Hi HN! This is probably the most important thing I ever learned, so I'll repeat it here for the people who only read the comments :)

I found a way to work on my project every day, without willpower.

I just eliminated all the failure modes.

1. Skipping days breaks momentum: I can't skip days. (So I made it easy to win: I only need to show up for an hour.)

2. Delaying the work leads to missed days. I get tired, I get distracted, I forget. So I decided I need to work as soon as I wake up. Then I guarantee it gets done.

3. Distracted by stupid BS. Noticed that all my distraction came from the internet, and getting distracted would tank productivity for the remainder of the day. So I just unplug the router before bed.

That's my whole system, and I'm using it right now. (I used it to write this post!)

The deeper idea here is ... just find out what's making you fail, and see if you can't design around that. Just design it so those things do not happen. Then you will win by default.

Hope this helps! :)

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P.S. the astute reader may observe that this describes the Q2 category in the Eisenhower Matrix... the stuff we want to get done "someday", but which will never get done unless we make time it. For this reason, I very strongly recommend dedicating the first hour to Q2. Q1 "handles itself", by definition. Q2 is the one that needs love!

(That probably should have been the main thesis. Oh well!)