Introduction
Ok, so this project is not just about what I’m doing to learn Game Development – There are plenty of people out there on the internet and YouTube who can do a better job at that than me.
A core part of this project is to test the ideas and strategies touted by the productivity Gurus of this world. Can they help me become the type of person that can stick to learning game development this year,- and even help me reach my goal in a more efficient way?
One idea that pervades the successful/productivity stereotype is waking up early in the morning. I mean really early. Like between 3 -6 am.
Why Bother Waking Up Early?
Famous celebrities and CEOs apparently get up at ungodly hours to keep ahead of the game. Apple’s Tim Cook wakes up at 3.45 am, Avon Chief Andrea Jung is up By 5 am and Mark Wahlberg is up a 3 am and in the Gym within the hour, all before a day of filming.
Now whether you believe that these wake-up times are really true, or perhaps you doubt that ‘normal’ people can function (let alone be productive) at those hours, there is something appealing about the early-riser/successful stereotype. I remember watching Rocky as a kid and feeling inspired to wake up at 5 am, drink raw eggs, and then go out for a run. (I really did! It was awful, I won’t elaborate further).
Whole books have been centered around this whole idea: The ‘Miracle Morning and Robin Sharma’s 5-am Club to name but two. It’s a really popular and attractive idea that can be sold as a strategy to help you achieve more! But does it really work?
Can It Help Me Be More Productive and Relaxed?
I really like the idea of having some solid time to get those important tasks done before everyone in the house wakes up. Especially as a parent! Once my 20-month daughter is up, it’s difficult to get anything done. Usually, we play her favorite game of “let’s move the kitchen chairs and climb on them, and daddy will get me down and move them back” 200 times a day.
This means I end up working in the evenings. Which isn’t great because I’m usually unable to focus at this time. I am often quite tired and feel guilty for not spending that time with my wife. I will likely still be tired in the mornings but at least I can spend the evenings relaxing ( I hope..)
Challenge Time – Ok Let’s Test This!
So here are the rules of the challenge.
- For the rest of this week, I am going to wake up between 4.30 am and 5.30 am
- I will have 30 mins to get showered have a coffee and go for a quick walk.
- Then I will then work until 8 am.
- Bedtime will be between 8 pm and 9 pm.
- This should give me 2 – 3 hours each day.
The first few days I expect to be hell and probably quite unproductive. But I will still try to outline what I expect to get done in these times.
I will experiment in dividing my time like in this way:
- 1 hour of Game Development Study.
- 1 hour of Game Dev in Year YouTube Channel.
- 1 hour flexible.
I hoping that after the initial tiredness wears off, front-loading my day will help me focus on moving forward and help me feel more relaxed later in the day.
Oh dear.. what have I signed myself up to….🤦♂️