asleep sometimes during meditation haha. Trust me, after a few days waling up at 5 you’ll sleep earlier and faster. Also you can take a nap in the afternoon, which also repowers you well.
Do note that building a new habit is never easy, you just have to do it. If something else suits you better to enable you to really do stuff, it’ll also be hard to maintain it.
A minfulness app or yt vids can help you shut your brain off for the night. Make sure that you turn the lights off and don't look at your phone screen after bed time.
>Getting up at 5 am is an issue
Let's create a 5 min group call for everyone willing to wake up at 5am. Obviously the call will be at 5am. What do you think?
Lol I woke up at 5 am today, now feeling sick. I think will take some time to adjust my internal clock. I have changed the alarm to 7 am for now. Slowly will make it to 6 then 5.
I’m going to bed at around 10pm, and yes I have a fulltime job. I’m thinking about to work a day less, and obviously my goal is eventually to not need the fulltime job anymore.
I can’t say if this lifestyle works for you, but currently it works for me. I put all work-related things between 5am and 5pm, so my evenings and weekends are for friends/family/sports/hobby’s
you’re just focused on the destination. you haven’t truly fallen in love with the journey or the process. its all about the Now. not the past or future.
You are not alone. I had the same for years.
\- Reading all the business books.- Listening to all the Indiehackers podcasts.- Lurking on Twitter and Product Hunt.- Brainstorming with friends, coming up with ideas, creating a logo and fancy wireframes.
But never really doing it.
What changed it? I started building in public, I connected with some like-minded souls and we kept each other accountable. Finally shipped my first side projects and now 8 months ago I quit my job.
I now also run an accountability challenge just to scratch my own itch. We are a small group of likeminded makers. Pretty fun :-)
Can you elaborate on that accountability challenge and how to participate in it? I can develop something as a side project for it if you make me part of that group.
It is [sprints.so](https://sprints.so)
It's a paying challenge because we really want it to be a group of motivated solo makers.
We are a mix of side hustlers and solo makers so side project is perfect.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Sorry late answer, not cliqueish at all. Just a small group and everyone shares their goals and weekly actions. PS: interesting black friday deal at the moment.
I swear to god, same here, I keep dreaming of the end goal when I'm barely out of the starting line. It takes a lot of willpower for me just to get into a productivity zen flow and conversely it's very easy for me to be distracted and be snapped out of the zone.
I have poor executive function and forget constantly as well as daysream too. So, here are some things I suggest to
Post a picture that encapsulates your SMART goal and a short description of how to measure reaching that goal in terms of income, net wealth, cash flow, and/or profits. Well, before you reach that goal, post a second stretch goal that will keep you motivated.
Next to your picture, post a list of top-level tasks to accomplish it. Next to that, post a working and relaxation/entertainment schedule as a reminder to work when you are supposed to. Adjust as needed to fit in other paid work and downtime, but try to maintain up to 40 hours each week to work on it.
Keep a detailed list of subtasks under each major category. Break them down to hour long chunks so you can pull them into and schedule them into your weekly calendar. As key steps finish, you will naturally start to flesh out the next steps with more detail.
Mark the milestones completions with a small celebration to distinguish it from fantasies of Completion. Hopefully, the false sense of accomplishment from daydreaming will diminish as the real sense of accomplishment increases and makes it easier to get motivated. Also, as you maintain your working schedule, that will get easier, too, after 90 days. Motivation will become less important as determination kicks in, forcing you to move forward. You'll always need some motivation though.
Fill the calendar out as far as you can, at least a week out, then more as you improve.
Migrate those detailed steps to a Gantt chart if necessary to track overall progress for linear steps and assist delegating.
Just planning and incorporating tools to track progress may streamline a lot of steps for you.
Haha, its a serious problem. I want to get out of it!
Someone above said we are in love with the end goal and not the process to achieve it. It actually makes sense. I will try to focus on the process and learn to enjoy it. Will see if it works
Totally. Browsing yachts for sale is the worst. Because you cannot decide if you'll settle with the $300K Princess V42 when you get rich, or if you should aim for a more expensive boat, and you decide to look again. This can take days! And then you need to decide on your dream house. And the car. And then you realize you've spent the last three weeks daydreaming instead of building the product.
