Days in the Life of Mo

You know that one side project? The one sitting in your GitHub repo like an unpaid intern… quiet, loyal, untouched since February? Yeah, that one.

Let’s talk about it.

Every December, we all do this thing. We open Google Docs, add a new “Goals for 202X” doc, and with the confidence of a motivational speaker who just discovered Canva, we type:
“Finish my side project.”

And every July, we find that same page collecting digital dust, buried under a dozen new folders titled final-final-v2.

But next year? Oh, next year is different.
You’re not just going to build that project, you’re going to finish it.

The Myth of “When I Have Time”

There’s this dangerous phrase we love: “when I have time.”
It’s as mythical as a bug-free deployment on a Friday.

Time doesn’t appear. We make it, or rather, we steal it back. Twenty minutes before bed. Half an hour while your laundry spins. The boring meeting that could’ve been an email? That’s your IDE calling.

And no, you don’t need a sabbatical in Bali to build something meaningful. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, once said:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

So maybe the goal isn’t “build an app,” but “build for 15 minutes every weekday.” Because systems win where motivation fails. And let’s be honest, motivation is cute until it’s 11 PM and your laptop is judging you from the corner.

The 2026 You Is Waiting

Imagine your future self, twelve months from now.
She’s demoing that app to a friend. She’s got the clean UI, the witty error messages, and maybe even a “Buy me coffee” link.

She’s glowing (and not just from the monitor light).
Because she finished something.

Finishing a side project isn’t just about code. It’s about proving to yourself that your ideas deserve execution, not just excitement. It’s therapy disguised as productivity. It’s creative freedom without a manager breathing down your neck.

Alan Turing didn’t just invent the foundations of computer science; he played with puzzles, patterns, and problems because curiosity was his oxygen. Side projects are the modern developer’s version of that, a sandbox where logic meets play.

And you? You’ve been postponing play.

A Little Secret: Nobody Knows What They’re Doing

Every developer you admire? They all started clueless. They Googled “how to make an API” too. They pushed ugly commits. They broke production.

The only difference is, they kept showing up.
So when you catch yourself thinking, “I’ll start when I know enough,” remember: you’ll never feel ready. You’ll just feel regret later if you don’t start now.

Your future repo doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs your fingerprints.

Next Year, You Choose Progress Over Perfection

Next year, your side project isn’t just a checkbox, it’s your declaration of rebellion. Against burnout. Against “I’ll do it later.” Against the fear of not being good enough.

It’s the year you build, not for clients, not for grades, not for LinkedIn posts, but for you.

So fork that idea. Push that first commit. Write the README like it’s a love letter to your future self.

Next year is the year you finally conquer that side project.
And when you do, remember this post. Then go brag a little, I’ll allow it.

---

Liked this post? Stick around.
Subscribe for more developer musings, caffeine-fueled reflections, and tech talk from a girl who codes, overthinks, and occasionally commits after midnight.