
Ask HN: How do you handle the ups and downs on side-projects? - throwawayemot
Sometimes you have really great days, and sometimes really bad ones. Today my project is at risk because Google decide to &#x27;pause&#x27; my Ads account (after 6+ months spending $$$$) and stopped ALL ad serving while this happens.<p>This is consuming my mind, I think of nothing else. Even though this is just a side-project and I still have a job.<p>My mood is different, and I can barely hold small-talk with my wife (serious talk is fine, it&#x27;s a distraction). I hate it, it makes me want to stop it up simply due this. I don&#x27;t need the money that badly that I&#x27;d forego my marriage. But I do it to create enough income that I can spent the rest of my life with her, and enjoy it, without worrying about working 60+ hours a week.<p>What tools do you employ to avoid overthinking&#x2F;emotion&#x2F;etc in side-projects?
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davismwfl
I recently had to take my own advice I am about to give you, so while I say
it, I 100% recognize it is much easier said than done sometimes.

The advice is simple honestly, keep things in perspective and don't stress
over something you have no control over, just take actions you can to address
it. The first part of that is the most important and part I forgot recently
myself. Keeping things in perspective is critical, if your priority is your
relationship with your wife and your primary job than that's where you focus
your thought energy. Take a deep breath and put it in perspective, nothing
Google or your side project can do should make you ruin those other two
things.

The second part is in business you have to learn to let go of things you can't
control. Now, that doesn't mean you don't take action or address it, but don't
allow it to consume you because if it does you won't be able to address it and
you'll make rash or bad decisions. Again, easier said than done, but if you
keep things in perspective then part two is easier. It would be harder, but
still the same process if your side gig was your primary income and you relied
on it to pay the bills.

I am not trying to minimize anything, but it really is that simple overall.
Accept those things you can't change, change those things you can and focus on
your priorities. BTW -- accepting things you can't change doesn't mean you
give up, just recognize you might have to do things differently to get around
it. But you likely won't win against Google if you confront them, doesn't mean
you shouldn't be digging and appealing, but I'd also be making other plans.
See why the suspended it, was it a TOC violation etc, and fix it or adjust
strategy.

Last point (and to your question more directly), this just happened so take a
breath, don't knee jerk react this instant and give yourself a little bit
today to clear your mind. You can't fix this is 15 minutes, and while
important it isn't emergent since it is only the ads, so go take a run, go to
the gym or do whatever you do and clear your head. I personally hit the beach,
get in the water or get on the water (boat) or go work on a personal physical
project (building something etc).

~~~
throwawayemot
I can't express how meaningful this advice is. Thank you.

What you've said really resonates with me.

I'll do my best to start on this path and stay there.

I just want to get this off my chest: the Google problem hurts the most
because I suspected this might happen and didn't take a basic prevention
against it. I logged in abroad and added a campaign. After a few hours, ad
serving was suspended for suspicious activity on the account. Had I just used
my home VPN, this would be a non-issue.

But your advice is sound. Google issue or not, I can apply it to anything. The
Google problem was the vehicle to get this great advice, so I have no regrets.

Thanks again.

~~~
throwawayemot
Oh and for clarity on the Google front: I literally asked Google why it
stopped and the told me. Shocked to get such a clear answer, but disappointed
in myself for letting it happen!