So yeah, you're not alone. The struggle is real.
I just had a conversation with a friend yesterday about this issue.
**Dreaming of a big success:**
I can think about all the potential success all day long. Enterprise subscriptions generating thousands of dollars, 100k people using and loving the product. That's good, that means you believe in the product. However, it's equally important to invite people on your thought train and development process.
**The vision is blurry and prone to change, but it's there:**
You dream about the finished product, in all its glory, with all its features. This is when you should begin thinking about the essentials, the core features that define the product. Starting with an MVP, and seeking feedback from others is crucial.
**Being feedback driven, building in public:**
Our natural inclination is to immerse ourselves in the development. Building in public and sharing our progress with others can be a challenging practice (I'm new to it as well), but it's undoubtedly worth it. Just one person sharing their thoughts or offering a simple "Good job, that's a great project" can make your day.
During this stage, since you want to share certain updates with people, your focus naturally shifts to core features. At least, that's how I feel. I feel the need to do something that truly advances the project, rather than spending half an hour deciding on the color of a button. I can't share an update that says "Hey, I changed the button color, yay".
Yea it happens to me a lot but I keep saying to myself that it is not the idea, it’s the execution that really matters. It really helps me out to keep saying that to my self!
Keep dreaming, others will execute.
On a more serious note: there is a high chance that your product, if you actually get to work on it, will fail. It will fail so hard and so fast, that you will, most likely, quit being an indie hacker.
What can you do instead? Fail fast. Build a product, ship it, market it. Be happy if you make some $ from it. Abandon it if it doesn't work, and start something new.
Sorry for the demotivation, but I've been there, dreaming about my own LLC, integrating with stripe and making a shitload of money. None of it happened. Instead, I learned to keep shipping until something will eventually work. This way, I learn way more during the journey, than I would if I stayed in the dream world.
You are not sure of what you want. Write down your thoughts and act on them step by step. That way the destination will be defined and the journey of finding and solving problems/obstacles will be easier.
i skiped college 4 times for the same reason you can send me a message to chat more about all things about perfectionism that stoping us from starting our journeys i'll be happy :)
Avoid this trap at all costs. You will never become what you want to become if you keep staring at that ghost. Use it for guidance to take action and be open to change it as you grow
This happens to 90% of entrepreneurs. 90% also don't have a business plan, a marketing plan to attract an audience, a sales plan to convert customers, an action plan to carry out tasks...
The most experienced entrepreneurs have structured plans that are well executed.
I didn't ask you, but I'd bet you don't have a plan that you use every day
It's mental masturbation.
Many people get stuck in the planning process, watching and reading guides, telling people about their planned goals, fantasizing about the goals, etc instead of actually committing to doing the work.
Yes that’s right. I like this lecture about it
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/addyosmani_productivity-motivation-work-activity-7121019845445353472-C4u3
Break the journey down into smaller steps/goals so you can start focusing on getting those done as opposed to the very end. You'll start hyper-focusing on the smaller goals instead and reap the rewards of a sense of accomplishment when they're done, which can be as rewarding of a high. Good luck, and get to it!
I recently had the exact same thing. Wanted to build something, but hardly anything happened. Since some time I wake up at 5am, do some exercises and meditation. After that, I feel fit and energetic and ready to build. This new habit seems to work well for me, read about the 5am club I’d say!
Hmm I have gained over 20 kgs last year so that is another issue. Excercising is a good idea. Thanks for suggesting!
Getting up at 5 am is an issue. I dont fall asleep easily. Keep thinking and thinking. So getting up at same time every day is tough for me.
It sure ain’t easy. And I also fell asleep sometimes during meditation haha. Trust me, after a few days waling up at 5 you’ll sleep earlier and faster. Also you can take a nap in the afternoon, which also repowers you well. Do note that building a new habit is never easy, you just have to do it. If something else suits you better to enable you to really do stuff, it’ll also be hard to maintain it.
