Balancing a full-time job and indie game development can be tricky. After spending hours at work, finding the energy and focus to work on a game can feel overwhelming. It becomes even more challenging when trying to maintain physical health by working out. There’s only so much time in a day, and juggling work, game development, and exercise can feel like a lot. But even with limited time, I’ve found ways to keep going and make progress.
The Challenge of Staying on Track
This past week, I tried to push forward with my match-three game while managing my regular job. The biggest challenge wasn’t just finding time—it was organizing my thoughts and progress. Switching between work tasks and game development made it difficult to stay focused on what to do next.
I worked on creating new levels but kept getting stuck in deciding how to design them. I also spent time fixing bugs, which, while necessary, made me feel like I wasn’t making much creative progress. At the same time, I was searching for visual inspiration for the game’s environment and tile designs. With limited hours in the day, structuring my workflow felt like a struggle.
Adding exercise to the mix made things even trickier. Since I spend a lot of time sitting at a desk, I know how important it is to stay active. However, fitting in workouts alongside everything else wasn’t easy. Some days, I had to choose between working on my game or getting some movement in, which made it feel like there was never enough time for everything.
A Simple Solution That Helped Me Stay Organized
By the end of the week, I realized I needed a better way to plan my work. Instead of just thinking about what I should do next, I decided to actually write things down and structure my workflow.
I used ChatGPT to help me organize my thoughts and create a level progression plan for my match-three game. Having a clear roadmap helped me feel more in control and made it easier to focus when I sat down to work.
For workouts, I decided to keep things simple—short sessions that don’t take up too much time but still help me stay active. Even a 20-minute workout makes a difference, and I’ve found that exercising actually helps me stay more focused when working on my game.
Moving Forward with a Better Approach
One thing I learned this week is that even if I can’t spend hours every day on game development, having a plan makes a huge difference. Now, I can jump into my tasks without wasting time figuring out what to do next.
Balancing work, game development, and exercise is an ongoing process, but small improvements like planning ahead make it much easier. I’m excited to keep building on this and see how it helps me in the long run!
💡 If you’re juggling a job, a creative project, and trying to stay active, try making a simple plan for your time. It doesn’t have to be perfect—just knowing what’s next can make a big difference!