Two ways people handle Side Projects — and which one ages better after month three.
The honeymoon / tourist way
Chase the famous option. Spend Saturdays researching. Assume energy stays high. Often ends in accepting vibes over KPIs.
It looks great in photos. It collapses on rainy Tuesdays.
The resident way
Get the work-permit timeline owner in writing.
It looks less impressive. It works while practicing after-hours mutes near a WeChat work group that never sleeps.
Side gigs need contract honesty.
How to switch
- Admit what you optimized for (status vs sleep).
- Pick one default for the next thirty days.
- Tell one person so you stop renegotiating alone.
If a plan only works when you're energetic and the sky is perfect, it isn't a plan. It's a mood.
Copying someone else's routine from a different district and different job is how people waste their first quarter.
Pick the second unless you have a real reason not to.
Chengdu gets easier when routines stop feeling temporary.
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