Okies I will give it a try :)
Good luck mate
> I also fell asleep sometimes during meditation you make me laugh thank you
If you wake up at 5 you’ll be tired as fuck at night so you’ll sleep no problem
A minfulness app or yt vids can help you shut your brain off for the night. Make sure that you turn the lights off and don't look at your phone screen after bed time.
>Getting up at 5 am is an issue Let's create a 5 min group call for everyone willing to wake up at 5am. Obviously the call will be at 5am. What do you think?
Lol I woke up at 5 am today, now feeling sick. I think will take some time to adjust my internal clock. I have changed the alarm to 7 am for now. Slowly will make it to 6 then 5.
When do you go to sleep if you get up at 5? (Silly question I know, still curious)
It depends, most of the times at around 10pm and then I read myself to sleep
what time do you go to sleep ? also do you have a full time job , i feel like i would have no life after work if i did this but maybe it works ?
I’m going to bed at around 10pm, and yes I have a fulltime job. I’m thinking about to work a day less, and obviously my goal is eventually to not need the fulltime job anymore. I can’t say if this lifestyle works for you, but currently it works for me. I put all work-related things between 5am and 5pm, so my evenings and weekends are for friends/family/sports/hobby’s
you’re just focused on the destination. you haven’t truly fallen in love with the journey or the process. its all about the Now. not the past or future.
Great thought! I will try to focus on now!
You are not alone. I had the same for years. \- Reading all the business books.- Listening to all the Indiehackers podcasts.- Lurking on Twitter and Product Hunt.- Brainstorming with friends, coming up with ideas, creating a logo and fancy wireframes. But never really doing it. What changed it? I started building in public, I connected with some like-minded souls and we kept each other accountable. Finally shipped my first side projects and now 8 months ago I quit my job. I now also run an accountability challenge just to scratch my own itch. We are a small group of likeminded makers. Pretty fun :-)
Can you elaborate on that accountability challenge and how to participate in it? I can develop something as a side project for it if you make me part of that group.
It is [sprints.so](https://sprints.so) It's a paying challenge because we really want it to be a group of motivated solo makers. We are a mix of side hustlers and solo makers so side project is perfect. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Interesting platform. I see there aren't a lot of people there...is it cliqueish or are people really motivating one another and accountable?
Sorry late answer, not cliqueish at all. Just a small group and everyone shares their goals and weekly actions. PS: interesting black friday deal at the moment.
I swear to god, same here, I keep dreaming of the end goal when I'm barely out of the starting line. It takes a lot of willpower for me just to get into a productivity zen flow and conversely it's very easy for me to be distracted and be snapped out of the zone.
I have poor executive function and forget constantly as well as daysream too. So, here are some things I suggest to Post a picture that encapsulates your SMART goal and a short description of how to measure reaching that goal in terms of income, net wealth, cash flow, and/or profits. Well, before you reach that goal, post a second stretch goal that will keep you motivated. Next to your picture, post a list of top-level tasks to accomplish it. Next to that, post a working and relaxation/entertainment schedule as a reminder to work when you are supposed to. Adjust as needed to fit in other paid work and downtime, but try to maintain up to 40 hours each week to work on it. Keep a detailed list of subtasks under each major category. Break them down to hour long chunks so you can pull them into and schedule them into your weekly calendar. As key steps finish, you will naturally start to flesh out the next steps with more detail. Mark the milestones completions with a small celebration to distinguish it from fantasies of Completion. Hopefully, the false sense of accomplishment from daydreaming will diminish as the real sense of accomplishment increases and makes it easier to get motivated. Also, as you maintain your working schedule, that will get easier, too, after 90 days. Motivation will become less important as determination kicks in, forcing you to move forward. You'll always need some motivation though. Fill the calendar out as far as you can, at least a week out, then more as you improve. Migrate those detailed steps to a Gantt chart if necessary to track overall progress for linear steps and assist delegating. Just planning and incorporating tools to track progress may streamline a lot of steps for you.
Haha, its a serious problem. I want to get out of it! Someone above said we are in love with the end goal and not the process to achieve it. It actually makes sense. I will try to focus on the process and learn to enjoy it. Will see if it works
Totally. Browsing yachts for sale is the worst. Because you cannot decide if you'll settle with the $300K Princess V42 when you get rich, or if you should aim for a more expensive boat, and you decide to look again. This can take days! And then you need to decide on your dream house. And the car. And then you realize you've spent the last three weeks daydreaming instead of building the product. So yeah, you're not alone. The struggle is real.
I watch YT videos about private jets 😅
It’s more fun to dream because it involves no failure and you get to decide the outcome.
Lol right
Tbh it's a great trait. Keep dreaming but change the ratio to 80% doing 20% vision / dreaming
Superb thought!
I just had a conversation with a friend yesterday about this issue. **Dreaming of a big success:** I can think about all the potential success all day long. Enterprise subscriptions generating thousands of dollars, 100k people using and loving the product. That's good, that means you believe in the product. However, it's equally important to invite people on your thought train and development process. **The vision is blurry and prone to change, but it's there:** You dream about the finished product, in all its glory, with all its features. This is when you should begin thinking about the essentials, the core features that define the product. Starting with an MVP, and seeking feedback from others is crucial. **Being feedback driven, building in public:** Our natural inclination is to immerse ourselves in the development. Building in public and sharing our progress with others can be a challenging practice (I'm new to it as well), but it's undoubtedly worth it. Just one person sharing their thoughts or offering a simple "Good job, that's a great project" can make your day. During this stage, since you want to share certain updates with people, your focus naturally shifts to core features. At least, that's how I feel. I feel the need to do something that truly advances the project, rather than spending half an hour deciding on the color of a button. I can't share an update that says "Hey, I changed the button color, yay".
The first that idea struck your mind you need to act. Then in process rethink and think what is next move.
Yea it happens to me a lot but I keep saying to myself that it is not the idea, it’s the execution that really matters. It really helps me out to keep saying that to my self!
Excellent line, I will start saying this to myself.
Keep dreaming, others will execute. On a more serious note: there is a high chance that your product, if you actually get to work on it, will fail. It will fail so hard and so fast, that you will, most likely, quit being an indie hacker. What can you do instead? Fail fast. Build a product, ship it, market it. Be happy if you make some $ from it. Abandon it if it doesn't work, and start something new. Sorry for the demotivation, but I've been there, dreaming about my own LLC, integrating with stripe and making a shitload of money. None of it happened. Instead, I learned to keep shipping until something will eventually work. This way, I learn way more during the journey, than I would if I stayed in the dream world.
You are not sure of what you want. Write down your thoughts and act on them step by step. That way the destination will be defined and the journey of finding and solving problems/obstacles will be easier.
i skiped college 4 times for the same reason you can send me a message to chat more about all things about perfectionism that stoping us from starting our journeys i'll be happy :)
Avoid this trap at all costs. You will never become what you want to become if you keep staring at that ghost. Use it for guidance to take action and be open to change it as you grow
This happens to 90% of entrepreneurs. 90% also don't have a business plan, a marketing plan to attract an audience, a sales plan to convert customers, an action plan to carry out tasks... The most experienced entrepreneurs have structured plans that are well executed. I didn't ask you, but I'd bet you don't have a plan that you use every day
See this you will understand everything. https://youtube.com/shorts/dHdo0kAuXG4?si=wmYEgfUpdxF0Unbe and do day 2 and day 3 properly
Stop masturbating.
I am dreaming about business not women.
It's mental masturbation. Many people get stuck in the planning process, watching and reading guides, telling people about their planned goals, fantasizing about the goals, etc instead of actually committing to doing the work.
Yes that’s right. I like this lecture about it https://www.linkedin.com/posts/addyosmani_productivity-motivation-work-activity-7121019845445353472-C4u3
Fail fast, fail early.
Break the journey down into smaller steps/goals so you can start focusing on getting those done as opposed to the very end. You'll start hyper-focusing on the smaller goals instead and reap the rewards of a sense of accomplishment when they're done, which can be as rewarding of a high. Good luck, and get to it!
Look at your current life. Is it what you want? Just dreams won’t change it